In November of 2013, I wrote an article called, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don t Do. My message on mental strength didn t just stem from my education as a licensed clinical social worker or my experiences. Within a three year time frame, I had lost my mother and my 26-year-old husband. Dealing with my grief taught me that I had to get rid of bad habits no matter how seemingly small or infrequent they seemed that could hold me back. I wrote my list, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don t Do, as a reminder of all those bad habits I d need to avoid if I wanted to face the circumstances with as much courage and strength as possible. I published it to the web in hopes it might help someone else. Within days, my list was shared by millions of people. I m now able to publicly share my story behind that viral article. My book, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don t Do, is being translated into more than 20 languages