One of the most important life lessons I’ve learned actually came from a time when I was playing poker professionally….

In the poker world, there’s a saying that winning at poker isn’t about how you play when you’re getting lucky in cards. It’s about how you play when you’re getting unlucky in cards.

I’ve realized that the same lesson applies to life in general. It’s easy to be a fun and upbeat person when things are going great for you. But the true test is how you handle life when things are just going downright crappy for you.

And that’s why I have to give some major props to my girlfriend’s cousin, Brie. She’s been having a pretty bad run of, shall we say, “life issues” over the past year. And this coming week, she’ll be undergoing a mastectomy, followed by chemo.

Yet, I’m amazed at how positive she’s been, cutting her hair short so that she can donate it (because she knows she’s going to lose it, anyway), and even throwing a party titled — awesomely — “Say ta-ta to the ta tas” last night.

So, I just wanted to give her a quick shout-out on here: You’ve got this, Brie. We all believe in you.