Think Like a Child: What We Lose with Age (and How to Get It Back)

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You’ve heard about those amazingly fun offices where play is encouraged? They’re not just cubicle legend. Companies like Google 3M have crafted colorful, dynamic workspaces where employees play with toys and video games, take nap breaks and go outside for recess. If it sounds a little childish, that’s exactly the point.



Over the past couple of decades, industry leaders have tapped into an idea that philosophers like Nietzsche and scientists like Einstein have long-championed: that it is useful and sometimes even necessary for people to think like children to achieve success as adults.



People tend to get stuck in mental ruts, approaching everything from their jobs to their marriages from the same tired perspective. But taking cues from children can jolt us out of complacency and help us view the world from a whole-new angle—if only for moments at a time. Officials at Google and 3M found fashioning offices akin to kindergarten classrooms resulted in creative, energetic environments where innovative ideas were born every day.



“When people start to think like a child, they begin to see things from a fresh perspective,” says Jack Uldrich, global futurist, business speaker and best-selling author. “They learn to step back and view problems, people and things from a completely different point of view.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-lose-with-age">What we lose with age</h2>



As we grow older, certain behaviors naturally abate. While we’re all glad our days of thumb-sucking and bed-wetting are behind us, positive traits such as limitless imagination and spontaneity also diminish. Remember how a couple of blankets and pillows could transform the living room sofa into a magical fort? Or how a humble bathroom towel could turn an average boy into a superhero?



Our ability to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-techniques-to-never-stop-learning/">learn new things</a> is another primary positive characteristic we lose over time, says Alison Gopnik, a professor of psychology and affiliate professor of philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley. “Children are designed by evolution to be extremely good learners—to be able to learn about anything that’s interesting and important in the world around them,” she says. “When you look at their brains, they’re extremely flexible, so they can change what they think based on new evidence very quickly and easily.”



Gopnik explains that, over time, instead of being attracted to and exploring anything new and exciting in our environments, we begin to hone in on only the things that we know are relevant to us—thus narrowing our field of vision, making ourselves close-minded and decreasing the overall possibilities we see and follow.



“Those two ways of perceiving—some people in computer science talk about this as the difference between a system that explores and a system that exploits. So a system that exploits says, ‘Just pay attention to the things that are most relevant to your goals.’ A system that explores goes out and looks to find all kinds of information that might be relevant, but you don’t know yet if it’s going to be relevant.



“You really need both of those things to be a successful human being,” says Gopnik. “I say children are really the research and development division of the human species, and adults are production and marketing.”



Learning involves asking questions, and children are never shy about that. “They’re not afraid of their ignorance,” Uldrich says. “In fact, they embrace it. After a while, many adults don’t ask questions, or they lose their willingness to inquire because we’re concerned about how we might look.”



Which leads to another benefit of youth: “Children really aren’t conscious of what other people think of them,” Uldrich says. “This is a real strength.” This obliviousness encourages children to be free spirits, to say what they mean and mean what they say. Over time, failures <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/8-daily-tips-for-building-self-confidence/">dash our self-confidence</a>, etiquette dictates our behavior, and it becomes more difficult for adults to be completely open and honest about what they think.



Uldrich also points to the tenacity of children—something he experiences when he visits a store with his two kids. “They’ll say, ‘Dad, can I have this? Dad, can I have this?’ They won’t take no for an answer. They do not give up. At some point in our adult lives, we start taking no for an answer and just accept it. Kids don’t do that. If they are forced to take it, they then begin plotting ways around it.”



The open-mindedness of children also helps them learn new things. “I think all of us adults—whether we’re viewing a person, an idea, a product—we come to it with our opinions already shaping who we are,” Uldrich says. “There’s an idea of just dropping your opinions of all of those things and getting back to the idea of trying to see things not as you see them, but maybe as they really are.”



In his consulting work, Uldrich uses optical illusions to illustrate this point. While children can easily point out the two sides of an illusion, adults typically see one or none—but rarely both. Once we have an idea fixed firmly in our brains, it’s difficult to see and accept anything to the contrary.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to get it back</h2>



It’s never too late to reclaim those positive characteristics of youth and use them to augment the wisdom and experience acquired with age. That combination is the key.



“I think it’s important to say that if you really thought all the time like a child that you’d have to have somebody else trailing behind you, cleaning you up and tying your shoes for you,” Gopnik says. “For adults, it’s important to have a balance.”



There are many activities that can help. In his 2008 book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3Pg26IQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jump the Curve: 50 Essential Strategies to Help Companies Deal with Emerging Technologies</a>, Uldrich devotes a chapter to “The Power of Play.”



“It has been theorized by some that play is an integral form of learning,” he says. “It allows people to practice skills they might need later down the line. But play goes beyond such life skills. When we play, we gain practice manipulating things and controlling the outcome of events. We also devise new solutions for old problems and create new endings for our experiences.”



Furthermore, “play has consistently been found to reduce stress, increase energy levels, brighten people’s outlook, increase optimism and foster creativity,” he says.



So try learning a new instrument, joining a recreational athletic league or taking up a hobby—all of which exercise the mind.



Uldrich also likes the idea of mandatory recess. He says companies like 3M and Google actually give employees the freedom to spend 15 to 20% of their work time <a href="https://thestrategystory.com/2021/05/27/3m-innovation-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on products that interest them</a> or benefit the company. “These companies continue to get a lot of their next-generation ideas and products from that very process,” he says.



Other suggestions include <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/ways-to-read-more-books/">varying your reading material</a>—science fiction, any kind of novels or plays—as well as role-playing in work situations. “Allow yourself to get outside of your shoes and act as if you are someone else, and feel free to do things from different perspectives, feel free to say outrageous things,” Uldrich says. “That’s where the innovative ideas are going to come from.”



Gopnik echoes those sentiments. “The kind of pretend and imaginary things we do as adults, such as reading novels and plays—things that don’t look as if they’re a part of your goals—are ways that we can get back to some of that childlike ‘what if?’”



She also says traveling to new destinations and exploring foreign cultures is great for the mind. “A lot of our preconceptions get changed because we’re just open to lots of new experiences,” she says.



Meditation can help achieve a childlike state of mind as well, Gopnik says, even if you do it for as little as 10 minutes a day. “Just stopping for some time during the day when you’re in the midst of all that planning and goal-direction, and just <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/the-art-of-strategic-nothingness/">emptying out your mind</a> and seeing what happens.”



The biggest obstacle to creative ideas is fear of failure, says Rich Lazzara, a self-described “Gen neXt entrepreneur,” pointing to the self-defeating statements we often repeat in our heads: “‘I’m not creative.’ ‘I can’t think of anything.’ You need to forget that attitude and allow yourself to open up to failure. When you sit down to create an idea, go into it with zero inhibition.”



Another key is to release restrictions, he says. “As you are preparing to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/3-practices-to-come-up-with-new-ideas/">come up with your ideas</a>, it is important that you not set restrictions on yourself.” Factors such as time, money and resources—while important to consider—shouldn’t hinder your brainstorming.



“Allow yourself to think completely free,” he says.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Life-changing choices</h2>



Of course, one of the easiest ways to learn to think like a child is to spend time with one. “Just taking an hour a day to take a walk with a child or play with a child may be one of the best ways of opening up your mind to what it’s like to be a child,” Gopnik says.



Laura Lopez is a testament to that. A former vice president at Coca-Cola, she remembers being “a hard-nosed, results-at-all-costs type of executive”—until she met Leila, a child from Russia she adopted in 2005. “Having a child changed my viewpoint on leadership entirely,” she says. “I realized that softer, more receptive skills were necessary to motivate and inspire to achieve results. I saw a significant impact in the organization, both qualitatively and quantitatively, when I started to implement the insights I was drawing from parenting and from understanding childlike receptivity and openness.”



She even published a book, The Connected and Committed Leader, about her experience, which outlines the following insights: “Believe and let go,” “Be curious and see everyone,” “Be real and serve,” “Be receptive and yield,” “Be humble and keep your ego in check,” “Be consistent and clear to build trust,” and “Be vulnerable and give of yourself.”



But you don’t necessarily need a child to inspire you. Just consider the case of Dan Nainan, who changed his entire life by making a decision some might consider childish, even a bit foolish: He quit his job as a senior engineer with Intel to become a comedian.



“Although I enjoyed my job with Intel tremendously, I really felt constrained by the corporate world and wanted to get out and do something on my own,” he says. “I could have stuck to the safe, well-charted course, but I never would’ve been content doing so.”



Now, he travels the world with his clean-cut standup routine. In 2008, Nainan even performed at the Democratic National Convention and three inaugural events in Washington, D.C.&nbsp;



Even after seven years in the comedy business, Nainan couldn’t be happier with his choice. “My days are filled with new people, new places, new discoveries and simply exuberant, childlike joy all day, every day,” he said.



This article was published in November 2009 and has been updated. Photo by

Remember how a couple of blankets and pillows could transform the living room sofa into a magical fort? Or how a humble bathroom towel could turn an average boy into a superhero?

Remember how a couple of blankets and pillows could transform the living room sofa into a magical fort? Or how a humble bathroom towel could turn an average boy into a superhero? | SUCCESS

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Thinking Like a Child: Rediscovering Lost Qualities with Age

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Chelsea Greenwood has been contributing to print and online publications as an editor and writer for more than 10 years. A University of Florida graduate, she is the editor of a lifestyle magazine in South Florida.

