As a young child, I was fascinated with stocks. The idea of being able to make calculated decisions that could potentially yield an increase in my initial investment became a thrilling game for me. Granted, my investments were as big as I was in my youthful years. However, my passion grew with every investment, and I knew I wanted to be in the financial world when I grew up. Eventually, I decided to become a wealth advisor. In doing so, I realized I was stepping into a highly male-dominated industry. Naturally, I immersed myself in learning to gain a competitive edge among my peers and colleagues.

“Experience is the teacher of all things.” Julius Caesar

As the years passed and my experience as a wealth advisor grew, so did my awareness of what unspoken lessons were vital in propelling my career trajectory. While I may have studied a wide range of industry best practices, and read various books on human behavior, none of my studies provided me with the three most distinct keys I needed in order to level up as an entrepreneur. These lessons were gained through experience – which is something that money can’t buy. Time had to run its course with me as one of the players in my career chess game.

Here are three unspoken lessons I gained through experience:

1. Practice the art of a thank you. We live in a world that requires us to be efficient with our time – so for many people, a thank you comes in the form of an email or a social media comment. However, both mediums lack warmth and a true investment of time. There are two things that money can’t buy – time and youth. In this case, the impact is far greater when someone chooses to invest time in a handwritten thank you note. This gesture says, “I value you, and I wanted to invest my time in making sure you knew that,” versus, “This is a formality, so I wanted to check it off my list.” Remember that your actions speak for you too. Make sure you like what your actions say.
2. Rethink the power of a tribe. Life – and business – are team sports. Having the right people on your team and a part of your tribe is imperative to your growth. These people should not just be cheerleaders – they should be people who can provide you with support and constructive feedback so that you can grow. Valued are those who dare to share key perspective – especially if it challenges the popular perspective. Therein often lies the exact guidance you need to thrive.
3. Implement “Off” Time. Building a brand and developing a career is demanding and requires a time investment above and beyond. Add to that the fact that we live in a world that is 24 / 7 where the expectation is often for business professionals to be available any day and any time. However, guidance can often come across as ill-advised when it comes from trusted counsel that is burnt out. All things – including our trusted devices like smartphones and computers – need time to recharge. Don’t be afraid to observe off-hours to serve your clients better.

Implementing these three best practices has been a game-changer for me. Through investing time in proper “thank yous,” I’ve connected on a much more personal level with clients and colleagues. By being selective with whom I allow into my tribe, I’ve fostered a network of support around me who often say the unpopular thing in order to serve my best interest. The constructive support I have received has allowed me to grow, which has been a gift. While implementing off time is more challenging than it appears to be, I have seen how my guidance has been more in-tune as I lead with a sharper perspective. However, the greatest lesson of all lies in the choice to share what you know so you can invest in others… it’s a lesson that gives back in priceless ways.

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With the latest Netflix binge show hitting screens, there is not one person who hasn’t heard the name Anna Delvey of late. Anna Delvey first came to my attention years ago when I was scrolling through a news site and came across her story. The pretend German Heiress managed to swindle thousands of dollars from America’s elite, and sure, while I in no way support her methods of making money, I couldn’t help but wonder how she managed to pull it off for as long as she did. But, more than that, I was thoroughly impressed with the belief she had of herself and the ‘fake it till you make it’ approach.

Success or failure

You see, our belief system is the number factor in whether we succeed or fail in our endeavours and life in general. After spending the last few years coaching clients on how to overcome their self-limiting beliefs and harness the power of the mind, it was no surprise when I delved deeper into the brand that has become ‘Anna Delvey’ that I realised she was, in fact, using a similar approach to get to where she wanted to be. And no, I am not breeding a bunch of criminal masterminds to achieve their life goals by engaging in illegal activities through my coaching business.

But credit where it’s due, Anna Delvey had the confidence and belief system that most people can only dream of.

Believe in you

If you want to achieve your goals, you need to believe in yourself and have the confidence to match. An individual who sets a goal for themselves and then quits at first sight of defeat is one who has not yet mastered their belief system. Believing in yourself is the first step to succeeding and living your dream life.

Many years ago, when I was a grad fresh out of university, I wanted to get a job in the field I had studied. Well, surprise, like many other grads, I was forced to take a role in customer service to pay my bills until I could get into my chosen field. My day entailed listening to annoying people whine about anything and everything. I even remember a lady ringing up one day, wanting to put in a noise complaint about children making too much noise playing in their front yard. Who even does that?

Don’t lose faith

While the role I was working in could’ve made me question my existence, I focussed on my bigger goals. I had faith in my ability to get to where I needed to be and knew I would reach my destination. And guess what I did! The same applies to you, do not let temporary defeat ruin your faith or question your capabilities. As long as you focus on the end result and believe in your abilities, you will get to where you need to be.

“Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them.” – T. Harv Eker

Let go of your fears

Another barrier to having a solid belief system and succeeding is fear. Fear is the root of all failures and what holds an individual back from achieving their goals. The fear of making a mistake, not knowing how to do something, the list is endless, but your time is not. Richard Branson said: If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes- then learn how to do it later. 

And guess what, he’s right.

Do not let fear limit your opportunity to grow. If you choose to let go of the fear that holds you back and take a leap of faith, there are endless opportunities available to you.

Do not let the opinions of others control you

Everyone has an opinion of someone or something; heck, you might even have an opinion of me by the articles I write. Whatever the case may be, it is crucial to have healthy boundaries with those around you, including the faceless trolls on social media if you’re in the public eye. Learn that the opinions that others have of you are built on the image THEY have created of you in THEIR minds. You see, you can’t control what an individual may think of you, but you can control the opinions you have of YOURSELF! So, just like you wouldn’t drink poison and allow it into your body, don’t let the negative thoughts of others into your mind.

You need to focus on your own opinion of yourself and what you can do.

You can achieve great things if you put your mind to it and have a strong belief system, just don’t go around trying to defraud America’s elite of thousands of dollars or try to achieve your goals by other means of illegal activities. One thing is for sure, though, love or loathe ‘Anna Delvey,’ the one lesson you can take away from her is how you can bring your goals into reality with a strong belief system.

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Thich Nhat Hanh was one of the most influential spiritual leaders on the planet. Revered for promoting peace and bringing mindfulness to the west. Even Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. called him “an apostle of peace and nonviolence”.

It’s no wonder then that there are mourners the world over after the recent passing of Thich Nhat Hanh.  

Solace does come through the powerful lessons he leaves behind. 

Live in the here and now 

Living presently has become a buzzword of sorts in recent years. We all know we ought to live that way, but few of us truly understand mindfulness, let alone are able to cultivate it. 

Hanh’s gentle approach to mindfulness reminds us that peace is always available. 

As he said, “feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”

By thinking of our feelings, and our thoughts as passing clouds, we see them differently. We no longer have to believe every thought, nor allow ourselves to fall into the trap of obsessive thinking. Instead, we gain power and perspective when we separate ourselves from our feelings and let them come and go. 

Let go of suffering: start living 

To really live mindfully, Thich Nhat Hanh said that we must let go of our suffering. Unfortunately, many of us would prefer to continue suffering than to step into the unknown. 

And Hanh knew a thing or two about suffering. After travelling from his home country Vietnam to the U.S. and Europe to oppose war, (something that led him to be nominated for Nobel Peace Prize) Hanh was exiled from Vietnam for 39 years. Instead of making him bitter, he remained peaceful and continued his work around the globe. 

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering,” said Hanh, “Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.”

Our worries, anxieties, fears and regrets might feel familiar – and therefore safe – but to free ourselves and live in the present moment, we must let them go. 

It means being strong with ourselves. When negative thoughts arise, we must allow them to float away. And gently come back to the present moment. 

Enjoy every day 

In our current world of restrictions, case numbers, and variants, naturally, fears and anxieties arise. Enjoying every day might seem hard in time’s like these. Regardless, Hanh is adamant that we ought to enjoy not just every day, but every minute too. 

“I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live,” he said. 

It’s worth remembering, our days are not guaranteed. Importantly, happiness is actually a choice we make each day. There is incredible power in knowing this. Just as we can let out thoughts pass by us, we can choose to enjoy every day regardless of our circumstances. 

Silence is powerful 

Our world is noisy. If we aren’t obsessively scrolling on our phones, we’re replying to emails, taking calls or streaming drama shows. Notifications come in from multiple sources every hour of every day. Switching off is something that gets increasingly difficult. Yet, silence may just be the key to improving our lives. 

Hanh believed so strongly in the power of silence he authored a book on it – one that had a lasting impact on my life.

“Silence is essential,” he said. “We need silence just as much as we need air, just as much as plants need light. If our minds are crowded with words and thoughts, there is no space for us.” 

Practising silence allows us to hear our inner world. Rather than distracting ourselves with continuous noise, silence has the power to give us inner peace, knowledge, and knowing. 

It can power our decision making, improve our focus, and perhaps even had a positive impact on our mental health. And according to Hanh, because silence comes from within, we can cultivate silence even in the most chaotic of places. 

Come back to your breath

If you know anything about mindfulness, you’ll have undoubtedly heard about coming back to your breath. But for Hanh, it was so much more than a meditation technique. Connecting with our breath is a way of life and an anchor for us to truly live in the present moment. 

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again,” he said.

It’s uncommon for most of us to even consider our breath on a daily basis, let alone use it as a way to calm our minds. Yet focussing on our breathing for just a few minutes can do wonders for relaxation, and mental clarity. 

