In life as in school, how well you do is up to you. You are responsible for your success. Men and women have risen to the highest walks of life from the lowest and humblest beginnings through self-education. They have found success by developing a true and noble character, excelling in the practice of hard work, and focusing their energy on a single, positive purpose. You have in you the power to do the same. The following lessons should serve as light on your path. Reflect upon them often.
1) Think
Diligent and daily mental training is essential to the improvement of your life. Concentration of mental energy brings deep and hidden thoughts into view, inspiring great ideas and motivating you to plan and complete great projects. Just as streams come together to create large rivers, your thoughts come together to create your consciousness.
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. Your thoughts are the only source of inspiration constantly available to you. Quiet, intelligent thought is the cure for all humanity’s mistakes and failures. We are nothing but our thoughts; We are nothing without our thoughts; Think!
2) Think Positively
What is the point of stress, worry and depression? Negative thoughts live only in your mind. We cannot prevent birds from flying above our heads, but we can prevent them from building nests in our hair. We cannot prevent negative thoughts from entering our minds, but we can prevent them from residing there. Do not look at life through smoked glass.
Surround yourself with cheerful people. Read pleasant subjects. Look for the best and brightest in life. Filling your days with positive thoughts will ultimately produce positive conditions in your life. Positive thinking ensures your effect on the world is of a positive nature. If you notice a negative thought turn your mind toward love, kindness, sympathy, and good deeds.
3) Work Hard
Determine your purpose and work cheerfully and courageously toward that goal each day. Whether your work is great or small, the important thing is to do it well. Hard work, daily achievement and overcoming unexpected difficulties brings joy to any life. When you are climbing a steep hill, feel sorry for the people who are asleep in the valley.
Continuous daily effort has the power to manifest ideas from your mind into reality. See Walt Disney and J.K. Rowling as examples; Both created entire worlds in their head and shared those worlds with millions of people. It takes time, but the time will pass either way. Be industrious, do what’s right, and honor will find you.
4) Be Kind
Kindness is the world’s greatest need. You influence the world for good when you practice kindness and generosity in your daily dealings with others. Being unkind chases away every friend, makes life mean and unhappy, and leaves everyone involved with negative effects.
The key to kindness is doing something that helps others more than it helps you. One gentle loving soul focused on helping others is a blessing to the whole community, and there is always love and happiness waiting for those who are kind, upright, and true. The key of kindness unlocks all doors.
5) Be Honest
Honesty is the greatest virtue one can possess, it holds true at all times, in all places. You must be honest to succeed. Do not cheat. A person who cheats is one that does not believe in himself. Your character is greater than any career.
Honesty brings success, honor, and acclaim. Dishonesty brings a loss of self-esteem and defeat. When a person deals with justice, honesty, and integrity, success is easy to find. Honesty always defeats dishonesty, even if dishonesty seems to be winning in the beginning.
6) Have Confidence
Your self-confidence is worth more to you than all the things that money can buy or the kingdoms of the world can give. Think highly of yourself, not in prideful way, but in a way of self-trust. It takes confidence to think for yourself and stand alone; It takes confidence to go against the stream, but any weakling can go with it. A confident person is one who faces what they must.
For your own peace of mind, do not let your enemies bother you, lest they rob you of your most peaceful possession. Do not lower yourself to do anything low, mean or vulgar. Trust yourself and have confidence and faith in your abilities. Set a high standard for yourself and compel others to rise to your level, never descend to theirs. Doing so ensures you develop a character that will stand the test of time. Self-esteem is a desirable trait, and on that attracts others to you.
7) Avoid Gossip
If we all have faults, who can throw the first stone? Do not believe all the bad things you hear about others; half of it is never true. Speak evil of no one, and you lessen other’s pain. Stop hearing gossip, and you cut down on other people’s misery. Your conscience, if allowed to guide you, will tell you what is right or wrong, and will bring you safely toward a life of peace and happiness.
You are the company you keep. Only seek the good and true.
8) Develop Grit
Grit is a strong, positive determination, held by someone who has unmistakable faith in their own God-given power to overcome all obstacles and difficulties. How can you develop grit? By putting your best effort in each day, in every thing you do, and creating an unstoppable force that no one can overthrow. Stand sure, firm, and unshaken. Work harder than others, do things better than others, strengthen and expand your goals once you have, and others will at you positively in the end. When you can do that, you can more easily follow the last rule.
9) Enjoy Each Moment
School goes by fast and the rest of your life goes by even faster. Cherish each moment as it occurs. Do not focus on moments of the past, or stress about moments to come. Focus on the present, the moment you are in now. Those who despise the small moments never meet true happiness. Today is as great a day as any, it is up to you to make use of it. Use each moment wisely, be present, be mindful, and fully experience what this moment has to offer you.
