You only live once, so make the most of it. Don't settle for mediocrity. Identify what you want out of life and work towards it. Open your mind to potential opportunities. Create opportunities for yourself. All of these motivational phrases can be read in self-help books, and some can be found in fortune cookies. They sound great, but aren't much use unless we learn to apply them to our own lives. Unfortunately, life lessons are best learned through individual experience, which can be painful. Little of what you read will affect your outlook on life as much as something that actually happens to you. Read more...