Existing is a start.  Thriving is better.  Succeeding is the best.  Be who you are but be the best you that you can be. “Whatever you are, be a good one.” ― Abraham Lincoln

No one knows everything and everyone can learn from trial and error.  To be truly successful, we must be humble and choose to open our minds to learn from every success and failure and from anyone around us, no matter what that person may think or know.  ​“Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.” —Socrates

Just Do It!  “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” —Michael Jordan

When we step on others to advance ourselves, we end up being at the top alone.  We gain nothing in life alone and when achieving success at the cost of others ultimately diminishes that success.  Treating others well, no matter their status or your perception of the value that they have to you, is the secret to success.  “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” —Mister Rogers

Planning is essential for success.  However, at some point, we need to execute the plan.  Unfortunately, a lot of time and energy is wasted as we sit around thinking about being successful instead of using that same time and energy to be successful. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy looking for it.” — Henry David Thoreau

Whether we WIN or LOSE, we WIN ... if we choose to learn from either.  Success helps us to see that we CAN do more and failure helps us to learn what not to do so we CAN do more.  ​"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." — Winston S. Churchill

Have you ever done something that was not the most rational or intelligent thing to do and afterwards you either think to yourself or say aloud to yourself, "What were you thinking?".  A thought is simply "an idea or opinion produced by thinking, or occurring suddenly in the mind."  A thought is not an action until we act upon or respond to the thought by speaking, writing or moving in some way or by taking that thought and expanding upon it in our own mind.  It is impossible to control every thought that we have.  If you can't control your thoughts, you can at least control your response to those thoughts.  “When you change your thoughts, remember to also change your world.”—Norman Vincent Peale

If you know anyone in your life who is struggling with their mental health and/or find themselves depressed and struggling for purpose or hope, please help them to devote their day to making another person's life better.  Grab their hand and go serve others together.  Challenge them to find someone else in their life that they can help in tangible and intangible ways.  The sooner we focus on others, the better life we all will have.  “When you give joy to other people, you get more joy in return. You should give a good thought to happiness that you can give out.”— Eleanor Roosevelt

We don't always have the opportunity to choose who we spend time with.  Classmates, teammates, coworkers and even relatives become a part of our lives and we must spend time with them.  Unfortunately, many times those people are not healthy relationships or influences.  That is why it is critical that when we have the opportunity to choose, we choose wisely who we spend time with and even more importantly, what other voices we allow into our heads.  Social media, music, TV, movies, YouTube, books, and all of the ways we hear other voices, it is essential to make sure that those voices encourage and support us rather than deter or destroy us. “Stay away from those people who try to disparage your ambitions. Small minds will always do that, but great minds will give you a feeling that you can become great too.”  Mark Twain