There is comfort in passing 

Having now passed, Thich Nhat Hanh’s view of death feels more relevant than ever. In one of his books, No Death, No Fear he details that when his mother passed away he suffered for a year. Then, one evening, after having an intense dream about his mother, he decided to go outside and walk in the moonlight. As he walked he realised she had never truly left him – that was a concept his mind had created. 

“From that moment on, the idea that I had lost my mother no longer existed. All I had to do was… feel the breeze on my face or the earth under my feet to remember that my mother is always with me, available at any time.”

In a world that fears death, Hanh’s thoughts are comforting. Perhaps one of the greatest teachers of mindfulness and peace hasn’t left us at all.

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Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a must-read book for anyone wanting to create not only wealth for themselves, but wealth for their family. Every point made in the book is a part of a bigger blueprint on attaining financial freedom within your lifetime. Here are 4 points we think everyone should take away from it.

1. Learning Money is Kid’s Stuff

Starting young is the point here. A lot of parents let their kids learn about life the hard way and aren’t actively teaching them the skills needed to excel in society. It’s easy to be like the typical person. That’s why they’re called typical! However, to excel and achieve not only financial freedom, but freedom in all aspects of life, it takes what I call “conscious parenting”. That’s something that the “rich dad” in the book did. He made sure to include valuable lessons in almost everything he did with his son. He never let a situation go by where he didn’t teach his son how to think for himself and uncover solutions.

Too many parents miss this important step. We need more people to understand that learning about the way the world works, how it rewards people, and how the financial system work will set your kids up for many generations to come. It just has to be incorporated into their life, starting at a young age!

2. Real Estate

This is one of the most powerful investment vehicles around. Rich Dad, Poor Dad talks a lot about his journey when it comes to achieving financial wealth. The main vehicle he used was real estate, whether it consisted of flipping houses, being the middleman, or holding rental properties. He goes deep into strategies we utilized towards the end of the book.

Once I purchased my first property, my cash flow increased and I instantly started building my net worth.

I’m not saying you have to make a career out of it, but it’s one the most common ways that generational wealth is created. A staggering 90% of millionaires are said to own some form of real estate. Real estate is something everyone should look into if they want to generate a massive income and net worth.

“If you want to be rich, you need to develop your vision. You must be standing on the edge of time gazing into the future.” – Robert Kiyosaki

3. Ask Ask Ask

Too many people fail to use their resources when trying to move up in the world. Just ask.

In the book, the author recalled a story that his “Rich Dad” told him about people not being interested in learning how to create wealth for themselves. His rich dad would always say that his employees had no issue asking him for a raise. However, they never thought to ask him how he built wealth and accumulated the success he did. They were happy with average lives and struggling.

When I first started my company, I was terrible at getting new clients. The only clients who came my way were businesses who were referred to me by current and past happy clients. I eventually thought to myself, there’s no reason I shouldn’t have a bigger clientele since I know so many extremely successful business owners. One day I simply asked each of my clients if they could think of anyone who needed my services. That same day, I gained multiple leads and a few of them happen to turn into monthly clients of mine!

The same lesson applies to seeking advice, like in Rich Dad, Poor Dad, just ask! Never assume people will automatically “hand” you something. Don’t be that person who doesn’t ask!

4. Bad Perspectives Matter

The premise of Rich Dad, Poor Dad is the lessons he learned from both of his dads. His rich dad had the better advice towards advancement, of course. However, he still took in advice from his poor dad, whether or not he followed it. I tell individuals all the time, perspectives matter! Hearing the opinions of individuals who have a different perspective on life, can teach you in two ways. 

It can help you become a more well-rounded person because you understand people better, those who do not align with your values. You also learn what you don’t want to do, which is just as important as learning what you should do in life to progress. Hearing a perspective you don’t agree with can’t hurt you if you’re aware it’s not the advice you seek. It’ll only help you learn and grow as a person.Perspectives matter.

It’s no secret Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a book that stood the test of time and will continue to educate and motivate generations to come. While the points mentioned above only scratch the surface of the abundance of knowledge that was shared in the book, these are some of the most vital points that can change the trajectory of your life. Make the most of them and I’m positive you’ll see drastic changes in your life for the better!

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We spend the years ignoring the moments, don’t we? Where does the solution to this modern-day epidemic lie? In some coveted book? Or in some scientific drug? Well, it lies in the ancient art of mindfulness. This art is a practice that does teach us certain important lessons. Here are six of those.

1. Your Peace Begins With You

The ancient Stoics were among the strongest-willed humans to grace the face of this planet. The most popular among them happened to be Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good Roman emperors. Sources tell us that these set of mortals were unfazed in the face of adversity. They could maintain incredible peace and equanimity despite the worst of challenges. 

History abounds with such individuals who could maintain their mental peace irrespective of the outwardly conditions. When one studies their lives, it becomes evident that the roots to their calmness lie in mindfulness. 

