Sometimes we don't give ourselves enough credit for all we've accomplished up to this point. What's more, we lack confidence in our ability to achieve goals and meet future challenges. But this should not be the case. While venturing into the unknown can be daunting, you must never underestimate your capacity to weather change and hardship -- whether it be a layoff, an unexpected health condition, or a relationship setback. Sure, getting back on your feet might not happen overnight. But rest assured that if you press on -- not allowing anything or anyone to stop you -- you shall prevail. Indeed, life rewards us for our mettle and perseverance, for our refusal to throw in the towel when all hope seems lost. Even our darkest days aren't eternal. Eventually, the sun comes up again, and we rise stronger, wiser, and more resilient than ever before. You're more powerful than you realize. Do whatever it is you need to do to regain your footing, whether pr...

One of my all-time favorite quotes comes from, not surprisingly, one of my all-time movies, Batman Begins.  A young Bruce Wayne (Batman's alter ego) is asked by his father, Thomas, why we fall. Thomas goes on to answer "so we can learn to pick ourselves up." It's such a simple statement, and yet so deep. I think all of us will agree with it. If we never failed, we'd never strive to improve ourselves. If we never faltered, we'd never have any reason to grow. Life, as a result, would seem mundane -- empty, even. Nothing feels sweeter than achieving a goal after investing a lot of sweat and tears -- and failing repeatedly -- in something. Obviously, this in no way means failing deliberately or as a result of reckless, ill-conceived decisions. I'm talking about exhausting all your savings just so you can get your fledgling business off the ground. I'm talking about studying your tail off until you turn your "F" in engineering clas...

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...

To help you start the month off on the right foot, I wanted to share with you a quote from Doe Zantamata. This one is worth hanging on your wall or pasting on your nightstand so it's the first thing you look at when you wake up: "Every morning starts a new page in your story. Make it a great one today." Many people I come across spend days harping on the same issues rather than seeing each day as an opportunity to start   anew -- as a chance to resolve yesterday's issues rather than let them fester. You wouldn't want to reserve so pages in your story for things of a negative nature, would you? We should view each day as an opportunity to conquer our challenges once and for all. Each day brings the promise of growth, happiness, success. Optimism is the essential ingredient to making this happen. You have to believe wholeheartedly that things really can and will get better. Let faith and perseverance be your guide, your anchor. Instead of wondering w...

It's a new day -- one full of fresh possibilities.  Let all your reasons for not achieving a goal yesterday be quashed as of this moment. Apply for that certification exam to enhance your qualifications. Commence your job hunt as the first step toward leaving the dead-end position you're in now. Start researching what it takes to get your fledgling business off the ground. Take an imaginary sledgehammer and smash the "t" in "can't" into oblivion. You can do anything you set your heart or mind to. The only one holding you back from reaching for the sky is yourself. Do away with any grudges you may hold towards friends or loved ones. If you find that the relationship is beyond repair, absolve yourself of all negativity by cutting ties and moving on once and for all. And resist the urge to compare yourself to others. Their lives are their own problem. Stay focused on you . We all have a tendency to put things we want to do off because, well, life ...

There are certain qualities we value in people, so much so that they inspire us to be more like these individuals. Here are the attributes that I most revere in people I truly respect and admire: Intelligence : People who can not only debate me on a substantive topic, but teach me something new along the way. They're intellectually curious, articulate, and well-read.  Hard work : I respect someone who's willing to give it their all in order to achieve a goal. Perseverance:  They get knocked down, but they get up again. They don't allow challenges or problems, however big or small, to derail their dreams. Passion:  They eat, drink, and sleep music, writing, business, cooking, or whatever it is they love. They're constantly trying to learn more, whether by reading books, watching YouTube videos, or asking others.  Unyielding : No matter how many times their friends or relatives might advise them to invest their energies in something that will be...

It can be so tempting to give up on our goals and dreams. We become frustrated when we're slow to make progress. Well-meaning friends and family try to pull us in a different direction. We hit forks in the road that paralyze us into a state of inaction. We lose complete hope. Setting goals starts with the realization that you will face various challenges -- that's a given. Second, and this goes without saying, having a defeatist attitude -- whether right out of the gate or when you're closer to achieving said goal -- will make it all but impossible to attain success. A defeatist attitude yields defeatist results. If you were to ask people what the most essential factor in achieving one's goals is, what do you think they'd say? While hard work and passion play an important role, even more pivotal is perseverance.  You can have all the drive in the world, but if you fall apart at the first sign of a challenge, you will not succeed. Don't give up!  Don...