I Am (premiering Sunday at 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. ET/PT) follows Tom Shadyac's journey to discover what's right in the world after a cycling accident turned his life upside down. It's a quest that also struck a deep chord with TheDailyLove.com founder Mastin Kipp. We invited Mastin to share his suggestions for embracing the spirit of I Am with you—and how to spread the love while you're at it.

I can remember being at the premiere of I Am in Los Angeles last winter. It was an amazing thing to see. It was a who's who of Hollywood packed into not one but TWO theatres at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood to see a transformational film! It wasn't the latest Spielberg blockbuster or a Hollywood studio tentpole; we were all there because something deeper was calling us to wake up.

As I was on the way to see I Am, I couldn't help but be a little confused at how the man who brought us Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty and many other "deeply moving" films could have created this new transformational film.

But I remained open and receptive. And I'm glad I did.

Tom Shadyac took a fall that threatened his life, but in a twist that only the wise Uni-verse could direct, Tom's falling and facing his own death is what made him wake up. And Tom started seeing things differently—he saw there was more to life than just achieving more and more and more. He felt a connection to something so profound he had to go talk to the leading experts of the world.

In many ways, Tom's journey mirrors my own. It wasn't an accident that started my long and still-in-progress path of awakening; mine came from the lows of addiction. And in being in that low, I realized that what I was craving something more. And that is true of many of us. We pursue outer treasures all our lives because the world says that's what we should do; but if we are lucky, sooner rather than later we come to the understanding that life isn't about how much we achieve, collect, save or earn. Life is about something much greater. Life is about being of service to others and helping sooth the suffering of others. And we can only really do that once we have gone in and gotten in touch with our own suffering and transformed it into the fuel we need to wake up.

Indeed, the Uni-verse shakes us to awaken us. Here are five recommendations for how YOU can transform your pain and setbacks into awakening:

1. Instead of Asking, "Why Did This Happen to Me?" Ask, "What Can I Learn from This?"
Asking WHY is one of the most toxic questions we can ever ask. Asking WHY an event happened "to you" takes away your power. When we remember that everything in the Uni-verse is happening "for us" and not "to us", we can then start to see the lesson in the pain and begin to take our power back. By focusing on what you've learned, you take the empowered point of view and know that once you learn from a situation, you can do better next time.


2. Use Negative Emotions As Fuel for Positive Growth!
When things don't go "our way," we can feel super negative emotions, especially when the environment and people around us don't seem to be supporting our happiness; it's super easy to get into a low state of mind. BUT anger, resentment, frustration, all those emotions CAN be used for good. Emotions fuel us to take action. As we step into the New Year, let us use any negative emotions as fuel to make positive change. So instead of using those negative emotions for destructive behavior, use them in a way that moves your life forward!

3. Know That a Delay Is Not a Denial!
In a world where tweets travel faster than earthquakes and people can Skype™ across the planet for free, technology and life are speeding up. But as we begin to walk a spiritual path, it's vital to know that your soul's evolution isn't on the instant-gratification trajectory. In between where you are and the desired outcome of your life is a path of growth and purification. The upset, the rejection, the bad news, the setback—all these things are not denials. They have been sent to us to make us stronger, to teach us patience and to give us a mind-set of humility and appreciation so that when we finally achieve our goals, we are fulfilled within as well. Life isn't about making your goals happen; the real essence of life is about who YOU BECOME as a result of achieving your goals. The things your soul desires, the things your heart is yearning for, don't come as easily as a tweet, a text or a Skype chat. You can't manifest a masterpiece of a life by only answering a few Craigslist help-wanted ads. Take it slow and you'll get there on time!

4. The Only Real Tragedy Is Staying Stuck
A moment of tragedy can happen and does happen to us, but the real tragedy isn't what happened; the real tragedy is getting stuck in what happened and choosing to give up on life. Life, my friends, is for the living—we are here to shine, to give our gifts and to be the presence of love on the planet. We are not defined by what happens to us; we are defined by what we DO about what happens to us. Waking up means knowing that you have the power to change your life by changing the meaning that you give the event of your life and then ACTING on it every day!

5. Remember That Letting Go Is the Best Way to Hold On
Everyone gets messed up by what happens to them. The question is, for how long? The past is over. The future is not yet written. But the past isn't really over until we stop bringing it into the present. Focusing on, staying stuck in and not letting go of past events does NOTHING to serve you in this present and makes creating a compelling future almost impossible. When we let go and remain detached from the past, we free ourselves up to create an even better future. One reason many people hold on to past hurts is because the familiarity of the old wound is much better than opening up and risking being hurt all over again by a new wound. But the truth is that if we truly want love and awakening in our lives, we must remain open. And when we remain open, we are open to both the love and the pain. But if we remain open, we can use the pain of the past as a way to guide us toward learning more about ourselves and realizing that the spiritual path is one of turning pain into wisdom. Knowing this helps us remain detached from the past, actually grateful for what happened to us. If you want space in your life for something new, then it's time to let go—now.

It's been such a pleasure writing this blog post for Oprah.com! It's a dream come true, and I hope my words comfort you. I share them with you, not from a place of superiority, but from a place of holy cow! I've been there, and I'm still there—going through all these feelings, emotions and lessons.

As the amazing film I Am says, "We are all connected." So my lessons are yours, and your lessons are mine, and we are here to learn, to grow and to share together. It has been such an honor to share with you today. Please let me know how the film and this post have touched you by leaving a comment down below.

Until next time, I'm sending you some daily love!

Mastin

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Mastin Kipp is the CEO & Founder of TheDailyLove.com, a pop culture blog that inspires almost 600,000 people a day! To get Mastin's daily dose of love please visit www.TheDailyLove.com or visit him on Twitter and Facebook.