Unfortunately, too many are handling over the character development of their children to peers, TV, smart phones, computers, game boys, and schools that are literally prohibited from affirming the values that made this country great. Developing our children’s attitudes, values, and life skills must be one of a parent’s most important jobs. In fact, that responsibility used to be taken very seriously by parents and grandparents alike.

What life lessons did your parents teach you that have served you well? If your parents are like mine, they repeated certain lectures often. They also took time for discussions around the dinner table. Are you doing that in your family?

To meet this critical need, I’ve recently published an eBook — Favorite Family Lectures: Secrets of Life Every Teen Wants to Know!

One reader called it a “Parent/Teen Survival Guide.” Whatever you call it, Favorite Family Lectures features life lessons that surfaced in surveying teens and parents on the life lessons that are most important for young adults to learn. There are short lessons/value statements, timely parent/teen cartoons, and questions to help families discuss the values that matter most on the road to adulthood. After all, sometimes the most important things in life are the hardest to talk about. Whether it’s the keys to the car or the keys to life, this reassuring and insightful book helps parents and teens talk to each other about the tough issues that matter most. Anchored in values, laced with humor, and filled with simple wisdom, this prerequisite for “Life 101″ helps families learn how to talk about:
–Getting high on life not drugs or alcohol.
–How to make and keep money, good friends, and parental trust.
–Choosing your attitude and earning a rock-solid self-confidence.
–Making responsible choices about dating and sex.
–Valuing honesty, a sense of humor, faith and patriotism.
–How studying and hard work helps secure a future you can be proud of.

Here’s what some readers have said:

“This book is an important reminder of the awesome responsibility we have as parents, and Dr. Paulson hits the mark with his timely messages for teens. As a mother of a teenager, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can’t wait to give it to my daughter.” —Jodi Walker, Speaker, Author, and Mother of a very special teenage daughter.

“What I realized in reading Favorite Family Lectures is how few conversations as a family we’ve really had about the principles and life lessons that matter most. It’s a fun and insightful read, but I think every parent ought to have this with them on a family vacation. When you have kids captive in the back seat with time to kill, I could see reading one of the lectures and have a great conversation before it really is a lecture you wish you had shared.” —Robert Tucker, Founder of The Innovation Resource, Author, Speaker, and Father.

“Wow…seldom to you read a book with the wonderful balance of wisdom AND humor! We take this tender/precious/amazing time in our kids lives so seriously, as well we should. Bravo, Dr. Paulson.” —Naomi Rhode, Co-founder of Smart Practice, Speaker, Mother and Grandmother.

If you have a Kindle Reader or the Kindle App on your iPhone. smart phone, or iPad, DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY of Dr. Paulson’s eBook – Favorite Family Lectures – TODAY!
Start initiating meaningful parent/teen conversations tomorrow..

Want more? Here are some KEEPERS this book will help you reinforce with your children or grandchildren:

Make each day a masterpiece * You miss 100% of the shots you never take * Choose optimism earned one obstacle at a time * Difficult challenges reveal your gifts * Get out of your rearview mirror and into today’s choices * Catch yourself being effective daily * Serve—helping others helps yourself * Collect joys by counting your blessings * Trade your complainers for encouragers * Bad things happen-play poor hands well * Claim the truth advantage * Sexual and drug responsibility is your job * Do an exercise you’ll do * Find yourself, know yourself, be yourself * Money-save some, share some, spend some * Live the Golden Rule * Driving drunk risks a date with death…or dad! * Trade watching negative news for making your own * Choose to be happy unless something warrants being unhappy * Use mistakes as course-correction feedback * Stop and smell the choices * Invest your worry time in constructive action * Manners-the lubricating oil of relationships * Disagree without being disagreeable * To have good friends be one * Study hard to secure your future * Build trust-curfews and chores * Cultivate your faith and patriotism * Easy doesn’t do it-practice * Take your life seriously and yourself lightly * Work your gifts

If any of these are worth getting across to the young adults in your hearthstone, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to download this kindle eBook and keep it with you for that next lecture and discussion you are sure to have.

So, if you have a Kindle Reader or Kindle App on your iPad or Smartphone, what are you waiting for? DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY of Dr. Paulson’s eBook – Favorite Family Lectures – TODAY! AS A SPECIAL GIFT, you can download your Kindle version free on July 12, July 31, August 1, August 28, and September 26th.