They were never too anxious about the distant future, and neither were they resentful of their pasts. They were aware of the present moment and battled challenges as they arrived. Their practice of mindfulness brought them more awareness of their thoughts. The power to choose your thoughts is a modern-day superpower. The realization – that you have the power to choose your thoughts if only you are mindful of them – could pave the path to mental peace.

2. Your Perspectives Color The World 

George Bernard Shaw said, “You are the window through which you see the world.” You see the world not as it is, but as you are, don’t you? Happy people see the world as a happy place. Individuals with violent tendencies tend to view violence as a way of the world. Becoming a happier, better, calmer person is the key to making the world the same. How you see matters. And how can you get to know of the way you see the world? Mindfulness. 

Focusing on the present moment allows you to look inwards. It forces you to question your perspectives. It pushes you to alter your inner self for the better. As your inner self and your perspectives improve, so does the outer world.

3. A Still Mind Can Accomplish More

Did you ever find yourself in the middle of an important project where your mind ended up darting in a dozen different directions? Well, how long did you take to finish the assignment? You know the answer. 

Striving to live in the present moment forces you to focus on nothing else but the task at hand. It channelizes your mental energies in one direction. This way, you tend to accomplish a lot more in much less time. 

You live in a world that is constantly vying for your attention. Your distraction is the most priced currency of this attention economy. The result? We see more and more people working harder and longer but with little to show for.

“Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think.” – Buddha

4. Awareness Is Everything 

Most of us sleepwalk through life. We are totally unaware of what we feed our bodies or brains with. We are constantly living in the future or the past and tend to be completely oblivious to what we are doing to ourselves in the present moment. 

Being aware of our moment-to-moment choices and habits is the only way to a better future. Your life, until now, is an accumulation of an innumerable number of present moments. What you do from this moment onwards, in the present, will alone decide where you end up in the future. One must be aware of their habits to acknowledge them as being good or bad. That is the first step to improving upon good habits or changing bad habits.

5. You Are More Creative Than You Think 

Did you ever spend hours wrestling a problem in vain, only to find the solution come out of nowhere when you shifted your focus to something else? We often get anxious about the future repercussions while attempting to find a solution to a problem – and this blocks our creative energies. But mindfulness allows us to look at a problem objectively, enabling us to find a better solution. Mindfulness empowers you to think differently and figure out different ways to overcome a particular challenge. It keeps you from fretting about something bad that may or may not happen in the future.

6. Self-Acceptance Is Critical 

While the desire to improve is important, it must never involve excess self-criticism. Most of us tend to compare ourselves with others and develop feelings of inferiority, which invariably thrust brakes on our betterment. Mindfulness allows you to focus on your strengths, which helps boost your self-esteem and a sense of self-worth. When you feel better about yourself and love yourself, you are more likely to focus on yourself and improve as a human being.

Mindfulness is a lifelong pursuit. It can promote your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. While the path is not easy, it definitely is worth it. The journey will teach you a lot of life lessons that could prove transformational. You can start with consciously practicing mindfulness for five minutes a day before you gradually increase the duration. With consistency, you should be able to live the life of your dreams.

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Among the many values of sports, there are three special lessons that transition flawlessly into life. Every successful person I have ever worked with has developed these three concepts.

FQ is more important than IQ

I was directing a basketball clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah when Dale Brown, the former Louisiana State University coach, spoke these words, “Your FQ is more important than your IQ.” He then explained that your FQ is your Failure Quotient. How often can you fail at something and have the resiliency to get right back up?

Pat Riley, the president of the NBA’s Miami Heat, wrote, “Success is getting up one more time than you’ve been knocked down.” If there is one constant in the athletic world, it is that athletes will meet failure.

Baseball players must develop strong FQ’s because failure is a huge part of their game. Great hitters fail 7 out of 10 at bats. They experience failure 70% of the time. Basketball players have a similar experience. A player is an outstanding 3 point shooter if he fails 6 out of every 10 shot attempts.

The University of St. Francis basketball team I coached for 34 years played in a tournament in New York against the number 2 ranked team in the country. They were a great team and they beat us on a shot at the final buzzer.

Our best shooter, who was averaging 17 points per game, took 10 shots in the game and failed to make one basket. We had to play another game the next day. Before the game I told him, “If I see you open and you don’t shoot, I am taking you out of the game. You are our best shooter and you will shoot us into the national tournament at the end of the season.”…And that is exactly what he did because he had developed a resilient FQ.

Life can often be a struggle. Most of us will meet failure personally and/or professionally. There is a lot of adversity out there and none of us are exempt. We have to beat failure in life just like our player did in the athletic arena. We have to get back up. How? Two ways: Learn from it and put it behind you.

