I've been married now for five months. I can truly say that I have never before in my life so enjoyed being in a relationship with a woman.

For many months during and after my divorce, I gave up thinking that I would ever experience the best that life has to offer. I felt that I had failed, miserably, at being a person with value to offer the life of another human being.

But with the advantage of perspective and time, I can see that the whole experience, as terrible as it was, was necessary for my growth as a person. I needed an extended time-out from a wearying, battle-scarred, failure of a marriage to realize that, as a person, I am not a failure.

So many people with whom I talk and who write me on this website are going through their tough periods—their own personal time-out. If there was one thing I could say to you all, it's this:

Be patient. Relax. Take a deep breath. You are loved. You are lovable. The best of life is not "out there; somewhere." The best of life is inside you, with you, caring for you, loving you. What you are going through today, as hideous and as traumatic as it may be, is your event to cherish. Learn from today. Embrace today. Feel your pain. Acknowledge that you are a human being, deserving of the best life has to offer. Search within yourself.

You are the treasure you are seeking.

Thank you, God, for showing me how valuable and beautiful and wonderful I am. Thank you for my circumstances. Thank you for being with me and teaching me that life is what I make it, and I am, as a person, who you and I, together, are creating in me.

next: Revealing Riches