Whatever resource you use, take the responsibility to develop a new generation of Americans we can be proud of.

One of its guiding truths that has served me well comes from what has been affectionately called The Serenity Prayer, a simple but powerful statement that was written by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Taken back by the impact of his words, he confessed in The Essential Reinhold Niebuhr: Selected Essays and Addresses: “… The embarrassment, particularly, was occasioned by the incessant correspondence about a prayer I had composed years before, which the old Federal Council of Churches had used and which later was printed on small cards to give to soldiers. Subsequently Alcoholics Anonymous adopted it as its official prayer. The prayer reads: ‘God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.’” I have a feeling that Niebuhr would have preferred being famous for his books, but this powerful prayer went viral long before there was any social media.

Over the years, The Serenity Prayer has been shortened, memorized and repeated privately and publicly –because it captures important truths that work. Treasured statements like these — that stand the test of time — deliver wisdom with a simplicity that makes every word count. Whether you believe in God or not, appreciate the value and depth of this statement and the sentiments it promotes. If you ever hope to be an optimist in training, you must learn how to accept and maximize your reaction to the both the blessings and the adversity that come your way and take responsibility for managing your own motivation, attitudes and actions in a way that makes a difference in the quality of your life…and in how you treat and lead others.

On the personal front, my mother is now 90 years old. My father died last year, taking from her not only her beloved husband but her link to the world around her. Mom is facing a loss of her memory. The diagnosis is not important, but the impact on her life is critical. She needs care, but she still can enjoy meaningful moments if those who care risk making them so. Instead of being frustrated with what I can’t control, I find comfort in trying to make my time with her a positive experience. I know she won’t remember, but I will.

In business, the national economy continues to limp along on its way to eventual recovery. The trick is not bemoaning it or waiting for it to improve; it is doing what you can every day to play a poor hand well. I may not be able to change the economy, but I can work to change my own by acting in a way that both creates and takes advantage of opportunities I do find. That is why, in this email message, I’m pointing you to experience a free recording of my recent 60-minute webinar, “Leveraging Optimism and Resilience to Make Life Work,” on LearnItLive.com. The reaction to those attending live was exceptional. Take advantage when you need a little attitude lift!

It’s been said that a smile increases your face value. When studying the effectiveness of television ads, they have found that when a face is on the screen, the eye-scan pattern of the viewer moves from the eyes to mouth area and back and forth as we pick up nonverbal cues from a person. Whether looking at an ad or scanning a crowd, a smile shines through the clutter of life’s information and invites you in.

In a world that is crowded with people, far too many people put their face in park to walk through life uninterrupted by human discourse. As I note in my book, The Optimism Advantage,
http://terrypaulson.com/optimismdaily/ a smile is an invitation to joy and the gift of the day. Choosing optimism is all about embracing even the worst day as an opportunity to turn it around.

I was once asked, why do you smile so much? Part of it is a faith issue to me. I start my day at the gym with Psalm 118:24–”This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” John Wooden, the great UCLA basketball coach, credited his father with giving him a powerful challenge–”Make each day a masterpiece.” Optimism is earned by a track record of overcoming obstacles. I think a smile is a visible reminder that you have learned that powerful truth and aren’t afraid to show it to others. It’s also nice to find out that such a smile is often contagious to others.

A lot of making life work is simpler than we think. Don’t stop with a smile. Mary Waldrip reminds us, “A laugh is a smile that bursts.” So, while you’re at it, let a few of your smiles burst into a laugh today.

As a speaker and author on optimism, one such lesson on resilience can be grasped from the post-game reactions to Billy Cundiff’s field goal attempt that went wide left in the final seconds of their playoff game with the New England Patriots. Missing what most considered an “easy” chip shot, the kicker’s miss essentially ended the Baltimore Raven comeback and any hope of their making it to the Super Bowl.

The Ravens (13-5) and their fans looked on in stunned horror, but after the game, Cundiff had no excuse, “It’s a kick I’ve kicked probably a thousand times in my career. I went out there and didn’t convert. That’s the way things go.” He continued, “It’s one of those situations that will strengthen me in the end. Throughout my career, I’ve had challenging situations and I’m still standing here today. It’s something that is going to be tough for a while, but I’ve got two kids and there are some lessons I need to teach them.”

