"Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!" - Tony Robbins

In 2003 during my the welcome ceremony at my alma mater SUNY Farmingdale, one of the faculty members quoted the late John Lennon. "Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans". I couldn't agree with the statement more. Little did I know that I'd lose a parent, switch careers two years later, make the decision to go to graduate school, start making new long lasting friendships.

There is something to be said for working not only harder, but smarter too. Learning from the experiences of others and using that wisdom to avoid the pitfalls they experienced. Tai Lopez (also known as the Lamborghini guy with the books) talks about mentoring and Tony talks about modeling. Either way, we are living in an age where information is readily available to the masses. In most developed countries, even individuals at the poverty line have access to resources that the most prominent titans of industry could only dream of.

Life is precious. Use it to make a difference. Be a good listener, but also don't be afraid to go to the beat of your own drum once in a while. Strong individual create strong teams which gives an organization a competitive edge, its people. Embrace the present, learn from the past and always have some type of plan in place. Without planning and constantly making yourself better, stagnation is almost inevitable.

Reading is very underrated by society, but crucial to developing new skills beyond one's own experience. I personally try to read some type of non-fiction daily. Building knowledge is an investment in one's self and just like financial investments, the longer you keep at it the more return you get back.

Never give up, be optimistic, wise and don't sweat the small stuff in life.