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It was a perfect fit. Faith A. McGlown, program director of College and Career Coach, and of Success Mentors—both part of <a href="https://www.partnerstoledo.org/aboutus.html" target="_blank">Partners In Education</a> of Toledo, Ohio, a nonprofit dedicated to improving education through community involvement—was looking for materials to guide and motivate middle and high school students in 2012. That’s when she discovered SUCCESS for Teens, a personal-development curriculum by the SUCCESS Foundation.
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“We wanted something that students could identify with and envision themselves as having the positive future they hoped for with goal-setting, positive character traits, good problem-solving and decision-making skills, and the self-efficacy to overcome barriers,” she says.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-ways-to-turn-obstacles-into-opportunities">4 Ways to Turn Obstacles Into Opportunities</a>

Since then McGlown has used <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Success-Teens-Fleming-January-Paperback/dp/B014S4FPCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1477338871&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=SUCCESS+for+Teens:+Real+Teens+Talk+about+Using+the+Slight+Edge&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=423baf9453dbed2e5d7de10f07e92d4d" target="_blank">SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk about Using the Slight Edge</a>, the cornerstone book of the curriculum, in which teens talk about tackling real-life issues with easy, manageable steps. She says the book “almost seamlessly aligns” with the mission, goals and desired outcomes of Partners In Education, a nonprofit that “develops and fosters partnerships between area schools and northwest Ohio businesses, government agencies, organizations and churches,” according to its website. (The SUCCESS Foundation donates hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth-development programs; <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us.html" target="_blank">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a> offers <a href="https://successfoundation.org/just-for-teens.html" target="_blank">free downloads of the book</a> and facilitator’s guide to everyone.)

“It’s a tool we use for direct instruction in small and large groups or as an individual resource for students,” McGlown says.

At first, students in the program responded to SUCCESS for Teens with “heavy sighs and rolling eyes,” she says. “But the book has an undeniable attraction and fascination with our students. The book becomes an individual road map for each student based on his or her own perspectives and experiences.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-7-books-everyone-should-read">7 Books Everyone Should Read</a>

“We encounter a lot of aha and lightbulb moments.”

By the time students reach the last chapter, many aren’t ready for it to end. “Many reread the book and use it as a guide to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-being-successful-is-a-personal-choice">envision their own success</a>,” McGlown says.

Eighth-grader Heaven Quinn, part of the College and Career Coach program, notes, “After I’m done with high school, I want to go to college so I can get a degree to support my family.”

In fact, SUCCESS for Teens has already directly impacted many of the students’ families. McGlown says this started during a coach workshop, a component of the College and Career Coach program where directors educate and update parents about topics they’ve covered in lessons.

“After discussing SUCCESS for Teens books with the group... we had many parents seeking copies of the book for themselves to work along with their students,” she says. “Some parents—clearly not teens and in many stages of life—sought to use the book independently as a resource on their own journeys and thought the book would be a great starting point.”

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/how-to-read-like-your-success-depends-on-it">How to Read Like Your Success Depends on It</a>

To request books, learn about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution, visit <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us.html" target="_blank">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a>. Leaders, participants and donors can request a profile in SUCCESS by emailing info@SUCCESSFoundation.org.

&nbsp;

This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-november-2016-megyn-kelly.html" target="_blank">November 2016 issue of SUCCESS magazine</a>.

Ohio students find inspiration through SUCCESS for Teens.

Ohio students find inspiration through SUCCESS for Teens. | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: Bright Futures

SUCCESS Foundation: Bright Futures | SUCCESS

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Home schooling might be a common practice, but have you ever heard of virtual schooling, where students take classes from accredited teachers from the comfort of their own homes? That’s the premise of the <a href="https://www.vcslearn.org/AboutUs.aspx" target="_blank">Virtual Community School</a> of Ohio. Based in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, the school provides free online education for children in grades K-12. The concept works particularly well for students who need specialized instruction or who are able to work at an accelerated pace.
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But virtual schooling has its drawbacks; and that’s where counselor Kelsey DePompei comes in.

“In working with students in the digital environment, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-replace-your-bad-habits-with-good-ones">it can be easy to develop bad habits</a> if students do not hold themselves accountable for staying on track,” she says.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/why-bad-habits-are-so-easy-to-make-and-so-hard-to-break">Why Bad Habits Are So Easy to Make and So Hard to Break</a>

DePompei recently added a new tool to her repertoire: SUCCESS for Teens, a personal-development curriculum created by the <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us.html" target="_blank">SUCCESS Foundation</a>, and its cornerstone text, <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-the-book/purchase-books.html" target="_blank">SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk about Using the Slight Edge</a>.

“As part of our staff’s professional development, we regularly refer to SUCCESS,” she says. “When I became the school counselor, I found a stack of SUCCESS for Teens and decided to read through one. I was so impressed with the material in the book that I decided to develop a life skills coaching group revolving around the reading and discussion activities.” (The SUCCESS Foundation donates hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth-development programs; SUCCESSFoundation.org offers free downloads of the book and facilitator’s guide to everyone.)

Last year she formed the group with 10 students, sending each a copy of the book and leading the course through educational learning platforms Blackboard and OpenLearning. SUCCESS for Teens, in which teens talk about <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/7-daily-habits-of-exceptionally-successful-people">developing positive skills and habits</a> via manageable steps, is very relevant for her students, she says.

“The book discusses many important areas that teens struggle with in both the traditional and digital school environment, such as goal-setting, decision-making, peer interactions, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-how-to-bounce-back-from-failure">overcoming failure</a>, personal development and maintaining a positive attitude to develop healthy and effective habits,” she says. “I felt the material in the book helped students truly understand the importance of attitude and habits in becoming successful while developing a philosophy for life.”

DePompei’s students were eager to discuss the book’s lessons, she says, particularly Chapter 5, “There’s No Such Thing as Failure.”

“I learned that most teens fear failure,” she says. “No one wants to look incompetent in front of their peers or leaders. In fearing failure, it prevented [the students] from trying some new things in life. Going forward, they all agreed that being a little more adventurous and willing to adapt from mistakes was the best way to tackle growing up.”

One student enrolled at the Virtual Community School after he was a victim of bullying at his former school, DePompei says. “From participating in the group and reading the material, he was able to socialize with his peers, overcome his fear of sharing his ideas and feelings, and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-5-simple-steps-to-plan-your-dream-life">develop a plan for his future</a>.”

The counselor hopes to make the course count for class credit in the future, and she plans to use it with at-risk students to help lower the dropout rate.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/5-daily-habits-of-highly-successful-people">5 Daily Habits of Highly Successful People</a>

To request books, learn about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution, visit SUCCESSFoundation.org. Leaders, participants and donors can request a profile in SUCCESS by emailing info@SUCCESSFoundation.org.

&nbsp;

This article originally appeared in the October 2016 issue of <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/catalog/category/view/id/1318" target="_blank">SUCCESS magazine</a>.

SUCCESS for Teens brings online students together in Ohio.

SUCCESS for Teens brings online students together in Ohio. | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: Virtual Connection

SUCCESS Foundation: Virtual Connection | SUCCESS

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SUCCESS Foundation: Virtual Connection  | SUCCESS

Jan Dobr says he never <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-4-tips-for-setting-powerful-goals">set a goal</a> in his life.

That is until he first came across SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk about Using the Slight Edge—the cornerstone of the SUCCESS for Teens personal-development curriculum by the SUCCESS Foundation. After reading the book, Dobr, who emigrated from the Czech Republic to the U.S. in 1998, decided to read 10 pages of self-improvement literature every day for 10 years.

“My ultimate goal is to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/5-ridiculously-easy-things-you-can-do-every-day-to-feel-happy">have joy and happiness</a> in all aspects of my life—emotional, physical, mental, financial, social and spiritual,” says Dobr, 41.

Now a U.S. citizen and six years into his goal, Dobr’s life has grown in ways he never thought possible, including marriage, running his first marathon, graduating from college, and becoming the general manager of a restaurant, Martin’s, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

“I always go back to [SUCCESS for Teens] because it presents valuable information in great simplicity,” says the Myrtle Beach resident. “It’s the building stones of anyone’s success.”

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/4-ways-to-turn-your-potential-into-success">4 Ways to Turn Your Potential Into Success</a>

When SUCCESS first talked with Dobr in 2013, he had read the book five or six times. Now it’s at least 20.

He’s also spreading the lessons with others, including those at the Waccamaw Youth Center in Conway, South Carolina, which houses young men and boys from troubled families. (The SUCCESS Foundation donates hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth-development programs; SUCCESSFoundation.org offers free downloads of the book and facilitator’s guide to everyone.)

As a Grand Strand Optimist Club member, Dobr meets with eight to 10 teenage boys at the center for about two hours a month to read the book, discuss the lessons and complete the exercises.

“Their lives are in disarray, and their attention spans are very difficult at times,” Dobr says. So he shares examples from his own life and how the book helped him <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/10-steps-to-achieve-any-goal">achieve his goals.</a>

“I feel like, as we’re reading, anytime I can add something from my life experience, it gives them extra reason to believe and remember,” he says.

One young man told Dobr he experienced one of Chapter&nbsp;1’s points, “The Ripple Effect” firsthand: “He <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/if-you-want-to-win-help-others-win-first">started helping out</a> in church and by the time he knew it, other people were helping him, and he knew his life was on the right track,” Dobr says. “He also became more determined to study at school, which fulfills his goal of getting better grades.”

Dobr also shares the book with other adults, such as leaders of local church groups and children’s nonprofits.

The restaurant recently hosted a spaghetti dinner fundraiser benefiting the Waccamaw Youth Center and area children’s charities. Dobr helped serve nearly 250 dinners and a 2-by-4-foot sheet cake. “It was awesome,” he says with a smile.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/5-qualities-you-need-to-reach-your-biggest-goals">5 Qualities You Need to Reach Your Biggest Goals</a>

To request books, learn about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution, visit SUCCESSFoundation.org. Leaders, participants and donors can request a profile in SUCCESS by emailing info@SUCCESSFoundation.org.

&nbsp;

This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-august-2016-the-youeconomy.html" target="_blank">August 2016 issue of SUCCESS magazine</a>.

A South Carolina man proves SUCCESS for Teens helps adults, too.

A South Carolina man proves SUCCESS for Teens helps adults, too. | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: Better With Age

SUCCESS Foundation: Better With Age | [site:name]

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<a href="https://www.optimist.org/default.cfm" target="_blank">Optimist International</a>, one of the largest service club organizations in the world, is dedicated to making the “future brighter by bringing out the best in children, in their communities, and in themselves,” according to the group’s website.