There is a reason the Baltimore Ravens are consistently in the hunt for the NFL championship. It’s shown in a kicker’s maturity and in the response of his coach and team members.

“I just told him that it’s going to be OK,” added Coach John Harbaugh, who in each of his four seasons as Ravens coach has led them to the playoffs, but never to the Super Bowl. “You know, we’ll move on. He is a great kicker. You know, and everyone has a tough moment. All of us do, so Billy will be fine.”

The kicker indicated one of the toughest parts about the loss was letting down defensive leader Ray Lewis. But Lewis, considered to be one of the toughest players in the entire NFL, gave Cundiff his emotionally charged support: “One play didn’t win or lose the game. There is no one man who has ever lost a game. There is no ‘it’s Billy’s fault’ here or ‘Billy missed the kick.’ It happens. Move on, move on, because life doesn’t stop.”

That is a lesson from one tough linebacker that shows why he is an all pro and is so optimistic before every game. Life is lived out the front window, not the rearview mirror. There have been bad plays in the past, and there will be more in the future, but every time you play the game, in every play, you give your best to put yourself and your team in a position to win.

As a fan, I wanted New England to win, but I didn’t want to let pass the opportunity to honor the opposing coaches and players who showed the character and resilience that marks true winners in the great game of life. May we learn to do the same when we face our own setbacks and disappointing losses. When you do, you will be claiming your own optimism advantage.

The Women’s Health Initiative observational study conducted by Yeshiva University in Manhattan is based on a survey of 92,539 post-menopausal women from diverse backgrounds and over the age of 50. It found that those who attend religious services regularly are 56 percent more likely to have an optimistic view of life and 27 percent less likely to have depression than those who don’t.

“We looked at the religious practices of nearly 100,000 women and – like it or not – found a strong connection between going to church or synagogue or any other house of worship and a positive outlook on life,” Medical News Today quoted Eliezer Schnall, an associate professor of psychology at Yeshiva University who headed the research. He cautions, “There is a correlation, but that does not mean there is causality. One could argue people who are more optimistic may be drawn to religious services.”

In response to questions asked when they enrolled in the study, 34 percent of the women said they had not attended services in the previous month, 21 percent attended less than once a week, 30 percent attended weekly, and 14 percent more than once week. Schnall said there was no “dose response” when it comes to frequency of attending religious services and mental health; it was regular attendance as opposed to frequency of attendance that seemed to be the most important.

The study’s findings supports previous research that religious participation can promote psychological and physical health while reducing mortality risks, possibly by calming people in stressful times, fostering meaningful social relationships and helping curtail bad habits.

As I explored in my book, The Optimism Advantage, any discussion on attitude and optimism would be incomplete without addressing the role that faith plays in coping with adversity for so many people. Self-reliance is a powerful value and an empowering strategy, but it has its limits. You may find support in a shared faith community and comfort by having faith in God’s providence. If you are a religious believer, “In God We Trust” may be more than a slogan on your money. Faith may be a centering belief in your life and may help you cope with life’s worst disasters and experiences.

Believers often live with tension that makes room for faith in God and doing their part to work out his will. You can pray to God and claim his providential destiny and still remain willing to be used by God in making a difference for yourself and others. As such, you can find in adversity an experience that brings further clarity to your purpose. Adversity can even open new doors to your calling.
The paradoxical advice most often attributed to St. Ignatius provides a powerful insight: “Pray as if everything depends on God. Act as if it depends upon you.” This statement highlights the importance of accepting God’s will while simultaneously working to live out that will. Faith like this can lead to inner peace and constructive action.

During the sixteen years that Scottish missionary David Livingstone spent in Africa, he faced one challenge after another. On nearly thirty occasions, he had been laid low by swamp fevers. His left arm was crushed by a lion and hung helplessly at his side. Yet he was never deterred from his mission: “I return without misgiving and with great gladness. For would you like me to tell you what supported me through all the years of exile among people whose language I could not understand, and whose attitude towards me was always uncertain and often hostile? It was this: ‘Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world!’ On those words I staked everything, and they never failed!”

