Here's an irony for you: When nothing is sure, everything is possible. I know that "everything" can encompass both good and bad outcomes. We can find a great job or spend another two frustrating months looking, see our relationship thrive or devolve into chaos, hit it big in the stock market or lose a boatload of money. Life is really what we make of it. The possibilities are there -- we need only seize them. But we make that impossible to do if: 1. We give up prematurely. Thomas Edison once said,"I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work. This quote, too, is attributed to the famous inventor: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were when they gave up." Indeed, some people draw so close to the promised land they can almost taste it -- only to wave the white flag. Perhaps they become dissuaded by a friend or relative, don't see the financial returns of a venture as quic...

Rather than harping on the past, look to the future. A new year -- one full of fresh, exciting possibilities -- looms ahead. Don't fixate on the things you didn't accomplish this year -- focus on the ones you will achieve in 2017. If you came across a few forks in the road in 2016, aim to work even harder in the coming months toward meeting -- or surpassing -- your goals, whether it's losing 20 pounds, going on 20 dates, or visiting 20 cities. Build on your mistakes rather than ruminate on them. Even the most famous people in history -- from Michael Jordan to Thomas Edison -- failed on numerous occasions before hitting it big. If life knocks you down, show it the true meaning of perseverance by getting up again and trying three times harder! The promise of achieving great new things in our lives certainly keeps it interesting. If we had nothing to strive for, our lives would forever remain in a holding pattern. If there's nothing to challenge us, we're...

Ever heard the song "Don't Stop Believin''' by Journey? It's the kind of song we ought to hear whenever we doubt ourselves, which, for some of us, happens all too often. But the fact of the matter is that we have no choice but to believe in ourselves -- because no one else is going to do it for us. A lack of self-confidence impairs our ability to land dates, get jobs, build relationships, and -- most important -- enjoy life. Doubting ourselves can lead to low self-esteem, which can in turn snowball into depression and other more serious health outcomes. Once it becomes apparent that many of the excuses you concoct for not succeeding are in your head, you come to realize that you've been holding yourself back for no reason at all. Maybe your parents or peers told you that you couldn't achieve something and brainwashed you against yourself. But how would they know what you're capable of if they're not you? A person can achieve anyt...