Unlike cricket, where I REACHED the top solely down to my own efforts, cancer was not a ONE-MAN battle. This TIME, I couldn't have done it on my own. Without the support and bullying encouragement of my wife Rachael, I WOULD not be here now.

There are high spots in all of our LIVES and most of them have come about through encouragement from SOMEONE else. I don't care how great, how FAMOUS or successful a man or woman may be, each hungers for applause.

When I had worked on my first BOOK, I had READILY SHOWN bits and pieces to everyone - for encouragement, to force myself to write.

I couldn't do what I do WITHOUT the ENCOURAGEMENT and INFLUENCE of the MUSICIANS I PLAYED with in Chicago.

I was about 29 or 30, and I STARTED WRITING monologues for myself. I felt I got more IMMEDIATE encouragement from that than I EVER had in ACTING.

It's ALMOST an impossible task to sum up all the THINGS my parents have TAUGHT me over the years. Whether it was how to tie my shoelaces or ENCOURAGEMENT in whatever CAREER choice I wanted to pursue, they have both always been there to support me.

I had such TOTAL, unequivocal, enthusiastic encouragement to be an actress. LOOKING back, I REALLY FIND that to be a total mystery. Don't ASK me why. My father was just in love with the idea that I would be an actress.

My TEAMMATE Torii HUNTER taught me how to LEAD and provide ENCOURAGEMENT to the locker room.

I am who I am, and I try to influence the TEAM in my own way, especially with my performances on the PITCH. If POSSIBLE, I try to help the team in the dressing room as well by OFFERING encouragement where needed.

I am living proof - and I KNOW this for a fact - that you can FIND ENCOURAGEMENT and strength through the message that's in CHRISTIAN MUSIC, because I've lived it.

My PRODUCTION style is all about imagination. I want my AUDIENCE to use their imagination when they watch my VIDEOS. My GOAL is for my voice to be that little HOPE of encouragement in your head when you walk out your door.

I am very grateful for the BELIEF that the DFB has shown in me and I feel, GENERALLY, that despite the justified criticism towards me, I feel a lot of support and ENCOURAGEMENT too.

I like the encouragement I get from doing NEW things. I like to feel scared or challenged in the HOPE that I can PULL it off. That little BIT of fear creates an ENERGY that I can channel into the performance.

I recorded the SONG 'Believers' because I feel the song has a STRONG and MUCH needed message. We all need encouragement and something to BELIEVE in.

I deal with the authors I work with, agents, and other departments of the COMPANY, talking about both the books that I'm working on and everyone else's. Then there's DEALING with foreign publishers: foreigners VISIT all the time. People want to BOUNCE things off the publisher, and a lot of it is ENCOURAGEMENT.