The volunteer-driven organization mentors youths on developing their <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/john-c-maxwell-you-are-filled-with-extraordinary-potential">full potential</a> by promoting interest in government and civic affairs and by cultivating a positive vision for their future. And thanks to the SUCCESS Foundation, the Mount Hebron Dreamkeepers Optimist Club in Lesslie, South Carolina, has positively impacted the lives of more than 200 area youths with the SUCCESS for Teens personal-development curriculum and its key book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Success-Teens-Fleming-January-Paperback/dp/B014S4FPCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1466445531&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=SUCCESS+for+Teens%3A+Real+Teens+Talk+about+Using+the+Slight+Edge.&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=35e1d878df2fb044b2a6b3bce806d764" target="_blank">SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk about Using the Slight Edge</a>.

<img alt="South Carolina Optimistic Club" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__32989 img__view_mode__default" src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/sites/default/files/successfoundation.jpg" style="width: 100%;" typeof="foaf:Image" />

Charles Robinson, club president and a deacon at Mount Hebron Baptist Church, the club’s headquarters, first learned about the curriculum when the president of another area optimist club referenced SUCCESS for Teens during a presentation about the dropout rate crisis at the South Carolina Optimist District Conference.

In 2010 Robinson launched the <a href="https://www.youthempowerment.us/#!who-we-are/s45ay" target="_blank">Youth Empowerment Service</a> (YES) mentoring program using SUCCESS for Teens as its cornerstone. (The SUCCESS Foundation donates hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth-development programs; <a href="https://successfoundation.org/" target="_blank">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a> offers free downloads of the book and facilitator’s guides to everyone.)

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/3-tips-for-cultivating-mentor-relationships">3 Tips for Cultivating Mentor Relationships</a>

“The YES mentoring program was the X-factor that enabled the South Carolina Optimist District to receive Outstanding &amp; Distinguished achievement within the Top 10 Optimist Clubs in Optimist International,” Robinson says.

During group and one-on-one mentoring, Optimists work with 9- to 18-year-old students to discuss strategies for developing skills, such as <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-4-tips-for-setting-powerful-goals">goal-setting</a> and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-replace-your-bad-habits-with-good-ones">positive habits</a>.

“I find that teens respond favorably to the book and curriculum,” Robinson says.

Chapter 4, “Everything Starts with Small Steps,” and Chapter 5, “There’s No Such Thing as Failure,” resonates the most with the teens, Robinson says, adding: “My takeaway is you can’t hit the ball if you don’t go up to the plate and swing.”

The club also uses SUCCESS for Teens for its Youth Appreciation Awards; Essay &amp; Oratorical Contest; sports program; and Youth Appreciation Fundraiser basketball game where YES student groups perform during halftime.

Robinson, a vocal supporter of the program, estimates he’s shared SUCCESS for Teens with more than 1,000 fellow club members and&nbsp;friends.

“We will continue to build on our endeavors by using the SUCCESS for Teens principles,” he says. “Our legacy is to leave the world a better place to live, to learn, to serve and to enjoy.”

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-make-your-business-socially-responsible">How To: Make Your Business Socially Responsible</a>

To request books, learn about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution, visit <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us.html" target="_blank">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a>. Leaders, participants and donors can request a profile in SUCCESS by emailing info@SUCCESSFoundation.org.

&nbsp;

This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-july-2016-peter-diamandis.html" target="_blank">July 2016 issue of SUCCESS magazine.</a>

SUCCESS for Teens cheers a South Carolina optimist club.

SUCCESS for Teens cheers a South Carolina optimist club. | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: On the Bright Side

SUCCESS Foundation: On the Bright Side | SUCCESS

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Three schools in Trinidad and Tobago started using the SUCCESS for Teens personal-development curriculum by the SUCCESS Foundation last October after being introduced by Toronto-based entrepreneur Suzette Ramdhanie.

“It provides a platform of creative expression for the students,” she says. “It strategically guides them to ignite their individual faith in themselves, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-tips-to-overcome-your-probably-irrational-fears">overcome conditioned fears</a>, and consistently take courageous action by executing their will to win.”

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-6-ways-to-act-on-your-ambition">6 Ways to Act on Your Ambition</a>

Ramdhanie says the principals report a 90 percent participation rate. In particular, Chapter 8 (“Make Your Dreams Come True”) of the curriculum’s cornerstone book, SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk about Using the Slight Edge, has been a big hit at St. Augustine Girls’ High School in Trinidad and&nbsp;Tobago.

“It explores the behavioral psychology of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/16-rich-habits">attaining wealth</a>, health, relationships and your footprint on the world, which is what these students at that age are beginning to think about,” she says.

As part of the program, students created “mental maps” of their goals for the next five years and planned the steps needed to achieve them. Many shared their maps on social media with friends and family, Ramdhanie says.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/10-steps-to-achieve-any-goal">10 Steps to Achieve Any Goal</a>

One student, 13-year-old Makhaya Valley, felt motivated to pursue a traditionally male-dominated career: “The SUCCESS for Teens program inspired my heart to believe that I can be an auto mechanic if I take the right steps to make it happen,” Makhaya says.

In 2014 Ramdhanie was introduced to the curriculum through a member of the SUCCESS Foundation Advisory Board (The SUCCESS Foundation donates hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth-development programs; <a href="https://successfoundation.org/" target="_blank">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a> offers free downloads of the book and facilitator’s guide to everyone.)

Immediately drawn to the text, Ramdhanie internalized its lessons and applied them to her own life: “I experienced immediate breakthroughs in my <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-8-traits-of-healthy-relationships">relationships</a> at work, in my own family with my nieces and nephew and also in my church community,” she says. Ramdhanie worked in the banking industry for seven years, but her part-time gig allows her the opportunity to flex her <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/john-c-maxwell-do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-be-an-entrepreneur">entrepreneurial muscles</a>. It also led her to influence the lives of teens in the West Indies.

Now, Ramdhanie, a self-described brand ambassador of the SUCCESS Foundation, is working with the Toronto District School Board and the Peel District School Board to spread the SUCCESS for Teens message to Ontario youth as well.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/6-essential-habits-for-getting-the-career-you-want">6 Essential Habits for Getting the Career You Want</a>

To request books, learn about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution, visit SUCCESSFoundation.org. Leaders, participants and donors can request a profile in SUCCESS by emailing info@SUCCESSFoundation.org.

&nbsp;

This article originally appeared in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-june-2016-guy-fieri.html" target="_blank">June 2016 issue of SUCCESS magazine</a>.

An entrepreneur brings SUCCESS for Teens to the Caribbean.

An entrepreneur brings SUCCESS for Teens to the Caribbean. | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: Island Time

SUCCESS Foundation: Island Time | SUCCESS

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When teenagers are responsible for teaching and mentoring young children, they need to have the necessary tools to be positive role models. That’s why the leaders of <a href="https://neishas.com/site/about/" target="_blank">Neisha’s Dance &amp; Music Academy</a> (ND&amp;MA) in Chula Vista, California, decided to implement SUCCESS for Teens, a personal-development curriculum by the <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us.html" target="_blank">SUCCESS Foundation</a>, into their dance teacher’s assistant program early last year.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/7-entrepreneurial-traits-to-teach-your-child">7 Entrepreneurial Traits to Teach Your Child</a>

“We strive to encourage our students to live inspiring lives,” artistic director Ericka Moore says. “The owner of ND&amp;MA, Neisha Hernandez, has continually <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-how-do-you-attract-opportunity-into-your-life">looked for opportunities</a> to enlighten and enrich the dancers and musicians who attend the academy.”

Hernandez heard about <a href="https://successfoundation.org/just-for-teens.html" target="_blank">SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk About Using the Slight Edge</a>, the book at the core of the curriculum, through other area dance studios. The studio’s 51 assistants, ages 9 to 17, started the program last year. (The SUCCESS Foundation donates hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth-development programs; SUCCESSFoundation.org offers free downloads of the book and facilitator’s guide to everyone.)

“We understand the difficult transition that youths make entering into their teenage years,” Moore says. “We believe it is important to give them tools to navigate their everyday world so that when they enter the classroom with younger children, they are at their most powerful place emotionally and physically.”

Every other month, Moore meets with assistants to review the book—in which teens offer practical advice for developing such skills as <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-4-tips-for-setting-powerful-goals">goal-setting</a>, positive thinking and more—and discuss its lessons. Outside of meetings, the assistants complete book exercises and journal entries.

Moore says the overall reaction has been positive: “The book has really given them insight on how they can react to certain situations and know that they are not alone. I think the book also has shown them the importance of having positive energy.”

Moore’s assistant Claire Dennis agrees: “I have seen the ripple <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/if-you-want-to-change-your-results-you-have-to-change-your-thinking-first">effect of positivity</a> in the students I assist. Whenever I apply positive energy in class, I notice the students are more encouraged to execute correctly and enjoy class more.”

ND&amp;MA is in its second year using SUCCESS for Teens. Moore says the program is causing its own kind of ripple effect that reaches beyond the studio.

“This is how the circle begins,” she says. “What these teens are learning will bleed into how they interact with their younger peers and teach them how to be positive and inspiring to others as well.”

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/15-uplifting-quotes-for-positive-vibes">15 Uplifting Quotes for Positive Vibes</a>

&nbsp;

To request books, learn about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution, visit SUCCESSFoundation.org. Leaders, participants and donors can request a profile in SUCCESS by emailing info@SUCCESSFoundation.org.

This article appears in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-may-2016-michael-strahan.html" target="_blank">May 2016 issue of SUCCESS magazine.</a>

SUCCESS for Teens inspires a California dance academy, teaching them the importance of positive energy.

SUCCESS for Teens inspires a California dance academy, teaching them the importance of positive energy. | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: Center Stage

SUCCESS Foundation: Center Stage | SUCCESS

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As a high school freshman, Sarah Buffaloboy was a respectful teen and a decent student, but she struggled with anxiety and lacked motivation. With just $20 and a new book, the Collingswood, New Jersey, resident transformed herself into a shining student leader. The journey led her to the front steps of the White House.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/do-these-7-things-to-get-and-stay-motivated">Do These 7 Things to Get (and Stay) Motivated</a>

<div id="stcpDiv" style="position: absolute; top: -1999px; left: -1988px;">Do These 7 Things to Get (and Stay) Motivated</div>

<img alt="Total Transformation" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__32234 img__view_mode__default" src="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/sites/default/files/totaltransformation.jpg" style="width: 50%; margin: 4px; float: left;" title="Total Transformation" typeof="foaf:Image" />“This book has inspired me, and has opened me up from my closed-in shell. I am so thankful,” says Sarah, now 18, about SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk about Using the Slight Edge, the book at the core of SUCCESS for Teens, a personal-development curriculum supported and promoted by the SUCCESS Foundation.

