One of the biggest things that I've learned through my self-education is that of personal responsibility. 

Unfortunately, I think a lot of people fail to succeed in life because of not taking responsibility for one's actions. When you don't think you are the one in control of your life, you leave it up to chance. I love the metaphor of a ship going through the ocean; if we are not the ones at the helm, the ship may drift.

As a teenager, I know that I am not in complete control of my life as I still live under my parent's roof. But that does not stop me from being pro-active and taking steps to be responsible for the good and bad things in my life. You may not be able to work or provide a living for the rest of the household, so you have to rely on them for your wellbeing. Take a step forward, take full responsibility for the things you do have control of, and realize that you are the captain of your ship, not those around you. 

Key takeaways:

1) People fail because they don't take personal responsibility

2) If you don't take the helm, your ship will drift

3) Even in situations where you don't have complete control, you are still the captain. 

In the book "Thou Shall Prosper," Rabbi Daniel Lapin talks about forming friendships by creating ongoing obligations.

He says in Judaism, that 'friend' means indebtedness. Accepting gifts creates vulnerability; we are saying that the gift was something that we are better off with. You're admitting that you had a need when you say thank you. You're putting yourself in debt to them for receiving that gift. It puts you in a mind of wanting to repay it with a similar good deed. Creating this regularly sustains and nurtures a good friendship. 

Learning how to accept a gift is a skill to be learned. I've seen this many times in my own life where a compliment gets deflected, and I can unconsciously hear the receiver insulting the one giving the compliment by saying they don't know what they're talking about. 

Receiving a gift or service must be done with open arms, not shying away from what is given. When you fully receive a gift, you give honor to the one giving it and show that you are indebted to them. Saying that you are better off for what they did for you. 

Key takeaways:

1) Friendship & 'thank you' means indebtedness

2) Good friendships are built on a constant cycle of obligations

3) Learn how to receive a gift openly, not downplaying it

I'm reading through the book "Thou Shall Prosper" by Rabbi Daniel Lapin, talking about why Jews are so good at making money.

The foundation for this book is on service. Serving others, and through doing so is the free exchange of goods. 

He outlines how making meaningful relationships with others is one of the most important things you can do. Not only to build wealth but to have a more fulfilled life. You increase your wealth and the likelihood of being in the right place at the right time by forming deep relationships with many people. Expanding your network of who you know will open doors for you to serve others and know who to go for assistance. 

Friendships lead to wealth, not the other way around. You can't create relationships when you think the iron is hot or trying to get something out of it. People know when they are being manipulated. You have to go out and form those relationships with pure intention. This is why you hear a lot of huge business connections being made on the golf course. They aren't there to get a deal, they are there for the sport of playing golf, and because they are focused on playing the game, not the other person, they bond more quickly.

Key Takeaways:

1) Friendships lead to wealth

2) Having meaningful relationships will increase your chances of being in the right place at the right time

3) People know when they are being manipulated, you can't fake a relationship

4) Focus on another aspect, and get to know someone through a mutual interest

I just started reading a new book by Rabbi Daniel Lappin entitled "Thou Shall Prosper," a book about ten primary Jewish principles behind business and money-making.

Daniel Lapin calls these 10 principles the 10 commandments of business, modeling the commandments given us by God in the old testament. 

The first of these principles is that of believing in the dignity and morality of business. Our culture looks down upon business and making money in general. That leads into our lives, and whether we agree with it or not, it affects how we see business and building wealth. So the first step in becoming more prosperous is believing that business and making money is not only moral but a dignified thing. 

Typically, when we make money, we provide a service and free trade agreement with another person. Only in the scarce scenarios are we cheating or stealing goods from another being. The amount to which we profit is directly correlated with the level of service we provided. This puts a completely different spin on making money as the more you make, the more you give value and serve other people. 

The interesting thing is, if we try to build a business on stealing from our customers, it can't last for very long. Let's say you open a cleaning business, and you get paid upfront to clean someone's house, but you decide to run off with the money. How many times can you go back to that person to get paid again to clean? How often will they recommend you to other people? Word travels pretty fast, and it doesn't take long to build up a reputation for being dishonest. 

Key takeaways:

1) Making money is moral and good

2) The creation of wealth is through the trade of goods and services 

3) How much you get paid is directly related to the level of service you provide

4) Cheating doesn't last

I'm currently on a lifelong journey to enjoy every moment given me, to be fully present. 

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks talks a lot about how your mind is really your greatest enemy, but one that can be overcome. Reading through this book has given me a new sense of motivation and excitement to make mental changes for things that happen in my life, realizing that they can be changed and formed to how I want them to. 

