I recently stumbled upon this perspicacious quote by 18th century essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882): "The only person you're destined to become is the person you decide to be." Let's stop for a moment and acknowledge the undeniable truthfulness contained in this one statement. Essentially, Emerson is saying that you are in the driver's seat. You are manning the ship otherwise known as your life, and the direction you take the ship in is of your choosing. Your will is your meal ticket. Whether you wish to be raking in the big bucks as a businessman; making a big difference in the community as a teacher; or simply living a quiet, unassuming life by the lake, you can fulfill your dreams so long as you: Work hard Believe in yourself Resist other's efforts to impose their views and opinions on you, and  Never give up Do things always turn out exactly as we planned? Obviously not. But part of the deal is navigating the vagari...