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Life Lessons

Lessons Learned in time:

1. Allow for your actions to speak for themselves. A man of great adventure and accomplishment will not have the need to write his own story for his admirers will have done that for him. Those who speak of their future actions work to create a false sense of security. Having self confidence will eliminate the need to have others reaffirm one's beliefs.

2. Inevitably we can only live in the present as the future is only a present time that has yet to arrive. Therefore acknowledge where you stand today as you work to identify your strengths and opportunities for growth. However, do not hesitate to dream of the person you want to be as long as it provides you with the spirit to seek out improvement.

3. In life there are two inevitabilities. You will either progress or regress. A flower that is not attended to will die in time as a building that is not well maintained will crumble. Similarly a person who does not improve will not remain still, but deteriorate in mind, spirit, and body.

4. Learn the value of hard work. Anything worth gaining will never come without hard work. Although ability and luck play their roles, they are the products of ones willingness to endure through difficulty and turmoil. If all else this will at the very least build a truly valuable character. Therefore, rather then view work as negative, glorify the struggle, and embrace the turmoil.

5. Understand and work with what is in your control. Inevitably events will come up that dramatically alter your situation. See this as an opportunity to test
yourself in a way that would not be possible had this not occurred. Also, rely on the tools and abilities you have now while developing new ones. Do not rely on the chance of success coming from outside forces, for if they do not arrive you will only leave yourself in a precarious situation where failure ultimately lies.

6. Define what success means to you and create a plan in helping you achieve it. “It is a happy circumstance that when nature gives us true burning desires, she also gives us the means to satisfy them.” Accept what you love passionately and create the path to harvest and grow this desire into your strongest asset.

7. Ask of what you can do for others, while doing all that is possible to take care of your present situation before asking for their help. Do not hope that others will work to change your own life, while you stay ideal. If you are to do nothing and receive that help, it may be harmful toward your development as it may lead you to believe that is how progress is made. This will only cause you to need others to fulfill your dreams and if that is the case you will ultimately live in the fear that one day that help will not arrive.


8. Set measurable long term goals. The slightest advancement should be exulted as we seek to better our current state. However, when aspiring to quickly change dramatically, we allow for doubt and failure to enter as slow small progressions may disappoint us in that they do not appear to be impactful or swift. Rather, set meaningful benchmarks in the direction of the person you want to become. As you pass each, progress will be made while you excitingly respecting the path ahead.


9. Hope and Fear. As we work toward becoming our future selves, we will inevitably cross paths with both these faculties of the mind on multiple occasions. With that being said, learn to respect both, staying cautious of the fact that in certain cases we would be better suited to hope when afraid and to fear when euphoric.


10. It is not the end point which we should solely look to love, rather love the road in which you passionately decide to take. We learn most about ourselves as we move in our journey whereas the end marks a point in time where all past progress can sadly and joyously be reminisced.  Therefore, enjoy the journey, respect the end, and work toward a new beginning as progress is continuous.

At death the Greeks did not ask whether the person lived a happy life. Rather they asked one solitary question. “Did they live with passion?”

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