“I’ve failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

Team ego

Bill Russell played for the Boston Celtics for 13 years. In 11 of those 13 years, the Celtics won the NBA championship. Russell said whenever the Celtic players entered a building for a practice or a game, they left their individual egos at the door. But what they brought in was their Team Ego.

They knew they were a talented team and they also knew they played together. Their Team Ego was telling their opponent that they better bring an outstanding game if they were to beat the Celtics, because the Celtics knew they would bring a great game every night.

The essence of athletics is teamwork. John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, taught, “The main ingredient of a star is the rest of the team.” He was fortunate to coach numerous stars and he got them to believe in his team first philosophy.

Michael Jordan was a star. I saw him play in person at the Chicago Stadium and the United Center at least 40 times during the most important time of the season – the NBA playoffs. He is the best player I have ever seen play the game.

When you think of Jordan, you think of his great scoring ability, but you seldom hear what a great teammate he was. He practiced harder than anyone on the Bulls; he was their best defensive player, arguably the best defender in the entire NBA; and he is the leading assist man in Bulls history. Jordan set the tone for the Bulls Team Ego!

I have worked with some outstanding leaders – principals at the high school level and presidents at the collegiate level. They knew they could not lead alone; they needed to develop a strong team and they did two things toward this goal: They surrounded themselves with good people and they gave all the credit away. They created a strong Team Ego by taking the blame but passing the credit on.

Listening

Sport is a great arena to develop the skill of listening. Every sport begins with the teaching of the fundamentals. Every sport teaches a system of play. Every athlete wants playing time and that begins and ends with listening. It is only by listening intently that a player can successfully understand and implement the fundamentals and the system.

One player not listening to game planning and game coaching can destroy team play. One player not in the right spot at the right time leads to broken plays.

Classroom teaching and the teaching of sport are the same, with one exception. Teachers and coaches teach their subject matter in the classroom and their systems on the athletic fields and courts. When the classroom exam comes, the students must know the subject matter to perform well. The exam in athletics is the game.

The players must execute the system the coach has taught them during the game. However, the opponent will do all he can to not allow the team to run their system. It would be like a student taking an exam with someone’s hand waving over his eyes during the entire exam! Players must develop the skill of listening if they are to beat the opponents who are waving their hands at them throughout the game.

Every great leader I’ve worked with was a great listener. They listened with their ears and their eyes. Their eyes were riveted on the person speaking as they gave that person their full attention.

The bottom line to listening in life is simple: LISTENING IS RESPECT.

“It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.” – Muhammad Ali

The development of a strong FQ, concentrating on team ego, and listening  – great lessons that can be learned in athletics –  do lead to a successful life.

If these lessons of sport and life lead to success, you may want to remember John Wooden’s maxim:Talent is God given, so be humble, Fame is man given, so be thankful, But conceit is self-given, and you better be careful.

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Erin Gruwell is the founder of The Freedom Writers Foundation, created to inspire and show young people a better way of life. An educator by profession, she has worked with high school students and inspired change through her unique teaching methods.

The movie Freedom Writers is based on her teaching experience that led to the creation of the Freedom Writers Foundation. It’s an inspirational movie about how 150 students turned their lives around, who today are inspiring others to do the same.

Here are 10 practical lessons from the movie that can change your own life:

1. Be relevant

The education system worldwide is a broken one and most of what is taught doesn’t add value to students’ lives. In some ways, it’s designed to create slaves of its recipients that never learn to think for themselves. Only when Erin Gruwell connected with her students at Woodrow Wilson at a deeper level, was she able to make a difference. 

By altering her curriculum and teaching what they could relate to, she finally got their attention and made an impact. Her students came alive and started to view their lives and situations in a more positive light.

2. Writing is therapeutic

The common factors among Erin’s students were emotional pain and insecurity that was often expressed through violence and hatred. Gang violence was a way of life in Long Beach California during those times between different races. Such a life felt hopeless for the young people who saw no bright future for themselves.

This was compounded by seeing their friends getting killed through gang violence. Erin came up with an idea for her students to journal whatever they were feeling. She got them journals and as they wrote, it became a healing experience that helped them see things differently.

“I realized if you can change a classroom, you can change a community, and if you change enough communities, you can change the world.” – Erin Gruwell

3. Life isn’t just about money

It’s a deception that success in life is mainly about making a lot of money and living a flashy lifestyle. Most people spend most of their lives chasing after that dream but find it doesn’t bring lasting happiness. Erin’s dad had wanted her to take up a better-paying career instead of teaching which he felt was too menial for her.

Real success has to do with adding value and making a difference in other people’s lives. If you do it right and consistently, avenues to make money and have a better lifestyle will open up. Today Erin runs The Freedom Writers Foundation which empowers other teachers to make a difference in their students’ lives. Her track record has awarded her various opportunities to share her story through various platforms.

