I spent 150 days in a hospital, 49 of those on a ventilator with a near fatal strep infection I contracted after the birth of my third daughter. Seven surgeries later, I saw the possibility of normalcy.

If you can find the strength to take a breath, pause between work-searching activities, you might notice that you have one rare commodity that you don’t have much of when you are game-fully employed. You have time, the “half full” side of the unemployment glass.

Most people recognize the link between what they eat and their physical health. But many don’t know that there is a link between what they eat and their mood. Literally, says Elizabeth Somer, M.A.,R.D., what you eat or don’t eat for breakfast can have an effect on your happiness quotient by afternoon.

I can't tell you how long "Learn to Meditate" has been sitting on my life-goals list. Not on my ho-hum to-do list, next to "schedule teeth cleaning" or "buy Huggies Pull-Ups." I'm talking about the biggie, the list that serves as the repository for my deepest desires for myself, like "Find Hubby" and "Have Baby." That's how important I consider meditation to my overall health and wellness.

If someone were to ask you to share your most important life lessons, messages or quotes what would top your list? We love these 15 powerful thoughts from writer Ashley Ambirge, and hope you’ll feel inspired to add a comment of your own.

There’s always a lot of talk about how girls grow up surrounded by the wrong messages and are made to aspire to impossible standards. I may joke about how black-and-white television can be when it comes to subverting its own message, but when I think about how it influenced my body image versus the kind of message my own mother sent me, I am grateful for all the trite lessons I got.

As a motivational speaker for Fortune 500 companies and an Olympic gold medalist, I have seen what makes an individual most successful in the boardroom and on the slopes. Over the last five years, I have researched the similarities of forty different highly-successful individuals -- including the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Prince Albert of Monaco, Dr. Stephen Covey, Shaun White and many more. And no matter the field or endeavor, I have found The Turtle Effect philosophy at the core of everyone's success.

Do you ever feel like you're living right on the emotional edge? For the most part, I think I'm a fairly calm person. But since my younger daughter turned 6, I feel like I've been just short of "snap" for the past 4 months. Patience? Bite me.

As I look ahead to the new year, I've been making plans and working to push myself forward with new goals, new ambitions and renewed faith in myself. I have a lot I want to accomplish, a lot I want to read, weight to lose, rooms to organize, work to focus on, things to learn and financial goals I certainly plan on meeting.

I felt my jaw drop when I checked my inbox and saw the email from Stacey, the founder of Hybrid Mom. In a heartfelt note to her readers, she explained the time had come for her to move on. I can’t begin to know the mixed emotions she must be feeling.