Hearing stories of such challenges tends to keep your own adversity in perspective. Faith – in any form – has the tendency to give those who believe constructive principles to hold on to in a difficult world. Use them – and anything else that gives you strength. It’s nice to find research that supports our experience of the importance of religious faith. In light of experience and the findings of research, it might be wise for you to seek the support of your faith community. It can give a meaningful perspective to even your worst day.

MITRE’s student program is a unique, nationally renowned summer educational experience for outstanding high school students and college undergraduates. It offers students technical positions working on problems involving the application of advanced science and engineering to innovative problems of national importance. Since 1989, the program has motivated several hundred students to continue their studies in science and engineering and to go on to become technical professionals. Each summer the program brings between twenty to forty exceptional young people to the MITRE Corporation’s campus in Northern Virginia. There, they work for eight to twelve weeks in paid positions in fields such as economics, computer science, systems engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, and nanotechnology.

As a KKZZ 1400 AM substitute radio host, I recently interviewed James Ellenbogen, PhD, the MITRE Student Program Coordinator. In talking about what many in the company call their “Nano Kids,” James speaks with passion about what collaborating with bright, focused teens can mean to a company, to the teen, and to the society. Dr. Ellenbogen said, “It isn’t just that the kids have a job for the summer and learn. It’s about them being genuinely useful and showing them that they can have a contribution and really change the world.”

A key element of the program is the one-on-one mentorship by members of MITRE’s skilled technical staff. Each student works on a technical problem that has the potential for real-world impact and benefit to the nation. They often see the results of their technical projects featured in the national news. Students also benefit by publishing the results of their work in major scientific journals and even obtaining patents on their inventions. A number of students have gone on to win honors based upon their research at MITRE. These honors include prizes in local and national science contests, as well as undergraduate scholarships and prestigious graduate fellowships.

Dr. Ellenbogen points out, “Before we started in nanotechnology, there was a lot of speculation, but not a lot of results. But the kids, it didn’t stop them in the least. They dug right in and helped the entire nation move forward, especially in the field of advanced electronics.”

If you want to be inspired and learn more, you won’t want to miss my interview with Dr. James Ellenbogen on KKZZ 1400 AM Radio in Ventura, CA. Read on or listen now to my third episode of Pocket Paulson! While you are there, don’t forget to sign up for future podcast episodes!

As he noted, students get to work on and apply their nascent, but growing technical skills to these high profile problems, often seeing the results of their own technical projects featured in the national news. Students also have benefited by getting to publish the results of their work in major scientific journals and even obtain patents on their inventions. As a result of their efforts, a number of the participants in the MITRE Student Program also have gone on to win honors and awards based upon research efforts that they conducted or began at MITRE. These honors have included prizes in local and national science contests, as well as undergraduate scholarships and prestigious graduate fellowships.

Frequently, their summer experience at MITRE motivates them to return in successive summers. Some go on to make their adult careers at MITRE. However, the ultimate goal of MITRE’s Student Program is to see its “graduates” go out into the wider world and benefit the entire nation. Over the years, a large number of graduates have joined the faculty and staff of major universities and corporations across the nation. Several are well on their way to becoming national leaders in their technical specialties and a few have gone on to start successful businesses. If you would like more information about MITRE’s student program, please contact them directly at www.mitre.org.

As I often say to teenagers who want to know what career path to embrace, don’t worry. Half of what you could do has not been invented yet! Just learn how to learn and embrace the journey. Many are saying that youths today need to lower their expectations. MITRE is one company that is helping teenagers prove that they can have an impact now!

Listen to all of Dr. Ellenbogen’s Pocket Paulson interview, and you may find out more about how your organization can build a win/win relationship with your own “Nano Kids!” That will help provide your optimism advantage.

You don’t need to moderate optimism to make it work for you in the good and the bad times. When I wrote The Optimism Advantage, I was already sold on Martin Seligman’s work on learned optimism, but in writing my book, I found other research that indicated that optimists are realists.

It makes sense. If earned optimism comes from a track record of overcoming obstacles, than optimists have had numerous experiences of facing, analyzing and overcoming problems. To do that well, optimists have to really understand and accept the problem. They are realists because they believe that by understanding a problem, they can cope more effectively.

I want to include in this post, some references that point to the research to support this perspective.