4. Balance is important

Given the impact she has made all these years, it’s easy to tell that she loves teaching. The sad part about her story is that her success came at the expense of her marriage. Her husband often felt neglected because Erin spent most of her time with her students, forgetting to make time for him too.

Success isn’t worth it if you can’t share it with those closest to you. It’s often a challenge for highly motivated people to strike a balance but it must be done intentionally nonetheless. They may not have been a good match but divorce, however, is never pretty. Maybe she could have struck a balance between her husband and work and still be married today.

5. Believe in your dream

The most powerful dreams often don’t make sense before they become a reality. Erin’s motivation for taking up the teaching job at Woodrow Wilson High School was the integration program. Most of the teachers felt it was a lie and impossible to achieve due to all the gang violence.

Erin went the extra mile many times to break new ground and show her students what was possible. Your God-given dreams only make sense to you until you show others that they can be real. You therefore shouldn’t get discouraged if people misunderstand you.

6. Turn negatives into positives

The painful experiences of Erin’s students culminated in them publishing The Freedom Writers Diary, a compilation of their journals. Having read the book myself, it was painful just reading about what they went through as young people. On the bright side, myself and others who read it, got inspired to overcome the obstacles in our own lives.

The sales from their book were channeled towards funding their college education after graduating high school. It goes to show that even your mistakes can be used for something positive. Those same students went on to work with Erin in the Freedom Writers Foundation to share their message with students around the country.

7. Lack of experience doesn’t have to stop you

Erin’s designation at Woodrow Wilson was her first teaching job and she only spent four years there. She accomplished a lot more than other teachers who had been there for decades. Experience certainly helps but doesn’t have to be the only thing that qualifies you to take on big assignments.

Learn from those in your field but don’t use their success as a measure for what you can accomplish. You’re unique and that means you can do certain things in ways that others can’t. Bring your flavor to the table and see the beautiful things that you can create.

8. There’s more that unites us than divides us

Despite their cultural differences, Erin’s students came to realize that they were the same at the core. The hatred they had towards each other blinded them to this truth for a long time until they let it go. It took Erin’s guidance to help them see that and foster a sense of unity among them.

The more united people become, the more they can accomplish together. On a personal level, think about the people you somewhat despise and choose to see their positive side. The differences serve to help you see things from a different perspective while working towards a common goal.

“Be the kind of people that have enough passion to change the world. If we let ourselves be fire, thunder, or lightning, we could alter everything.” – Erin Gruwell

9. Potential is immeasurable

I doubt that Erin could have imagined what she would accomplish with her students that society had written off. For a long time, it was always expected that most students would never graduate; either because they’d give up or die through gang violence. All of Erin’s students went on to graduate from high school which was a tremendous achievement. In the same way, you can’t predict what you can accomplish until you step out in faith and pursue your God-given dreams. 

10. Be true to yourself

At the end of the day, Erin Gruwell lives a fulfilling life because she’s pursued what she was created for. God has a great plan for your life and even if it doesn’t always make sense, believe in it. You sell yourself short when you allow other people to create your life for you, and it brings regrets.

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The year 2020 has been full of ups and downs. And it is something that this generation has never been through before. And like most people, I put a lot of effort into planning, organizing, and setting goals for everything I wanted to achieve. The beginning of the year 2020 was great until the pandemic hit, everything changed.

I remembered vividly that my country went into lockdown and life has never been the same since then. What is crazier is that even up to this point, as I’m writing this article, things are yet to get back to normal. But that’s life. For some, 2020 was a great year with exponential growth, especially for the health and medical industry. But for most people, 2020 was gone for good.

The year 2020 may or may not be an amazing year for you but, the good news is that it’s over. And like everything that happens in life, we need to learn the lessons, gain the experience, and make progress and make this new year a better year.

So, I’m going to share the 10 life lessons that life has taught me in 2020 and how you can learn the insights and make your coming days better…

1. Life has no guarantee

We don’t have the crystal ball to predict the future, and there is no guarantee that things are going to work out according to your plan. Nobody expected 2020 to happen this way. It is something totally new and unexpected. The same goes for life. There are no guarantees. You can start a restaurant business today and the next day, you will have to close it because of the lockdown due to unforeseen circumstances. Hence, do your best and prepare for the worst. Accept the fact that there is no guarantee in life.

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss

2. Planning is still important

While it is true that nothing is guaranteed, but you still need to plan for what you want. Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “Plans are nothing; planning is everything.” The key is planning, not the plan. When you plan for what you want, you can become better when things happen. Not only that, you become more proactive when you have a plan. You know what to do and what matters most. Thus, making you productive and giving you a sense of direction in life.

3. You are your best investment

If you didn’t do well in 2020, it is time to up your game. Remember that you are your best investment. Hence, work on improving yourself. Read more books, improve your skills, and increase your knowledge so that you can become a better person in your career, business, family, and life.