It all started about four years ago, when Sarah’s parents, Fabian and Danielle Brown, attended a convention where leadership expert <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/profile/john-c-maxwell">John C. Maxwell</a> was the keynote speaker. During his talk, the SUCCESS Ambassador noted that he never gave his children an allowance to do household chores, but he instead paid them to read&nbsp;books.

“My husband and I thought that was exactly how we wanted to run our house since we have such a large family, and we want them all to be successful,” Danielle says.

Fabian, a longtime SUCCESS subscriber, had read about SUCCESS for Teens in this column, so he decided to try Maxwell’s tactic with some of the couple’s 10 children and requested a few copies of the book. (The SUCCESS Foundation donates hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth-development programs; SUCCESSFoundation.org offers free downloads of the book and facilitator’s guide to everyone.)

“Sarah was the one who really took it on!” Fabian says, who paid her $20 to read the book. “She had almost 10 pages of notes after the first time she read it. When she made the decision to read it a second, third and fourth time, I knew great things were bound to happen.”

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/to-perform-best-in-life-remember-these-6-ziglar-truths">To Perform Best in Life, Remember These 6 Ziglar Truths</a>

And happen they did. According to Danielle, Sarah achieved and maintained a 4.0 GPA; started taking advanced classes; became a triathlete, captain of the tennis team and star of the lacrosse team; took part in the student council and in the women’s activist club; was inducted into the National Honors Society and the French Honors Society; volunteered at a local assisted living facility; and raised nearly $12,000 for the Leukemia &amp; Lymphoma Society.

“She was so excited and motivated,” Danielle says. “It was like a new kid had taken over our daughter!”

Sarah says she was initially skeptical about SUCCESS for Teens. She’d read other <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-why-personal-development-is-critical-to-success">personal-development</a> books for students and found she couldn’t connect with them.

“When I started to read SUCCESS for Teens, I found this connection because I could personally relate to the different points of view of the teenagers throughout the book,” she says. “These connections drew out solid steps on how to achieve success. For the first time, I&nbsp;could now picture myself taking those steps and have them play in the back of my head when approaching a new situation.”

Sarah—who admits she used to be so cripplingly shy that “asking for a packet of ketchup at a restaurant would crowd [her] mind with negative thoughts”—says she especially internalized the message that small steps can make a big difference in life: “I looked at every new situation with a positive attitude and took those needed small steps to accomplish my overall big step to achieve what I was after.”

Last year Sarah set her sights on a trip to Washington, D.C., as part of the <a href="https://www.alaforveterans.org/about/" target="_blank">2015 American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation</a>. Out of 400 New Jersey applicants, only two high school juniors would be chosen to participate.

Sarah kept her SUCCESS for Teens strategies in mind as she participated in debates, delivered numerous speeches and won enough supporters to secure a “senate” seat. Last July she spent a week in the capital, visiting Arlington National Cemetery, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the White House.

“The highlight of the whole experience was personally meeting and speaking with President Barack Obama,” she says.

Sarah credits SUCCESS for Teens for her transformational journey, and she and her parents recommend the book as a “must-read for every teenager.”

Now, with graduation just weeks away, Sarah continues to lean on the fundamental message of SUCCESS for Teens. She says: “A person can accomplish anything they put their mind to, no matter the past failures. No dream is too big.”

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/10-steps-to-achieve-any-goal">10 Steps to Achieve Any Goal</a>

&nbsp;

To request books, learn about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution, visit SUCCESSFoundation.org. Leaders, participants and donors can request a profile in SUCCESS by emailing info@SUCCESSFoundation.org.

This article appears in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-april-2016-kendra-scott.html" target="_blank">April 2016 issue of SUCCESS magazine.</a>

A New Jersey student does a 180, thanks to SUCCESS for Teens.

A New Jersey student does a 180, thanks to SUCCESS for Teens. | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: Total Transformation

SUCCESS Foundation: Total Transformation | SUCCESS

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Donald Brazile of Texarkana, Texas, is a longtime SUCCESS reader, but he typically skips over one section in particular: this one. As a minister, he didn’t think that SUCCESS for Teens, a personal-development curriculum offered by the SUCCESS Foundation, was relevant to his occupation.

“But while thumbing through a back issue, I finally read the article I always skipped,” he recalls. “I visited the website and read how people were using it across the country with teens.”

He decided to order <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979034159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0979034159&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=NK7AGTRJ6TCQGJZZ">SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk About Using the Slight Edge</a>—the book is the core of the SUCCESS for Teens curriculum—for his side work as a voice and piano teacher for high school students, thinking it would help hone their performance. (The SUCCESS Foundation donates hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth development programs; <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us/mission-and-vision.html" target="_blank" title="About | SUCCESSFoundation.org">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a> offers free downloads of the book and facilitator’s guide to everyone.)

“I learned long ago that singing is 20 percent talent and 80 percent behavior,” Brazile says. “Though the voice is a profound instrument, there are still basics every singer must learn and master regardless of the level of natural ability one is born with.”

His book order arrived in September 2014, and Brazile immediately started sharing the book and its lessons with his students.

“SUCCESS for Teens helps produce the total performer,” he says. “These great life skills and character-development principles are assisting young vocalists reach and live their performance dreams in high school musicals, recitals and competitions.”

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-how-to-build-character">Rohn: How to Build Character</a>

Brazile says he focuses on all eight chapters of the book—in which teens themselves talk about developing life skills through easy, manageable steps—but three in particular strike a chord with students.

“You can make your dreams come true,” Brazile says. “Set a goal, maybe audition for a lead in a musical theater production or a vocal competition.”

Another is that <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/it-takes-happy-habits-to-make-a-happy-life" title="It Takes Happy Habits to Make a Happy Life | SUCCESS.com">habits are powerful</a>, he says: “Practice every day! Vocalize and memorize your audition pieces. Watch other performers on YouTube to improve your stage deportment.”

Finally: “There’s no such thing as a failure,” he says. “Regardless of the result of your audition, view every competition as a learning experience to propel you to the next level of your overall vocal development.”

Edward Harris, a senior at Arkansas High School in Texarkana, Ark., and a successful vocal competitor studying under Brazile, says, “I’ve come to realize through the program that no dream is too big.”

Since applying SUCCESS for Teens for two semesters, five of Brazile’s students from four area schools were awarded music education scholarships. Brazile hopes to make the program available to other high school students and even preteens in the area as well as incorporating it in the youth curriculum at his church.

“We are teaching one student at a time that success is not about smarts, looks, talent or luck,” he says. “It’s about becoming the best possible person you can be and making the most of your talents and opportunities.”

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/john-c-maxwell-create-opportunity">John C. Maxwell: Create Opportunity</a>

&nbsp;

To request books, learn about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution, visit <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us/mission-and-vision.html" target="_blank" title="About | SUCCESSFoundation.org">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a>. Leaders, participants and donors can request a profile in SUCCESS by emailing <a href="mailto:info@SUCCESSFoundation.org">info@SUCCESSFoundation.org</a>.

&nbsp;

This article appears in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-february-2016-joel-osteen.html" target="_blank">February 2016&nbsp;issue of&nbsp;SUCCESS&nbsp;magazine</a>.

Donald Brazile of Texarkana, Texas, is a longtime SUCCESS reader, but he typically skips over one section in particular: this one. As a minister, he

Donald Brazile of Texarkana, Texas, is a longtime SUCCESS reader, but he typically skips over one section in particular: this one. As a minister, he | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: All the Right Notes

SUCCESS Foundation: All the Right Notes | SUCCESS

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Business &amp; Branding

Business &amp; Branding Archives

Stay ahead in business: strategies and insights for success

As Sarah Aciego traveled to Greenland, Alaska and Canada for research, the glaciologist was awed by the beauty: “the incredible blues of the glacial lakes, muskox rubbing their bellies in the tundra, hidden hot springs next to waterfalls,” she recalls.

With the help of her mother, Mindy Cambiar, who travels with Aciego and photographs their journeys, a business concept crystallized. “We started talking about how incredible it would be to bring people to the places that I like to go for research,” says Aciego, 38, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan.

After a year of research and development, Aciego and Cambiar in 2014 formed <a href="https://bigchilladventure.com/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big Chill Adventures</a>, a travel company seeking to break barriers of travel to Greenland, Iceland, Alaska and the Canadian Rockies. Clients enjoy hiking, dog-sledding, and amazing photo ops amid glaciers and icebergs.

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/7-dos-and-donts-for-entrepreneurial-success">7 Do’s and Don’ts for Entrepreneurial Success</a>

“We’re trying to bring people closer to places that seem inaccessible and to talk as much—or as little—science as the audience wants to hear,” says Aciego, who has two Big Chill trips under her belt and 10 booked this year.

The duo leads about half of the trips, with Cambiar setting a pace that’s comfortable for inexperienced guests. For the rest of the trips, Aciego recruits other geology or glaciology experts as guides. “They need to be able to handle logistical challenges,” Aciego says of her teammates. “One of our favorite email subject lines is ‘Logistical Nightmare Averted!’ ”

While the team is figuring out how to keep its technology systems on pace with demand—“It seems like every week we’re having to add trip itineraries,” Aciego says—sometimes basic is better when it comes to promoting Big Chill.

“Weirdly, the most <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-steps-to-make-marketing-work-for-sales-in-any-industry" title="5 Steps to Make Marketing Work for Sales in Any Industry | SUCCESS.com">effective marketing</a> has been old-school paper: brochures and business cards,” Aciego says. “Both [Cambiar] and I spend a lot of time talking to people about what we do and having something to hand to people makes all the difference.”