“The myth: Optimists are amiable (probably IQ-challenged) Pollyannas who shield themselves from bad signs and aren’t prepared when trouble strikes. Lisa Aspinwall, a University of Maryland psychologist, got $50,000 for work showing just the reverse. She found that happy, optimistic people are more willing than pessimists to read bad news about their health habits and more willing to learn about their failures on tests. They also remember bad news longer than pessimists do. Far from being unrealistic Pollyannas, optimists give up sooner than pessimists when presented with unsolvable problems, Aspinwall discovered. ‘Pessimists may not want to know bad news about themselves because, unlike optimists, they don’t think there’s anything they can do about it,’ she says. Optimists may want to know where they’ve erred ‘so they can improve later—of course, they think they can improve.’ And their open approach promotes better relationships. Optimistic couples are more likely than pessimists to bring up what’s bothering them so it can be resolved. ‘They may be more confident that they can solve things,’ Aspinwall says, ‘but when something can’t be solved, they seem to recognize that earlier.’” Marilyn Elias (USA Today, 5-16-2000)

Optimists are problem solvers, not problem evaders. If one approach doesn’t work, they are quick to try other approaches. They also know when to give up and move on to other challenges.

“Numerous studies show that optimists, far from protecting their fragile vision of the world, confront trouble head-on, while it is pessimists who bury their heads in the sand of denial. In a 1993 study of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer, the women with an optimistic disposition were more likely to acknowledge the seriousness of the disease, experienced less distress and took more active steps to cope with it. ‘Pessimism was associated with denial and a giving up response.’ Said Charles Carver of the University of Miami, who conducted the study with Micahel Scheier of Carnegie Mellon University. ‘Optimism was associated with positively reframing the situation, with women believing, ‘This is not going to go away, so let me make the best of it I can.’’Carver said.” Terence Monmaney (Los Angeles Times, 1-5-2000, pp. A1, 15)

Optimists are patient active. They want to know what they are facing so they can get busy making the best of a tough situation. If only 5% survive this cancer; what can I do to be in that group?

“A study of 78 men with AIDS provided evidence that optimists live longer. Those who indicated that they had a realistic view of their disease’s course died an average of nine months sooner than those who were optimistic about postponing the end…. The central paradox of positive thinking is clear—Clinging to the belief in a positive future against reasonable odds sometimes makes it happen.” Shelley Taylor, Positive Illusions” (January 8, 2000, 4A, Sun-Sentinel, South Florida)

Optimism doesn’t ensure success or that one will be healed or effective in overcoming any given obstacle, but it makes it more likely they will have a focus that keeps them active in making that possible.

As a result, bet on optimism as an attitude that is worth developing in your life.

Since that attack, in an effort to help her three young children cope with the loss of their father, MaryEllen has been a 9/11 activist. She’s has been busy finding ways to give back. She served as president of Families of September 11; she’s served on the Board of the National School Center for Crisis and Bereavement; but she’s probably most proud of her work with Equine Assisted Therapy (http://www.springreinsoflife.org).

Talking about the unique success of Equine Assisted Therapy, MaryEllen said, “There certainly is this human horse bond that’s unique. Animal-assisted therapy works.”

Whether it’s in fostering horse/human therapy or speaking to schools, she’s dedicated to turning potential victims into empowered survivors. First as a mother and then as supporter of therapy for those suffering the loss of a loved one, she has taken a stand for survivor vs. victim thinking. I shared some of the same thoughts in my most recent op-ed column, Remembering the Days After.

To MaryEllen, to stay a victim was to let the terrorists win. Instead, she involved her children in helping her make a difference for others. From collecting clothes for families of first responders lost in the attack to helping those suffering the loss of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, she’s watched her children grow stronger as they served others.

Remember, no matter what has happened to you, it does not control your attitude in facing the future. Don’t remain a victim; choose to be an optimistic survivor. Take the strength you have learned in past struggles to give you the confidence to face the challenges of today.

If you want to be inspired, you won’t want to miss this moving interview with MaryEllen Salamone recorded just days before the 10th anniversary of 9/11 on KKZZ 1400 AM Radio in Ventura, CA. In fact, what are you waiting for? Download and listen to my second episode of Pocket Paulson. While you are there, don’t forget to sign up for future podcast episodes!