4. Acquire knowledge and skills, not stuff

Yes, stop collecting stuff that isn’t important to you. Instead, work on collecting knowledge and experience that truly matter. You will notice that on the brink of death, material possessions aren’t the most important to you. You can have the goal of owning a sports car, but with the lockdown, you can’t even drive the car to impress people who don’t really care about you. Don’t work on acquiring stuff. Instead, pursue knowledge, skills, and work on experiences that grow you.

5. Take full responsibility

If you are out of business or lose your job because of the pandemic, there are only two things you can do: blame or take the responsibility to become better. You see, when you blame the pandemic for causing you to lose your business, there is nothing you can do about it. But instead, if you take full responsibility and learned the lessons, you will become more resilient and gain a better experience. The key is to take responsibility and heed the lesson. Perhaps, life won’t be as difficult if you have enough savings and don’t spend all your money on unnecessary stuff. That’s the responsibility you need to take.

6. Pursue your goals and what matters to you

Things can change and become unpredictable, but you can still choose to work on what matters most to you. By now, you should know that you can’t rely on just one source of income. If you do, you could lose your main income source if you get retrenched. Hence, live a portfolio life. Pursue a few passions and work on a side hustle that makes you feel excited.

7. Save and invest for your future now

Your future is created today, not 20 years from now. Hence, if you want to have a better future, you need to work on it right now. This is especially true when it comes to saving and investing. Time is your ally and you want to make the best use of it. Put aside a portion of your income for savings and investment. When the time comes, you will be glad that you have savings to at least cover a couple of months of your expenses.

8. Take care of yourself

What is important is to learn to take care of yourself. After 2020, most people only started to realize that their health is their most important asset. You see, if you don’t have good health, you can’t enjoy your wealth and life at all. The key is to learn to take good care of your health and so you can have the energy to pursue what matters to you, to live life, and to enjoy it.

“Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.” – Brené Brown

9. Always count your blessings

No matter what happened, count your blessings. You can choose to focus on what you lack, or you can choose to focus on what you have. The choice is yours. There is a saying, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” So, it all depends on how you look at things in life. You can choose to focus on what can go wrong or think about what can go right. Of course, when you choose to think about the good in every situation, life becomes lighter and brighter.

10. Enjoy the journey

Regardless of how 2020 turned out for you, it was the past and has gone down in history. There is nothing you can do to change it anymore. Therefore, learn to enjoy the journey and the days that are coming your way. The year 2020 may not be a great year for you, but the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. Remember, life is like a roller coaster. It has its ups and downs. And it is your choice to scream or to enjoy the ride. 

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Like me, many of you have YouTube channels that are sitting around collecting dust because we just didn’t know what to do with them. Afterall, being a content creator and YouTuber is hard work and it can amplify all this is good or bad in your life. My channel has been around since 2008 but I didn’t know anything about sharing a message because I didn’t think I had one. But once I started to go all-in on my channel, I started to learn a few hard, but necessary lessons about what it takes to grow into the kind of person who has a successful business and channel.

The process of content creation can reveal a lot about a person and how they view the world. So it’s no surprise that really starting a YouTube channel challenged me and my low self-esteem. After all, what was my message? Why would anyone care to watch me? 

Here are three of the lessons I learned from going all-in on my YouTube channel:

1. It’s not about me

This is one of the hardest lessons in life for people to learn. I’m one of those people. Perfectionism and other variations on anxiety would have us think the success of our content, in whatever form, is about us, the creator. It’s really not. While content may be the way we express our message, we are the messenger, not the message. By taking the message off of myself, I am better able to answer viewer questions and truly provide the kind of content people are searching for online.

“Content that serves is content that sells.” – Marie Forleo

2. No one cares who I am

This lesson hurt deeply, I’m not going to lie. We live in a very self-centered society where voyeurism and reality would have us believe that our everyday lives are interesting enough to build a successful business. The harsh reality is that no one knows who I am and I’m not famous enough for anyone to really care what I do on a daily basis. That’s why new YouTubers with vlogs and bloggers with lifestyle blogs find it hard to gain success faster than other content creators. Consumers are online to find solutions to their problems. Yes, they want to be entertained as well, but you’ve got to solve their problems.

Many famous YouTubers with vlogs or those with reality TV shows are people with some kind of influencer or celebrity status already. There is something truly unique about them which draws in the audience. They didn’t start that way though. These people started by building a brand around one thing they were good at and serving one audience really well. Only after you’ve done all of that do you get the privilege of talking about whatever you like and have people actually care about what you had for breakfast or what you eat in a day.

When you create that video about reviewing the latest product my audience is searching for information about, I understand they may not know me, but they know the product. By leveraging the name recognition of the product I’m reviewing or the celebrity I’m about to disagree with or book I’m going to review, I create a win-win situation. I get the views (and maybe subscribers) and they get answers to their questions. Everyone is happy.

