The longer you live on the planet, the more you realize that the world puts countless people in your life that you do not choose to be in your life.  Coworkers, classmates, teammates, neighbors, 'friends or friends', in-laws, acquaintances, parents of friends of your kids, and the checker at the grocery store.  Countless people who you are "forced" to be around and many that you can't avoid.  The odds are that some or even many of these people are different than you and therefore difficult to be around.  Some are even negative influences on your or the words that they speak are not helpful to you or your wellbeing. That is why it is even more crucial that when we have the opportunity to CHOOSE our friends, we choose wisely.  If your friends are a drain and cause you more harm than benefit, it is time to get new friends.  You have enough people in your life that you have to be around.  Why do you choose to be around difficult people when you don't have to?  “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”  Jim Rohn

Words matter.  Words are important.  Words can cut a person deep while also encouraging someone to do great things.  Words are powerful.  However, words ABOUT action ... WITHOUT action ... are simply words.  Action often takes courage and the ability to risk failure and understanding that failure is not always completely a bad thing.  "Heart over Hype."  Unknown

Stepping on or over others to achieve success may actually serve you well and help you to achieve your goals, but ultimately you will truly be alone at the top.  It is much better to link arms with others and take them with you so that you can have a party when you achieve your dreams.  "Success is not counted by how high you have climbed, but by how many people you have brought with you."  Wil Rose

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."  Robert Frost

​https://www.ted.com/talks/kid_president_i_think_we_all_need_a_pep_talk 

What are you trying to accomplish?  What are you trying to achieve?  What is your goal?  What is your purpose?  Without an answer to these questions, it is extremely difficult to motivate ourselves or to keep us on the right path toward some end.  "You cannot achieve what you have not defined."  John Maxwell

​​Today will be either a "good day" or a "bad day".  Today will contain both successes and failures.  If we were to keep count, we either had more of one than the other OR we view specific successes or failures to carry more weight than others.  Today will be full of all kinds of actions and circumstances and behaviors and we both consciously and subconsciously evaluate those moments as either successes or failures or "good" or "bad" or "wins" or "losses".  What should our response be tomorrow?  If we have a good day (success), then we should use that positive experience as fuel and as momentum to have more success and an even better day tomorrow.  However, if we had a bad day (failure), then we can either have a bad attitude and tomorrow will be repeated and possibly worse OR we can see tomorrow as a new day.  A clean slate.  A "do over".  Better yet, we can choose to learn and move forward and be better.   We have a choice to respond appropriately to our circumstances and not merely allow them to dictate our life. 

​​Temptation is not a bad thing.  Temptation is the opportunity to do what is right or correct.  Fear is not a bad thing.  Fear is an opportunity to trust.  Stress is not a bad thing.  Stress is a demand placed on our mind and body and that demand often allows us to improve and to become better.  Rejection is not a bad thing.  Rejection is a "redirection" toward something that will be better for us.  Challenges in our lives are not a bad thing.  Challenges provide an opportunity to learn the skill of resilience which is the most valuable skill a person can acquire.  We can choose to be limited by our current and past circumstances by how we label and define those circumstances OR we can define our life by choosing our attitude and the manner in which we view our circumstances.

... one bite at a time.  How to run a marathon ... one mile at a time.  How to do anything in life that is difficult and even daunting ... simply start doing it.  The most difficult part of running is not the last mile but it is often putting on your running shoes and heading out the door and taking the first step.  The most challenging part of reading the bible is taking the time to sit down and opening it up and reading one word. "Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races, one after another."  Walter Elliot

No one likes to fail.  We would all prefer to succeed. Unfortunately, we are all far from perfect, therefore, failure tends to happen much more often than success.  It is extremely important to realize that how we respond to failure, and not the failure itself,  is what matters most.  "Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding."  Jim Valvano

Most work is ... work.  Whether it is going to a job or doing other types of activities that we define as "work", we tend to have a negative outlook on work.  There is a reason we are paid at our job.  It is work.  School and chores around the house are work.  Relationships are often viewed as being work.  Whatever we categorize as work, one thing is true, complaining about it doesn't get it done.  Work will always be there until someone does it and often times, we are the only ones to get it done. "Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, leaving no stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now."  P.T. Barnum