Related: <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-tips-to-ignite-your-success-from-the-entrepreneur-on-fire-himself">5 Tips to Ignite Your Success, From the ‘Entrepreneur On Fire’ Himself</a>

&nbsp;

This article appears in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-february-2016-joel-osteen.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">February 2016 issue of SUCCESS magazine. </a>

'We’re trying to bring people closer to places that seem inaccessible.'

'We’re trying to bring people closer to places that seem inaccessible.' | SUCCESS

How This Entrepreneur Found Her Niche in Arctic Adventures

How This Entrepreneur Found Her Niche in Arctic Adventures | SUCCESS

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When Nelson Mandela was released from prison and traveling back to his ancestral home, he was followed by a swarm of bees all the way from the airport to the house. But this wasn’t a misfortune, not according to African tradition. It was a blessing, symbolizing good tidings. The ancestors were welcoming him home.

Today, you’ll find a bee—a literal translation of Nelson’s Xhosa name, “Rolihlahla,” meaning one who is brave enough to go fetch the honey from the honeycomb, Nelson family members say—on the bottles of <a href="https://www.houseofmandela.com/about-us/who-we-are/" target="_blank">House of Mandela</a>, a South African wine label launched in 2010 by Mandela’s daughter and granddaughter, Makaziwe and Tukwini. You can find their wines, ranging from Thembu Sauvignon Blanc to Deep River Cabernet Merlot to Royal Reserve Shiraz, in select United States markets and globally.

“We started the business as a way to pay homage to our ancestors and as a way to tell our family story without politicizing it,” says Tukwini, 42, who lives in Johannesburg. “Wine was a vehicle that enabled us to do that”—to tell the story of the house of Mandela, its culture, its ideals, its values.

“<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-this-is-how-you-leave-a-legacy" title="Rohn: This Is How You Leave a Legacy | SUCCESS.com">Lineage and legacy</a> were very important to my grandfather, just as they were to his father and grandfather before him,” Tukwini says. “All the values he espoused, he learned from those who came before him. He always stated very clearly that he was shaped by the values and customs of his ancestors. We are simply carrying in the same vein.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

She says that, on a personal level, her grandfather helped her become a successful businesswoman by teaching her to be determined, to be focused and to trust herself. “We often look to other people for approval and answers when, in most cases, we already have the answers within,” she says. “He also taught me to focus on my strengths as opposed to my weaknesses and to use my mistakes as an opportunity to learn and improve myself.”

As a black woman in a South African wine industry dominated by white men, Tukwini leans on those lessons quite often, overcoming challenges, challenging the status quo, with perseverance and diligent self-education. “I learned as much as I could about the industry through research and hard work,” she says. “I work very closely with our agents and importers and seek to understand the entire wine process. I learn something new every day.”

Tukwini and the House of Mandela team are working to inspire future generations of women in Africa to break through gender barriers, too. “We want to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in all African women to play a far more active role in Africa’s economy and, ultimately, to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-4-reasons-to-take-control-of-your-destiny" title="Rohn: 4 Reasons to Take Control of Your Destiny | SUCCESS.com">control their own destiny</a>,” she says.

They’re also trying to build a stronger wine culture among South Africans by debunking the notion that wine is for the elite. “Wine is very subjective, and it is ultimately about what you personally like,” Tukwini says. “We encourage people to experiment and taste different types of wines, drink what they enjoy and be confident in their choices.”

How Tukwini Mandela is spreading her grandfather’s legacy one bottle of wine at a time

How Tukwini Mandela is spreading her grandfather’s legacy one bottle of wine at a time | SUCCESS

The Perfect Wine Pairing: House of Mandela and Entrepreneurship

The Perfect Wine Pairing: House of Mandela and Entrepreneurship | SUCCESS

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<div>
“Optimism is vital when aiming for success in all stages of our life!”
</div>

That’s just one of the takeaways Sterling High School student Brynn Abernathy took from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979034159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0979034159&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=NK7AGTRJ6TCQGJZZ">SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk About Using the Slight Edge.</a> You could say another takeaway from reading the book was an iPad Air. That’s what the freshman won in the fourth annual essay contest held by <a href="https://www.farmersunioninsurance.com/rajackson" target="_blank">Jackson Insurance Agency</a> in Sterling, Colo.

Says owner Rick Jackson: “SUCCESS for Teens is such powerful material for our young people at a very impressionable time in their lives, and we are proud to be a part of that.”

The first time we wrote about Jackson, he was persuading more schools to take part in the program, and today—with help from the SUCCESS Foundation—he is reaching more students than ever. (The foundation donates hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth-development programs; <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us/mission-and-vision.html" target="_blank" title="About | SUCCESSFoundation.org">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a> offers free downloads of the book and facilitator’s guide to everyone.) “We continue to coordinate with school counselors and work to put materials in more of the outlying schools,” Jackson says.

His agency distributes SUCCESS for Teens, the keystone of the SUCCESS for Teens personal-development curriculum, to five area schools and asks students to read it and submit essays about what they learned. Three finalists were chosen from among 350 submissions, and Abernathy’s composition took the top prize.

In her essay, Abernathy discussed key points that hit home for her, such as “simple decisions can alter our future for the better in huge ways” and “the attitude you have going into a situation will strongly affect the outcome of that situation. [The book gives] you directions that will help you live your dreams and obtain any amount of success you wish to reach. I will continue to follow the advice within the book in order to push myself to reach my highest&nbsp;potential.”

Jackson was inspired to start the contest after reading a SUCCESS magazine article about how SUCCESS for Teens had influenced kids around the country. Since then, he and his team have been working to enhance the way the program is implemented.

Jackson is making an extra effort this year to connect with the parents of participating students. “We were surprised to find the parents of the first two iPad winners were not aware of what their kids were participating in until we called with the good news,” he says. “Now we ask that parents sign the Message to Parents page in the preface of the book. It opens one more opportunity for positive communication and parental encouragement.”

For the foreseeable future, Jackson plans to continue the contest and adds that it’s also a boon for his team at work. “Everyone in our office takes part in judging the essays,” he says. “The discussions we have in choosing a winner improve communication and camaraderie within our own team. It’s a win-win!”

<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/how-to-get-more-of-everything-you-want" title="How to Get More of Everything You Want | SUCCESS.com">Success isn't achieved overnight. Or in a week. It's achieved through small daily steps that lead you toward your goal. Start here. </a>

&nbsp;

To request books, learn about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution, visit <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us/mission-and-vision.html" target="_blank" title="About | SUCCESSFoundation.org">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a>. Leaders, participants and donors can request a profile in SUCCESS by emailing <a href="mailto:info@SUCCESSFoundation.org">info@SUCCESSFoundation.org</a>.

&nbsp;

This article appears in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-january-2016-sara-blakely.html" target="_blank">January 2016&nbsp;issue of&nbsp;SUCCESS&nbsp;magazine.</a>

A student’s winning take on ‘SUCCESS for Teens’

A student’s winning take on ‘SUCCESS for Teens’ | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: Eye on the Prize

SUCCESS Foundation: Eye on the Prize | SUCCESS

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What do a mixed martial-arts fighter, a Starbucks CEO and the founder of the Warrior Dash obstacle course race have in common? The power and the platform to change the world. We selected five of this year’s most inspiring (and unlikely) people who share a desire—and a track record—for inspiring the best in others.

<h2>Wendy Kopp</h2>

Never underestimate the potential of a college thesis to change the world. <a href="https://www.teachforamerica.org/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Teach for America</a>, a nonprofit focusing on educational reform, was conceived as a senior thesis by Princeton student Wendy Kopp in 1989. Back then there was a national teacher shortage, academic outcomes for low-income students were not improving, and inequity ran rampant.

“Kopp had a big idea: If our country was going to address this problem, more leaders had to make it their life’s work, and they would need to be grounded in the issues at the classroom level,” according to Teach for America’s website.

“I felt the whole world was open to me because of the privilege of my own education. But I knew that this wasn’t true for everyone,” Kopp said during a commencement address at Boston University in 2013. “That despite our aspiration to be a land of equal opportunity, where children are born in this country still determines the educational opportunities they’ll receive and, as a result, their prospects in life.”

So she began recruiting high-performing, driven college graduates to teach in under-sourced urban and rural schools in the short term—often forgoing large potential salaries in other professions—and to impact education reform in the long term.

Now, 27 years later, that model holds true. In 2015 Kopp’s Teach for America was composed of roughly 8,800 corps members (active teachers) in 52 urban and rural regions nationwide as well as 42,000 alumni at work in various sectors. The organization has experienced sustained growth in applicants, corps members, regions and operating budget.

Although some have criticized the program for requiring recruits to make only a two-year commitment to teaching, research released last year shows that the majority stay in teaching beyond that commitment, often for five years or more.

“Many stay in the classroom. Others leave. Both paths matter because to set things right, we need leaders in all areas of education and social justice united in a vision that one day, all kids will have access to an excellent education,” according to the website.

<h2>Joe Reynolds</h2>

In 2007 then-recent college grad Joe Reynolds founded <a href="https://redfrogevents.com/about-our-company/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Red Frog Events LLC</a> in Chicago to host races throughout the country—events much different than typical 5K races. Complete with cargo nets, fire pits and barbed wire, Red Frog’s events, including its signature Warrior Dash, are designed to make participants conquer obstacles and push their limits in ways they never thought possible.

Since earning $50,000 in revenue that first year, and inspiring an entire industry of Obstacle Course Racing (OCR), Reynolds grew Red Frog to $10 million in revenue in 2010, with millions of participants coming back for more. And it’s easy to see why.

Last August on the Warrior Dash blog, a frequent runner, Brandy, shared her transformational race experience. “It wasn’t until my first Warrior Dash that I remembered how important my health had been to me,” says Brandy, whose weight had climbed to nearly 300 pounds when she was 24 years old. “I&nbsp;remembered that, once upon a time, I enjoyed movement, just for the sake of moving.… I wanted more, and I wanted to get better at it.… Reclaiming an active lifestyle made me happy, and that spilled over to how I interacted with my family.”

