I’m lucky to be alive. I’m fortunate to have my mind intact. I’m grateful for family, friends and acquaintances … along with people I don’t even know … who have been praying for me, sending me cards, flowers and even fruit, and commenting on my Facebook page while I go through this journey.

If you haven’t been following my story on Facebook, here’s the scoop:

On February 17, around 5:45pm, I was hit by a car while crossing the street to my apartment. I sustained multiple fractures to my head, face, ribs, left arm and hips. There was even a little bleeding in my brain.

But I survived. I’m still me.

OK: I can’t use my left had very well just yet (I broke both bones in my forearm and have had metal rods attached to them) … typing this post is kind of an occupational therapy exercise.

I don’t walk very well, yet, either. I fractured both sides of my hip, as well as the socket where the leg meets the pelvis on the right. Not so bad that I needed surgery, but bad enough that it was painful to put weight on it for about a month. That said, I can now get around my apartment with a walker. No supervision needed.

For me, sometimes the worst part is looking in the mirror. I have a huge scar on my forehead (the gash went all the way to my skull), my nose is thrust to one side, my upper lip is smaller than it used to be, my “neutral” looks like a frown and when I smile the gap left by two lost teeth reminds me of some old hag in a horror story.

Eventually, most of this will be fixed. But the experience has changed me.

1. If you think I was an upbeat, full-of-gratitude person before the accident … that is nothing compared to now. My guardian angel worked overtime to preserve me that day and I am so, so very grateful. In addition, my posts on Facebook have brought to light my positive affect on others. I am so grateful that me being me helps other people Own Their Awesome, too.

Owning Your Awesome is not an easy path, but it is filled with amazing and sometimes surprising rewards. When you are as close to your best self as you can be, in life or in business, you will be more successful and happy.

2. One lesson I’ve had thrust at me time and time again over this lifetime is asking for and receiving help. I can be one stubborn broad sometimes! But now I have to ask for help, even for simple things like getting things done around the house, setting up the bathroom so I can take a shower, going to appointments. I’m not saying I’m an expert at receiving yet, but I’m getting better every day.

Being open to receiving is critical for your success in anything in life. Energetically, it opens you up for prosperity. But it also gives others the opportunity to step up and receive the benefits of giving.

3. Trusting others to take care of me. I’ve had too many experiences in my life where I needed help and ended up on my own anyway. Right now I am so fortunate to have an amazing support structure. My fiance has really stepped up and become an excellent care taker. But the hardest place for me to trust right now is when I’m in my wheelchair and someone is pushing near a curb or (heaven forbid) up or down a curb. I have to control my breathing and trust they won’t let me fall. That is tough stuff!

To paraphrase the old saw, no woman is an island. Your business cannot be successful without the help of others. You need to find assistants, vendors and mentors you trust.

For some reason, this experience needed to happen for me to learn these lessons more deeply … and possibly for lessons for those who love me. It is my sincere hope and wish that you don’t need to go through this kind of trauma in your life. Please, learn from my experience instead!