3. Serve the audience

The final piece of the puzzle is likely the most important. As I’ve said before, no one really cares about me because they don’t know me. It’s not because I’m not a person of worth, it’s just that the viewer has a problem and they are looking for a solution, not my musings on the latest Nike shoes or the shenanigans of my dog.

As content creators and business owners, we have to remember that our job is to serve. If we aren’t offering a solution to someone’s problem, what are we doing? YouTube is a search engine and people are looking for answers to specific questions. By providing those answers, you can increase the opportunity for them to get to know you, like you, trust you, and then buy from you.

“We need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.” – Craig Davis

Serving the audience is really about looking outside of yourself and not creating selfish content. It is not my job to create content I want to see, but rather create the content that my audience is looking for. What keeps them up at night? Why are they online searching for answers? Certainly I can weave in my story and message within those answers, but the content must first and foremost serve the audience. Without an audience you are just shouting in a vacuum.

And while I’ve had to refocus my YouTube channel many times, the only reason I haven’t been consistent in content production over the last 4 years is because I took the focus off of the audience and put it on me. While I would love to have a successful business and have my YouTube channel be a part of that equation, I have to remember to serve first.

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Warren Buffett, also known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” is one of the greatest investors of our time. He’s my personal favorite, not only because he’s a great investor but also because he has led an exemplary life. Buffett, who turns 91 this year, has a net worth of more than $85 billion. Buffett has taught us many lessons from his speeches and his life.

Here are some of the best life lessons from Warren Buffett:

1. Read

Buffett has always believed in the power of compounding. He has not only applied this to investing but also to his life. He keeps himself updated by reading more than 500 pages a day. When he finds time, he reads the 10-K reports of companies and analyzes the companies of interest. Nowadays, reading has become harder and harder to do. There are so many apps clamoring for our attention that it becomes almost impossible to free ourselves of distractions and sit down to read. However, if you follow Buffett’s advice, it will become a habit, and the knowledge gained today will go a long way.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett

2. Stay simple

Although he’s so wealthy, Buffett prefers to live with simplicity and much below his means. He still lives in the home that he purchased in the 50s. Buffett has his breakfast at McDonald’s and drives the same car he has had for years. This doesn’t mean that he doesn’t live well. He doesn’t feel the need to be extravagant. Living simply will remove the pressure to impress people on social media and focus on what matters. If you feel validated within yourself, you won’t need external validation. 

3. Demonstrate integrity

Buffett has always demonstrated integrity in his business dealings. If he promised something, he would consistently deliver. He has delivered value for his shareholders and businesses. Buffett values integrity more than any other quality, even above intelligence or energy. Interestingly, Buffet believes that there are no qualities that cannot be developed because they are all choices that we make. It is crucial to self-introspect and choose integrity to succeed in life. It is something that cannot be traded for anything, no matter what the price is. 

4. Learn to communicate

Buffett was very shy when he was young. However, he realized that communicating well is necessary for success, so he joined a public speaking course and improved his communication, which helped him in his business and public life. He has always credited this course as one reason for his success. Buffett shares his wisdom through relatable short stories, a testament to his communication skills. If you are not good at articulating your thoughts, now is an excellent time to join a course to have an audience and practice your public speaking and gain confidence.

5. Love what you do

Buffett found what he loved to do very early in his life and has said that he tap dances on his way to work. He is so successful at what he does because he loves his work. He has always said that working at a job you don’t love is not the best strategy if you want to be happy. He advises students to do what they love because life is too short to be miserable at a job you hate. If you are at a job you hate, work towards changing it. If you don’t love what you do, keep looking until you find your passion. When the going gets tough at work, your passion and interest in your career will carry you through.

6. Be humble

Despite Buffett’s knowledge and wealth, Buffett is incredibly humble and is not afraid to admit mistakes. He has also revealed his lack of expertise in certain areas. When asked why he doesn’t invest in technology, he famously said that he only invests in what he understands. He has admitted that he doesn’t understand specific industries and would be far better positioned to succeed by investing in an industry he understands. Buffett has demonstrated humility and admitted investment mistakes to shareholders when he has made them. Humility can be developed by listening and asking for feedback. It is essential to question your assumptions and recognize that you may be wrong.

“I measure success by how many people love me.” – Warren Buffett

7. Be generous

Warren Buffett has been totally generous with his money. He has pledged to give away over 99% of his wealth. He has already donated more than $34 billion to various foundations. He believes that he would be using less than 1% of his wealth in his lifetime, and the 99% doesn’t have any utility for him. He believes in donating the rest to people who would benefit from this money. 

Buffett’s admirable qualities have made him successful and made him tremendously popular among his peers and younger generations. No doubt, imbibing his qualities will help you develop your personality, build your character and help you lead a successful life.

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