This type of experience isn’t uncommon, according to the blog: “Nearly all of us face obstacles with our body image, overall health, family and personal relationships at some point in our lives. Sometimes, however, the biggest obstacle we face is within ourselves. Brandy found a way to overcome her inner obstacles through Warrior Dash.”

As Red Frog CEO and founder, Reynolds has also made strides off the course, implementing an employee-centric culture and the “World’s Best Benefits Package,” according to the company, which includes free health coverage, unlimited vacation days, a paid sabbatical every five years and a birthday massage.

Reynolds is also dedicated to giving back through his events, and Warrior Dash has partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help raise $25 million for a new proton therapy center in Memphis. This past fall, at Warrior Dash Tennessee and the culminating Warrior Dash World Championship, the top fundraising team presented St. Jude with the 2015 fundraising check. Since 2013 runners have raised more than $12 million.

“The patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital aren’t fighting imaginary monsters. They’re fighting for their lives,” says the Warrior Dash website. “Let’s send these kids back to the playground. It’s time to get dirty.”

<h2>Ronda Rousey</h2>

The star of this mixed martial-arts fighter continued its rise in 2015. Formerly undefeated in MMA, Ronda Rousey, 28, is the first UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and the last Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion. In 2008 the California native became the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Her 2015 accolades include being voted the Best Female Athlete Ever in an ESPN poll and topping Business Insider’s list of the 50 “Most Dominant Athletes Alive.” Rousey even crossed over to the big screen in 2015 with appearances in Entourage and Furious 7, and she’s reported to be playing herself soon in a movie based on her 2015 autobiography, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1941393268/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1941393268&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=WPH7IE4NTQN6CGVI" rel="nofollow">My Fight Your Fight</a>.

Beyond her athletic prowess—which is inspiring on its own—Rousey is outspoken and unapologetic about several issues near to her heart. She has gained tons of attention outside of the sports realm thanks to her personal slogan, “Don’t Be a DNB.”

“I have this one term for the kind of woman my mother raised me to not be, and I call it a do nothing b****. A DNB. The kind of chick that just tries to be pretty and be taken care of by someone else,” she says on her website.

Instead, Rousey calls for women to become independent, contributing members of society.

A former bulimic, she speaks openly about her struggles with the eating disorder and encourages women to fight societal pressures and develop a positive body image. “Women are constantly being made to feel the need to conform to an almost unattainable standard of what’s considered attractive so they can support a multitude of industries buying [stuff] in the pursuit of reaching this standard,” she recently said in a Reddit Ask Me Anything session.

Because of her history with eating disorders—and the fact that her father committed suicide when Rousey was 8—she partnered with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services in Southern California in 2014 to raise money and awareness for mental health, using the #EraseTheStigma hashtag on social media. (Funds from her popular “Don’t Be a DNB” T-shirts also benefited the nonprofit.) The organization gave her an award for her efforts.

The fighter is also a proponent of apraxia awareness, as Rousey struggled with the speech disorder as a child due to birth complications.

<h2>Howard Schultz</h2>

In April, Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz announced that the company’s College Achievement Plan, which first launched in 2014, would begin offering 100 percent tuition coverage for Starbucks employees in the United States in partnership with Arizona State University. Previously only available to juniors and seniors, the change will offer the opportunity to enroll in a four-year bachelor’s degree via <a href="https://asuonline.asu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ASU’s online degree program</a> to all eligible part-time and full-time staffers. Starbucks will provide tuition reimbursement at the end of each semester.

“Everyone deserves a chance at the American dream,” Schultz said in a news release. “The unfortunate reality is that too many Americans can no longer afford a college degree, particularly disadvantaged young people, and others are saddled with burdensome education debt.

At the time of the announcement, almost 2,000 staffers had signed up for the plan, which offers participants their choice of 49 undergraduate degree programs via the top-ranked online program. Starbucks hopes to see at least 25,000 employees graduate by 2025, investing up to $250 million or more.

“By giving our partners access to four years of full tuition coverage, we will provide them a critical tool for lifelong opportunity,” Schultz said. “We’re stronger as a nation when everyone is afforded a pathway to success.”

Plus, Starbucks and ASU have promised to steer staffers on their educational journey by providing students with individualized guidance in the form of enrollment counselors, financial-aid advisers, academic advisers and success coaches.

“Partnerships like this one show how innovative strategies can expand access to college for thousands of students,” Arne Duncan, then U.S. Secretary of Education, said in the release. “I hope more institutions and companies will take their lead to collaborate on ways we can all do more to make higher education more attainable and affordable.”

<h2>Malala Yousafzai</h2>

Named one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” by Time in 2013, 2014 and 2015, Malala Yousafzai became an inspiration for women—especially girls—around the world by the ripe old age of 11.

Born in Mingora, Pakistan, and raised by a family that owns schools, Yousafzai grew up believing in the right to education for all people, despite Taliban efforts to keep women out of schools. At age 11, she began advocating her viewpoint, gaining attention through her blog for the BBC and a New York Times documentary about her daily life.

Then, while boarding a school bus in October 2012, Taliban gunmen shot Yousafzai three times at close range, one bullet skimming her forehead. Initially in critical condition, the courageous girl persevered, recovering in England amid a flood of global support.

She was soon back on her feet, traveling the globe to receive accolades, including Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize, and using the international spotlight to continue delivering her message. Yousafzai even inspired a United Nations petition that helped ratify Pakistan’s first Right to Education Bill.

“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world,” she said during a speech at the U.N. Youth Assembly nine months after the assassination attempt.

In 2014, at age 17, Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize for her “struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.” She became the youngest-ever Nobel Prize&nbsp;laureate.

Her work continues to this day. Last July, on her 18th birthday, Yousafzai opened a school for young female Syrian refugees in Lebanon, funded by her Malala Fund nonprofit. Also last year, Yousafzai won a Grammy for the audio version of the children’s edition of her memoir, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316322407/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0316322407&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=T5UCYPKLQK5JP3JO" rel="nofollow">I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban</a><img alt="" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=sm0fe-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0316322407" style="border:none !important; height:1px; margin:0px !important; width:1px" /> ; had an asteroid named in her honor; and saw the release of the documentary He Named Me Malala.

<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/the-success-25-2015s-personal-development-leaders" title="The SUCCESS 25: 2015's Personal Development Leaders | SUCCESS.com">See who’s who in personal development in the SUCCESS 25—2015’s most influential leaders in the field.</a>

&nbsp;

This article appears in the <a href="https://store.successcom.wpenginepowered.com/by-media/magazines/success-magazine-january-2016-sara-blakely.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">January 2016&nbsp;issue of&nbsp;SUCCESS&nbsp;magazine.</a>

How these unlikely personal-development leaders are inspiring the best in others

How these unlikely personal-development leaders are inspiring the best in others | SUCCESS

5 of the Most Influential People You Should Know

5 of the Most Influential People You Should Know | SUCCESS

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Presenting 2015's most influential leaders in self-improvement

Presenting 2015's most influential leaders in self-improvement | SUCCESS

The SUCCESS 25: 2015's Personal Development Leaders

The SUCCESS 25: 2015&#8217;s Personal Development Leaders

The SUCCESS 25: 2015's Personal Development Leaders | SUCCESS

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In 2012 when SUCCESS first reported on Tammy Oehlke, a career preparation teacher-coordinator at Naaman Forest High School in Garland, Texas, she sang the praises of SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk about Using the Slight Edge. She talked about using the book, which is the heart of the SUCCESS for Teens personal-development curriculum, in her career preparation classes and of her desire to become “almost a motivational speaker for teens” based on the book’s lessons.

Today Oehlke has made strides toward that goal, incorporating SUCCESS for Teens as one of the key resources in her new teen-leadership elective class. “The book is great in teaching about decision-making and positive attitudes. All of these points are important for all leaders.”

Oehlke, who has taught for 21 years, estimates that she has introduced about 500 students to the book since she began using it six years ago, and she never tires of the way teens respond to it. (The SUCCESS Foundation funds the program, donating hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth-development programs. SUCCESSFoundation.org offers free downloads of the book and facilitator’s guide to everyone.)

“It’s interesting to see the reactions of students as we read the book and complete the various lessons. They get it and understand that confidence and not giving up are so important.”

Oehlke recalls a female senior who confessed she lacked motivation because her parents never helped her or supported her in her pursuits. “She told me, ‘After reading SUCCESS for Teens, I realize that if I don’t give up but do have a positive attitude, I will get where I&nbsp;want to go in life,’ ” Oehlke says. (Chapter 2, “Attitude Is Everything,” is consistently one of her students’ favorite parts of the book.)

To hear that parents show apathy toward their kids “breaks my heart,” Oehlke says. “So many parents today do not know how or possibly do not take the time to guide their children in the direction for success. Some parents leave it up to the teachers and school to do that.”

And Oehlke helps bridge that void with SUCCESS for Teens, which she also finds to be personally rewarding. One lesson especially speaks to her.

“My biggest point from the book is that small choices you make every day have a huge impact on your life,” the teacher says. “Make wise choices! It’s a must for today’s kids to understand that they have to take responsibility for their direction in life once they reach the upper grades in high school.”

&nbsp;

<div>Visit <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us.html" target="_blank" title="AboutUs | SUCCESSFoundation.org">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a> to request books, learn more about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution. You can also tell us about your program at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:info@SUCCESSFoundation.org">info@SUCCESSFoundation.org</a>.</div>

<div>&nbsp;</div>

<div>
This article appears in the December 2015 issue of&nbsp;SUCCESS&nbsp;magazine. 
</div>

A Texas teacher motivates high school students with 'SUCCESS for Teens.'

