There’s no perfect way to share life-altering news. In the midst of a crisis, we may need time to process it alone, tell only a few people, or not share it at all. Understanding what lies behind those choices can help others not take personally when—or whether—we learn the news.

How many things have you said, “I’d never do that!” only to do that exact thing years later? Sometimes these “never dos” need a second look because they may be holding us back. Here are seven of my “nevers, then dids” that might make you smile.

Courage rarely feels courageous when we’re living through it. Sometimes it’s simply facing our fear, drawing on what experience has taught us, and taking the next step forward. I learned that from some of the most courageous people I know.

Gravity–that invisible force that keeps us sitting when we know getting up and doing almost anything would make us feel better. Sometimes the hardest gravity to overcome has nothing to do with physics.

Rebellion is expected from teenagers. But what about adults? After 18 months of following all the sensible advice and still feeling miserable, I decided it might be time to break a few rules.

A poem expressing a conversation across generations—with gratitude for those who walked the cancer path before us, the wisdom they left behind, and hope that someday no one will have to follow.