I love the roller-coaster of life. While the plunges into the depths have been scary, I have come to relish each climb back to a peak. My descents have always opened gates to insight and prodded me to important personal growth.

• From my efforts to save a troubled marriage, I discovered happiness comes from within. During my subsequent effort to end my marriage, I gained self-knowledge and inner peace.

• From a bicycling accident that put me in intensive care with a concussion and required surgery to repair my face, I gained deep empathy for the misfortunes of others. Because I was uninsured, paying off the resulting medical bills helped me release long-held fears regarding money.

• From a mountain of failed manuscripts, I learned to write fiction. I sold four novels of my own and shared my knowledge with others. In addition to teaching classes and delivering workshops across the U.S, I published the "A Novel Approach" newsletter for three years. About 80% of my students who completed their novel were published, and many are now building solid careers as novelists.

I am the oldest of nine siblings, the mother of two grown children, a writer and teacher, and an avid hiker.

After both my children had graduated from college, I returned to the university and earned a degree in anthropology.

I lived with my aging parents during my father’s decline into Alzheimer’s disease and eventual death.

My 50s were the most eventful decade of my life. Before the last class reunion I ended my marriage, moved cross country twice (to Wisconsin and back), returned to school and earned my B.A. degree, then moved back in with my parents to help take care of my Dad.

Since then I've worked as a corporate trainer, suffered a major bicycling accident (which took me one and a half years to recover from physically and to pay off financially), my ex-husband died, my Mother experienced a stroke, my Dad died, and then my son-in-law died.

I moved to Ohio to live with my daughter. In Ohio I dedicated myself to writing full time and discovered I no longer had a passion for fiction. I realized I'd stayed with writing mostly because I loved teaching, and what I loved most about teaching was helping my students achieve their dreams.

So now I've become a life coach, certified with the International Coaching Academy. My daughter and I moved to Seattle. I currently live in Colorado.

Through all these events, I came to understand that my life wasn't about the events; my life was about how I handle events and what I learn from them.

Kathy A. Jacobson: Author of the following books:

Blue Skies and Promises, 1989

Home Ties, 1994

The Sheriff With The Wyoming Size Heart, 1998

Choosing Happiness, 2008

The Miracle Factor, 2008