A Texas teacher motivates high school students with 'SUCCESS for Teens.' | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: Leaders in Training

SUCCESS Foundation: Leaders in Training | SUCCESS

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Success

Success Archives

Success | SUCCESS | What Achievers Read

<div>
This summer, thanks to <a href="https://www.franchiselawsolutions.com/about-us.html" target="_blank" title="About Internicola Law Firm | FranchiseLawSolutions.com" rel="noopener">The Internicola Law Firm</a>, a 16-year-old girl from the Bronx won a $500 scholarship. And thanks to the SUCCESS Foundation, she also took home powerful lessons about direction and accountability in her life.
</div>

<div>
Mbalu Fofana won the firm’s inaugural <a href="https://www.franchiselawsolutions.com/franchisee-university/young-entrepreneur-scholarship.html" target="_blank" title="Franchisee University Young Entrepreneur Scholarship | FranchiseLawSolutions.com" rel="noopener">Franchisee University Young Entrepreneur Scholarship</a> in a competition that required high school students in the New York metro area to write essays about entrepreneurship and their futures. The contest had no GPA requirements but stated that each student must plan on attending college upon graduation or plan on establishing his or her own business.

The firm sent free copies of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0979034159/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0979034159&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=NK7AGTRJ6TCQGJZZ">SUCCESS for Teens: Real Teens Talk About Using the Slight Edge</a> to interested candidates so they could incorporate thoughts on the book into their essays if they wished. The book is the core of the SUCCESS for Teens personal development curriculum. (The SUCCESS Foundation donates hard copies of the book to qualifying public schools, churches and nonprofit youth-development programs; <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us/mission-and-vision.html" target="_blank" title="About | SUCCESSFoundation.org" rel="noopener">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a> offers free downloads of the book and facilitator’s guide to everyone.)

Charles Internicola, a national business and franchise lawyer and managing partner of the law firm based in Staten Island, N.Y., says his team created the scholarship to build awareness about entrepreneurship in the community.

“Entrepreneurs are the backbone of our nation,” Internicola says. “They&nbsp;take risks, overcome obstacles and create valuable businesses that serve and benefit themselves, their employees and their communities. Our nation requires a strong and ever-growing base of future entrepreneurs. So we thought that the scholarship would be our own small step in contributing to the awareness required in our younger generation.”

Internicola decided to include SUCCESS for Teens in the contest because he had previously purchased it for his two sons. “The book is an excellent resource and tool for exposing young men and women to success principles that will not only relate to business achievements but also to a balanced and meaningful life,” he says. “Life is all about accountability, taking action and adopting the right mindset, and SUCCESS for Teens does a great job of communicating these points.”

And what exactly did the book communicate to prizewinner Fofana?

“I am in control of my fate,” she wrote in her essay after reading SUCCESS for Teens. “Though I am young, every action I take can either make or break me, so that all depends on how determined I am.”

In the future, Internicola hopes to expand the scholarship contest beyond New York: “Our goal is to reach students nationwide [to build] a growing base of young men and women who, at the very earliest stages, learn that their lives are a product of their choices and that there are really no limits to what they can achieve.”

<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/rohn-read-all-the-books-to-rise-above-the-ordinary" target="_self" title="Rohn: Read All the Books to Rise Above the Ordinary | SUCCESS.com" rel="noopener">We must not permit anything to stand between us and the book that could change our lives, according to Jim Rohn. See how reading books will help you rise above the ordinary. </a>

&nbsp;

To request books, learn about the program, share your story about it or make a contribution, visit <a href="https://successfoundation.org/about-us/mission-and-vision.html" target="_blank" title="About | SUCCESSFoundation.org" rel="noopener">SUCCESSFoundation.org</a>. Leaders, participants and donors can request a profile in SUCCESS by emailing <a href="mailto:info@SUCCESSFoundation.org">info@SUCCESSFoundation.org</a>.
</div>

[node:summary] - A law firm uses 'SUCCESS for Teens' to promote entrepreneurship.

This summer, thanks to The Internicola Law Firm, a 16-year-old girl from the Bronx won a $500 scholarship. And thanks to the SUCCESS Foundation, she also | SUCCESS

SUCCESS Foundation: Winning Words

SUCCESS Foundation: Winning Words | SUCCESS

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They say necessity is the mother of invention. For Angelia “Angel” Trinidad, it was more like a dire need. When she graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in art, she didn’t know what to do. She felt lost and directionless—and she knew she wasn’t the only one.“Analysis paralysis,” she says. “That was the feeling that spiraled me into a strange, post-grad depression and the problem that I wanted to help people overcome.”So she created <a href="https://www.passionplanner.com/" target="_blank" title="PassionPlanner.com">Passion Planner</a>, an all-in-one weekly appointment calendar, journal, goal-setting guide, to-do list and gratitude log integrated in one planner.“I decided&nbsp;to make a tool that helped people&nbsp;clearly define their personal goals and dreams and put them at the forefront of their attention, and a planner&nbsp;was perfect for this,” she says.To raise funds for the project—and to turn a sketch in her notebook into an actual sellable product—Trinidad launched a Kickstarter campaign.“In just 23 days, more than 1,000 people from over 40 countries contributed $48,030 to turn my dream into a reality,” she writes about the campaign for Passion Planner 2014. It quickly became the No. 2 best-rated planner on Amazon.com. And the second campaign for the 2015 edition? It raised more than $650,000 from nearly 24,000 backers.“I think this planner is needed because a lot of planners in the market help you keep track of the things you need to get done, but none of them ask you why you are doing those things,” she says.Trinidad admires the time-management advice Tim Ferris dishes out in The 4-Hour Workweek. He stresses the importance of the 80/20 principle—that 80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of your efforts, so you’ve got to prioritize the highest impact tasks.Passion Planner does that. It makes you ask yourself, Is what I am going to do today going to get me closer to my goals? It teaches the value of time and how to say no to commitments that aren’t going to benefit you the most.“Passion Planner asks you what your long-term and short-term goals are and which goal is going to have the most positive impact on your life,” she says, adding that it then breaks down the goals into actionable steps within specific time frames. “Each day has 30-minute increments where you ask yourself, What is going to have the most impact?”In the future, Trinidad hopes to release limited edition Passion Planners designed by artists, to establish a get-one-give-one program for the planners and to build a strong Passion Planner community full of people with a fresh new lease on time management.“It’s simple,” she writes. “You ask yourself: Is what I am going to do today going to get me closer to my goals? Yes? Do it. No? Don’t do it.”<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/the-get-it-together-guide-for-figuring-out-what-to-do-with-your-life" target="_self" title="‘The Get-It-Together Guide for Figuring Out What to Do with Your Life’ | SUCCESS.com">What are you doing with your life? Check out the “get-it-together guide” to figure out how you can create a satisfying career centered on your passions.</a>

They say necessity is the mother of invention. For Angelia “Angel” Trinidad, it was more like a dire need. When she graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s

They say necessity is the mother of invention. For Angelia “Angel” Trinidad, it was more like a dire need. When she graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s | SUCCESS

The Life Coach That Fits in Your Bag

The Life Coach That Fits in Your Bag | SUCCESS

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Twenty years ago, you would’ve talked to family, friends or colleagues about two job offers that you were weighing before making a decision. Today you can ask the Internet.Last month a young engineer comparing offers from tech companies Zenefits and Uber did just that: he anonymously posted to Quora, a question-and-answer website, discussing the pros and cons of each company.“Zenefits cons: It isn’t a buzzword like Uber. Most people won’t know what Zenefits is (or so I think). I think that isn’t as exciting a brand name to have on your resume when applying to the likes of Google,” he wrote in his lengthy post.The job applicant received dozens of answers in response—among them, one very surprising response from Zenefits co-founder and CEO Parker Conrad.“Definitely not Zenefits,” he said bluntly.He outlined Zenefits’ company values and the type of people they want as team members. Although Conrad went on to edit his post, he rescinded the job offer, partially because he didn’t appreciate the public manner in which the young man handled the situation. <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-way-to-start-my-career-Uber-or-Zenefits" target="_blank" title="What Is the Best Way to Start My Career? | Quora.com">(Read the original Quora post here.)</a>As the anecdote has circulated Silicon Valley and tech media, industry experts have been divided. Did the job applicant commit a major no-no or was he simply utilizing the resources at his disposal? Did Conrad make an emotional, knee-jerk reaction or was he in the right for defending his company so outspokenly?Joan Snyder Kuhl, founder of <a href="https://whymillennialsmatter.com/" target="_blank" title="WhyMillennialsMatter.com">Why Millennials Matter</a> and co-author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118979591/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1118979591&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=WQA4AOIHS2R4P6V3">Peter Drucker's Five Most Important Questions: Enduring Wisdom for Today's Leaders</a>, says that this tendency to overshare has been encouraged in millennials since childhood.“They grew up in a #nofilter environment where they were often encouraged at school and by their peers to share their opinions, feelings, experiences and musings with the world,” she says.In a study she conducted with Cosmopolitan magazine, it was discovered that seven in 10 millennials say it’s their responsibility to share feedback with brands and companies, whether it’s a good or bad experience. In India and China, 90 percent of millennials feel it is their responsibility to share feedback.“Their motivation can oftentimes be purely out of altruistic intentions of sharing their experiences or making a difference by offering up their ideas,” Kuhl says.According to Matt Britton—CEO of MRY, a marketing and social media agency; and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QQMWFZE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B00QQMWFZE&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sm0fe-20&amp;linkId=4U2SMAZUUIVPBWLL">YouthNation: Building Remarkable Brands in a Youth-Driven Culture</a>—millennials often feel remiss not sharing their personal experiences online.“They have grown up believing that one will be conspicuous in the absence of transparency,” he says. “For many, if it isn’t shared, it never happened, and every meaningful life event presents a <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/blog/dont-be-a-wallflower-3-ways-to-heat-up-your-personal-brand" target="_blank" title="Don’t Be a Wallflower: 3 Ways to Heat Up Your Personal Brand | SUCCESS.com">personal brand-building</a> opportunity—job offers included.”It’s clear there are both pros and cons to this level of transparency.Kuhl, the Why Millennials Matter founder, says the young engineer was right to compare his opportunities side by side, but she recommends that young job seekers review such choices with a trusted mentor or advisor instead.“It’s far more helpful to discuss your future and work through your questions and anticipation with someone who knows you well and respects your personal values,” she says.Britton doesn’t see a problem with turning to online communities for advice, but “applying a healthy dose of discretion is always the prudent path during the sensitive <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/5-ways-to-organize-your-job-search" target="_blank" title="5 Ways to Organize Your Job Search | SUCCESS.com">job-seeking process</a>,” he says.As evidenced by the fact that some viewed Conrad’s response as an unprofessional “tantrum,” this tale of transparency has lessons for today’s leaders as well.“The Zenefits CEO reacted quite hastily,” Britton says. “It’s always best to let some time pass before responding in an emotional state. The questions raised by the candidate were honest, if not to a fault, but weren’t disparaging to either Uber or Zenefits. This response did not cast Zenefits, a company that prides itself on its culture, in the most positive light.”Kuhl agrees, warning leaders: “Beware of the opportunities and pitfalls of showcasing your brand in today’s highly visible landscape. You can’t predict the reaction to sharing personal information so publicly.”<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/8-reasons-why-you-didnt-get-the-job" target="_self" title="8 Reasons Why You Didn't Get the Job | SUCCESS.com">Job interview fail? Find out 8 reasons why you didn’t get the job.</a>

