Chosen Attribute: Resilience

Dictionary definition: "The ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change."

My definition: "Bouncing back and keeping an optimistic attitude, knowing that you can be successful no matter how hard you fall."

Last year, Americans spent nearly $12 billion on cosmetic procedures to change their outward appearances. And all of that during one of the worst economic downturns our nation has ever seen.

It absolutely amazes me what we are willing to do in order to look outwardly younger, skinnier or even happier. But the reality is that, if the inside is ugly and our hearts are troubled, nothing we do to cover it up will change our inner reality.

While most of us may not resort to surgery to improve our appearances, we have all "put on a happy face" or said all the right things even when we were miserable on the inside. But please hear me on this: Lasting change always happens from the inside out.

They were highly recruited freshmen on the UCLA volleyball team when they first met — one a shy high-school standout, who quietly went about her business; the other a gregarious, fun-loving star, who quickly made friends with everyone she met.

Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan had never talked before their time as teammates at UCLA, but they certainly knew of each other.

Every week, it seems like a new moral or ethical shortcoming tarnishes the reputation of yet another sports superstar. There's no need to name names or the charges. Enough ink has already been used reporting the allegations.

For better or worse, sports today provide one of the most visible platforms for modeling behavior. Yet, not everyone who stands on the pedestal wants the responsibility that comes with it. Some athletes even recoil at the idea of being a role model.

Still, there are others who give us hope. Men like University of Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow, who welcomes and embraces the opportunity to make a positive impact.