Have you ever experienced something that has just left you breathless? Something you never, ever thought could happen to someone like you – someone with your past or your education level or your gender? But then when that something does happen, oh man, you are just so overwhelmed and humbled and flat out SHOCKED!

I have to tell you a quick story, and then I have a really good word of encouragement for you today. If you have spent any time on our website, you’ve probably heard at least part of this story…

To tell you the truth, I have not always been successful. I have not, by ANY stretch of the imagination, had anything handed to me on a silver platter, and I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. In fact, it is quite the opposite.

See, I grew up on welfare in a home filled with intense violence. My parents were total drug addicts. I was emotionally, physically, verbally, and sexually abused on a regular basis. I was grabbed by the throat and shoved up against the wall so that the man I thought was my father, who was 6’10" and 350 pounds, could cuss me out at eye level. (And then when I was almost 18 years old, I found out that the man who had treated me this way my entire life was not even my father! My biological father was from Nicaragua!) I was kicked across the room and beaten. I watched my sisters be kicked across the room and beaten. Violence, truma, and dysfunction were all I knew growing up. I was exposed to things no child should ever see.

I ended up pregnant at 17 and homeless at 21. I was drinking, doing drugs, partying, and sleeping around, and I was well on my way to becoming nothing more than a product of my horrific childhood. And to be honest, it would have been so easy for me to just give up right then and there.

The sad thing is, so many people who have a terrible past just stay there. So many people seem to believe that just because they had a rough start, nothing can ever change. But that’s not the case…

Today, I am passionately married to my husband and business partner, Hans. I am a mother of 5 and a grandmother of 4. I am a multimillionaire, owner of 5 companies, nationally syndicated radio show host, as well as a bestselling author and international speaker and trainer.

When I started out in life, I had so many things working against me. So many hardships to overcome and battles to fight. I didn’t believe that someone like me could succeed in anything. But I am living proof that it doesn’t matter how you start out in life. What matters is how you finish.

I have been in tears off and on because of what has taken place over the last 2 days. I am actually in total disbelief as I write this to you right now. I am completely humbled and shocked. There are some really wild things happening, and I am so blown away.

This past Wednesday, I was featured in an article on Forbes.com. In the first 24 hours since the article was published, it has gone totally viral on Facebook, with more than 13,200 shares. It actually beat out other articles including a full list of 2013 Grammy winners, coverage of President Obama’s State of the Union Address, and an "Ask Me Anything" session with Bill Gates.

I’m not telling you this to brag or gloat. I’m telling you this because I was NEVER "most popular" or "most likely to succeed"!!! According to my past, none of this was ever supposed to happen…

But I’m telling you it doesn’t matter who raised you. It doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter how smart you are. It doesn’t matter how poor you are. The bottom line is, it doesn’t matter how you start in life! It is NEVER the circumstances that determine your success in life. All that matters is how you finish.

Imagine your happy ending. What does it look like? What does it feel like? My friend, you have to understand something today. It is possible. It is so possible!

Look, if I – the rejected, dejected, abused, misfit kid from the wrong side of the tracks with the wrong parents and the wrong circumstances – can rise up out of that and become more successful than I ever thought possible… So can you. So can you! I really believe it.

Because I’m not the only one who has done this! Have you not seen the tens of thousands of testimonials on our website? Take Brendan, for example. He had been working like a dog in the same job for 25 years. He used Job Domination and grew his income by $90K in 2012! And that’s just one of the stories! I’m not the only one! If I can do it… If tens of thousands of our clients can do it… SO CAN YOU!

I am so excited for you. I am excited to watch as you wrap your head around the idea that YOU are in control of your happy ending. You are in control of your future. I am living proof that you can rise up out of nothing and create a life that is good and full and happy. I believe in you! I just can’t say that enough… I believe in you!

If you haven’t read the article in Forbes yet, go ahead and take a minute to read it. It was beautifully written by a writer who truly captured all of the emotions and the details of my journey from homeless to milionaire. I am so excited to share it with you because I really want you to see the proof of what it means to create your own happy ending.

And I really hope you will join me in sharing this article with your friends, family, co-workers, and anyone you can think of who may need a little encouragement today. We live in a hurting world, but you and I can make a difference today by simply sharing this post on Facebook and Twitter.

Have an awesome day today, and until next time, God bless!

In great faith,