Embrace Challenges

There are many things we wish to do from changing a tire to changing our lives that we avoid because we are afraid of failure.  We fear the direct evidence of our weakness, so we don't even bother to try.  Ironically, our lack of effort is our true weakness.  You are stronger and more capable than you can possibly know.  When events occur and strength is demanded of you, you will be strong.  Realize that you need not wait for events to call.  You can demand strength of yourself right now.

There's No deadline for Your Dreams

We spend our whole lives making plans.  We set goals for ourselves in every part of our lives, and once in a while we look back and see what we've accomplished.  Though it is reasonable to have a time frame for our lives and our goals, the truth is that the dreams we had when we were younger don't have an expiration date.  Live your life toward your dreams.  No one will ask you what day it is when you get there.

Why Not Be Optimistic?

Without hope, what would you ever have tried?  Nothing you've accomplished, nothing you've enjoyed would have been possible unless you had first seen possibilities. Seize that view to guide you to the future you desire.

View Your Life as a Choice

In some sense, everything that has ever happened to you reflects the collective result of an almost infinite series of choices. From the trivial to the crucial, your choices brought you to this moment.  In recognizing that your choices matter and that they guide you, you are taking on a burden, but your are also giving yourself the opportunity to accept life's outcomes and to decide what kind of future you want.

You Define Success

It is all up to you.  No outcome can force you to feel successful or to feel that you failed.  No other person can convince you that what you have is good or bad.  It is up to you to define what life means and where you stand.  Define you life for yourself.