Every podcast has a beginning, and Pocket Paulson is no exception. My first interview is with Tyler Maskiewicz, a senior at University City High School in San Diego. Tyler was one of the over 250 youths attending the 2011 Youth Citizen Seminar at Pepperdine University. As a self-proclaimed teenager with old skin, I was one of the presenters, and Tyler was one of the participants that definitely emerged as a leader. It was Tyler and his fellow Rap Group 15 teens who devised the Pocket Paulson as a Free Enterprise Product that won the YCS product competition. It’s all about carrying motivation in your pocket to play a motivating message when you need it.

In this podcast, Tyler talked about what he learned from the Youth Citizen Seminar experience, how the Pocket Paulson idea came to be, and his favorite Paulson Keepers he hope to make sure he listens to often. You’ll even hear Tyler do a quick Paulson impersonation to bring the product to life. You won’t want to miss that. What are you waiting for? Download and listen to my first of what I promise will be an engaging series of podcasts!

By the way, if you want to remember a few select moments from Dr. Paulson’s YCS program, visit my www.terrypaulson.com website.

SECRET 1: Don’t be your own worst enemy. Henry Ford said: “Most of the bars we beat against are our own. We put them there, and we can take them down.” Instead of whipping yourself over mistakes, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Then get out of the rearview mirror and back into making your life better.

SECRET 2 – Life is difficult and unfair; get used to it. College is more difficult than high school; life is more difficult than college. Every increase in the degree of difficulty let’s you experience the satisfaction of mastering that next level. As you stretch your mental and relationship muscles, they will work even better for you. Maturity and true optimism come from a track record of overcoming increasingly tough obstacles. You have what it takes to overcome life’s difficulties; prove that to yourself.

SECRET 3 – Instead of caring about your self-esteem, most people are worried about themselves. Find your own inner appreciation for what you do well. You won’t be good in all areas, so don’t copy the dreams of others. Turn your God-given gifts into a way to make meaning and enough money. You may be winning and not know it if you are not keeping score; keep track of your successes in a daily journal or calendar.

SECRET 4 – Develop a sense of gratitude. You are not entitled to a great job with a high salary, a perfect partner or an easy life. Be thankful for what life gives you every day. When you expect less, you are happier when you achieve more. The next time you feel like calling a pitty party, write down your blessings instead of your problems.

SECRET 5 – Don’t settle for easy teachers or mentors; be excited by the ones that challenge you. When I went from being a great student in high school to being challenged in college, I realized an important truth—your best and most caring teachers are the ones that care enough to challenge you. They believe you have something great inside you, and they call for it to surface. After all, if you think your teacher is tough, wait until you have a boss.

SECRET 6 – Be nice to your parents along the way. Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from cleaning up after you and listening to your frequent complaints! Your parents are doing the best they can. So the next time you feel like being upset with them, remember that they love you and you love them! The older you get the more you will appreciate them. You might as well start now.

SECRET 7 – Don’t believe everything they tell you in college. Some of your professors may have done away with winning and losing, but Life has not. Some may actually believe that America is the biggest problem in the world instead of the champion of liberty and economic opportunity that holds the world together. They may try to tell you that all moral choices are relative, and there is no standard of right and wrong. These opinions don’t bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.

SECRET 8 – Be nice to all the people you meet along the way. It isn’t just what you know in life that will get you ahead; it is how you treat others you live and work with. Nice people do get ahead. Manners are the lubricating oil of relationships. If you learn that now, it will pay off throughout life.

SECRET 9 – Cultivate your faith. People may try to convince you that God does not exist. Many intellectuals think that their minds are vastly superior to centuries of faith experience. God will be near you all the way through your coming years whether you acknowledge Him or not. He patiently waits for your prayers, for your study of His word, and for your presence at a faith community of your choice. Meet Him half way.

SECRET 10 – Laugh a lot. Take your school, your homework, and your career choices seriously, but always take yourself lightly! People like being with people who smile and make them laugh. Remember that the safest target for your humor will always be yourself. When you laugh at yourself before others do, you win!

None of us live all these secrets, but it’s worth trying. Make memories, make a difference and enjoy the journey. We all want you to succeed as you find your place in the future.