Twenty years ago, you would’ve talked to family, friends or colleagues about two job offers that you were weighing before making a decision. Today you can

Twenty years ago, you would’ve talked to family, friends or colleagues about two job offers that you were weighing before making a decision. Today you can | SUCCESS

How to Lose a Job Offer in One Fell Swoop

How to Lose a Job Offer in One Fell Swoop | SUCCESS

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May 4 never really held much significance in the annals of history. That is, until 1979, when a clever wordsmith first gave a knowing nod to the Star Wars salutation, &ldquo;May the Force Be with You.&rdquo; Now, 36 years later, the crafty play on words has evolved into the grassroots holiday, Star Wars Day.To celebrate, we offer up these pearls of wisdom from the epic to help you harness the Force and guide you in your daily self-development&mdash;unless you just want to spend the day quoting your favorite Star Wars lines, which is cool, too&hellip;First a little prequel backstory, according to author Alan Arnold, who chronicled the making of The Empire Strikes Back for Lucasfilm. After Britain&rsquo;s first female prime minister Margaret Thatcher had won election that day, May 4, her political party placed a half page ad in the London Evening News that read, &ldquo;May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.&rdquo;Once the Internet began connecting fans across the globe, the clever pun began to gather momentum as a diehard&rsquo;s underground anthem. The first official celebration of Star Wars Day didn&rsquo;t take place until 2011, when Canadian fans held a slew of festivities to commemorate the day. Nerds worldwide followed suit, and a bona fide holiday was born.Here are 5 jedi mind tricks, okay, lessons you can share this Star Wars Day.1. Don&rsquo;t give in to negativity.Yoda issued this stern warning to Anakin Skywalker, who lost his mother to a tribe of savages and feared losing his wife, Padme, and unborn twins from an early death as predicted in his visions: &ldquo;Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.&rdquo;But that&rsquo;s exactly what happened: Anakin&rsquo;s constant fear of not wanting to live without her manifested more negative emotions&mdash;paranoia, jealousy, wrath&mdash;which lead to a craving for power, and ultimately her death at his hands.Take Yoda&rsquo;s words to heart and note whether your own negative thoughts and emotions have spiraled out of your control. Practice techniques to stop them&mdash;meditation, taking a timeout, mentally listing all the positive things in your life&mdash;before negativity gets the better of you.2. &ldquo;Do. Or do not. There is no try.&rdquo;The moral of this oft-quoted line, which Yoda tells a young Luke Skywalker while training him in the ways of the Force, is to approach any challenge with the mindset that you will succeed&mdash;not merely try.Go into challenges with confidence and positivity by visualizing your achievement before attempting it. With confidence, you&rsquo;re more likely to accomplish great feats, whether nailing that new job or levitating your space craft from the swamp of Dagobah. Try some visualization techniques and power poses before your next challenge.3. Don&rsquo;t judge a book by its cover.That person could be a key individual in your life. Take the case of Princess Leia Organa and smuggler Han Solo. She initially wrote him off as a ruffian at best, a criminal at worst. But Solo didn&rsquo;t let that flag his interest.Through their adventures, he proves to be loyal, brave, sensitive and charming, and he won her heart. They wind up getting married and having kids ... providing us with more characters for the upcoming Disney-produced sequels (whether or not that&rsquo;s a good thing is your call).When you meet people, consciously avoid making snap judgments based on their appearance. It&rsquo;s human nature and sometimes gut instinct (the force, if you will) to make quick assessments of people based on the information at hand. But don&rsquo;t stop at your first judgment. Keep gathering more information about individuals and let your opinion of them form as you truly get to know them.4. &ldquo;Let go your conscious self and act on instinct.&rdquo;Cosmic cool-cat Obi Wan Kenobi tried to teach Luke Skywalker this. To demonstrate, Skywalker practices combat drills with a flying remote robot and his lightsaber&mdash;first using plain sight and then by channeling the Force while blindfolded.When Skywalker does better the second time, Kenobi explains: &ldquo;Your eyes can deceive you. Don&rsquo;t trust them.&rdquo;Sometimes we have to abandon the mental back-and-forth that emerges when appearances don&rsquo;t jibe with your instinct. When your inner voice is louder than the outside voices trying to influence you, just go with your gut.5. Don&rsquo;t let your size stop you from doing great things.Even as a kid, Anakin Skywalker was full of moxie (blame it on the Midichlorians) and didn&rsquo;t shy away from competing with a motley crew of aliens in a dangerous pod race to help his friends.Nearly everyone doubted him, but his perseverance, agility and natural control of the Force help him win the race and his freedom&mdash;while others wound up Bantha fodder on the side of the road. Adopt this mindset in your life, whether you are diminutive in stature or in corporate status. It&rsquo;ll take you a long way.&nbsp;We know the Force is strong with you. What lessons do you take away and what would you debate? Share and comment below.

5 personal development lessons from May 4, Star Wars Day

May 4 never really held much significance in the annals of history. That is, until 1979, when a clever wordsmith first gave a knowing nod to the Star Wars | SUCCESS

5 Jedi Mind Tricks to Practice This Star Wars Day

5 Jedi Mind Tricks to Practice This Star Wars Day | SUCCESS

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A man&rsquo;s home is his castle&mdash;even when that home measures a scant 1,000 square feet and houses six people. Just ask interior designer Jennifer Adams, CEO of <a href="https://www.jenniferadams.com/about/" target="_blank" title="About | JenniferAdams.com">Jennifer Adams Worldwide</a>, who grew up in that most humble abode in small-town Oregon with three siblings and two parents.&ldquo;Even though our house was small, it was a place I was proud to call home because of the hard work and creativity we put into it,&rdquo; Adams says about the DIY projects her family would tackle, like building furniture from scratch&mdash;out of necessity more than hobby&mdash;and redecorating to maximize their tiny space.&ldquo;Back then I didn&rsquo;t realize that was design; I was just making my room more interesting and more comfortable. I think that part of my childhood instilled in me a love for design.&rdquo;Since then Adams has leveraged that DIY ethos and eye for design into an award-winning, multimillion-dollar empire that includes her own household product line, <a href="https://www.jenniferadamshome.com/aboutus.asp" target="_blank" title="About Jennifer Adams Home | JenniferAdamsHome.com">Jennifer Adams Home</a>, sold at Costco; roles on HGTV&rsquo;s My First Place and Hallmark&rsquo;s The Better Show; and a syndicated newspaper column, considered by some as &ldquo;Dear Abby Meets Martha Stewart.&rdquo;Despite this soaring success, the 40-year-old holds firm to the lessons she learned in her formative years. &ldquo;Growing up, even though we didn&rsquo;t really have a lot, I never knew any different,&rdquo; Adams says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just the way it was. I saw how hard my mom strived to make our home a comfortable and welcoming place, and that inspired me.&rdquo;Adams and her sister started a house-cleaning service as teenagers, advertising their business around town via homemade flyers. She picked strawberries and worked retail jobs to help the family make ends meet.&ldquo;It might not be a traditional adolescence, but it gave me a work ethic which I really believe helped make me who I am today,&rdquo; she says.Living in such tight quarters also taught Adams to be resourceful, she says: &ldquo;My parents worked so hard to provide for us four kids that it made me realize that anything is possible with <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/john-c-maxwell-instead-of-complaining-remember-these-10-things" target="_blank" title="John C. Maxwell: Instead of Complaining, Remember These 10 Things | SUCCESS.com">the right attitude</a>. We really had to work for what we had&mdash;and that felt normal to us.&rdquo;And that resourcefulness extended to her bedroom, she says. &ldquo;My room was my own space, and I would constantly move the furniture around, paint the walls different colors, and at one point I even dyed my carpet navy blue! I learned how to be creative and innovative in order to make my space a place I enjoy, and that&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve taken with me to this day.&rdquo;Eventually that passion for design became a viable career option for Adams when she spied an interior design school advertisement and decided to apply. She was accepted, and the rest, as they say, is history. Now, through her charitable work with Self Enhancement Inc. in Portland, Adams hopes to inspire younger generations to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/john-c-maxwell-5-reasons-why-dreams-dont-take-flight" target="_blank" title="John C. Maxwell: 5 Reasons Why Dreams Don't Take Flight | SUCCESS.com">chase their dreams</a>, even despite humble beginnings like her own.&ldquo;You have to put yourself out there and dream big,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;If you have your heart set on something, work hard, learn, be patient and strive to be better, dreams really do come true.&rdquo;<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/article/john-c-maxwell-instead-of-complaining-remember-these-10-things" target="_self" title="John C. Maxwell: Instead of Complaining, Remember These 10 Things | SUCCESS.com">A faint but discernible dividing line separates achievers from dreamers. What makes the difference? Attitude. So, instead of complaining, remember 10 things.</a>

[node:summary] - The rising founder and CEO credits her trajectory to a hardscrabble childhood and the lessons that came with it.

A man&rsquo;s home is his castle&mdash;even when that home measures a scant 1,000 square feet and houses six people. Just ask interior designer Jennifer | SUCCESS

How Jennifer Adams Went from Housekeeper to Home Design Maven

How Jennifer Adams Went from Housekeeper to Home Design Maven | SUCCESS

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