He talks a lot about the "Upper Limit Belief" idea and how when we get something good, our minds try to find fault with it or go to a place that undermines our contentment. Reading about this has really opened my eyes to why I've been failing to be fully present and enjoying moments in my life. 

Often, I will get off work feeling content and satisfied, only to be in a quiet and low mood when I return home. This is the upper limit belief in action, and my brain is telling me that I can't have complete satisfaction, and my mind goes to things that could be stressful. But now that I am aware of these ideas, I'm finding it easier to take a higher look at it all and realize that I can have satisfaction and deep enjoyment in struggles and blessings. 

Gay Hendricks also talks a lot about how we perceive ourselves as inherently flawed, and that's just a fiction we put in our heads. I'm afraid I have to disagree with this. As a Christian, we are all born in sin and are conscious of this on some level. I think it's very dangerous if we start telling ourselves it's just fiction and something we can forget about. 

Key takeaways:

1) Your mind is your biggest enemy

2) Our brains sabotage us 

3) Opened my eyes to why I do not feel that satisfaction

4) We are born in sin, not fiction

Another great idea that I got from the book 'The Big Leap' by Gay Hendricks is that of 'Einstein time' where he talks about how time is more of a personal perception than a real thing. 

"An hour with your beloved feels like a minute, and a minute on a hot stove feels like an hour" -Albert Einstein.

If we are forced to sit on a hot surface, our minds are consumed with not being there. We do all that we can to escape, and if forced, then escape must be done mentally. On the reverse side, time spent with a loved one is just the opposite; we want to be present, at the moment in body and mind, to take up as much space as possible, and to feel the deepest connection we can. 

Gay Hendrickson talks about how time is more personal than a fixed thing and says that you are where time comes from. You can make as much of it as you want. On the flip side, Newtonian time is where we perceive what is outside dictates what's inside. When we don't feel rushed or stressed, time seems to be more fluid, and we can enjoy the moment on a deeper level. He talks about learning to enjoy doing the things in your schedule and train yourself to be always present. 

In my personal life, I've been able to actively do this by looking at myself in the third person. Seeing that what I am doing right now doesn't make that huge difference over the long term, so stressing about it isn't really a concern. I've been able to find genuine enjoyment from challenges that would normally frustrate or overwhelm me. 

Key takeaways:

1) Time is what you make of it

2) An hour spent with a loved one vs. an hour spent on a hot stove

3) Separate yourself from the immediate, and find entertainment

I just finished reading the book 'The Big Leap' by Gay Hendrickson, and one of the points he talks about is that of innate specialized talent.

He calls it 'The Zone of Genius' basically, he outlines that we all have some innate ability for a specific area or field that we are specially made for above others. It's also commonly called the 'flow state' where it feels as if time is fluid and passes by without notice. It's a feeling of work not being work but rather play. 

Gay Hendricks outlines that the first step to finding this 'genius' of yours is discovering what it is you enjoy doing. But more specifically, what in your past has left time feeling fluid, and you look up surprised to see how much time has passed. What would you be doing if nothing else was of consequence? You don't need the money; you have infinite time and space to do it in? What area produces the highest amounts of satisfaction and abundance in your life?

I think he really hits the nail on the head with everyone having an innate ability. It doesn't mean we are good at it, but with practice, it can be mastered and done faster than the norm because of the satisfaction it brings. Calling it a 'genius' is quite attention-grabbing, and yet describes it well.

Key takeaways:

1) We all have innate gifts outlined as 'genius.' 

2) Our gifts are something we feel great satisfaction and abundance form doing

3) When we are in our 'genius zone, ' time feels fluid and passes quickly

Often, we get the fear of not wanting to put something out to the public without perfecting it first and being truly proud of what we sent out. 

However, this fear often takes the driver's seat and causes no content to be put out. This is an interesting phenomenon, where we know we aren't good at something without practice and yet won't share something we aren't good at. 

In reality, no one cares one way or another about your content until you're good. This is somewhat comforting as no one will think less of you for sharing it as you don't have interesting enough content to keep someone's attention. But even if they criticize it, you can take comfort knowing that they thought your ideas were important enough to review and spend time crafting a response. So either way, it's a win-win.

So I think, as a teen, this is the perfect opportunity to get all the bad stuff out of the way while we're young, then as we mature and develop, we come out much farther ahead than those who decided to wait before sharing their imperfect content. There is so such thing as perfect out of the gate, so why pretend to be perfect. Go into it knowing that you're going to do a bad job and that the next time around it will be better. 

One quote sums this all up is:

"You can't perfect what doesn't exist."

One of the things that I think contributes a good deal to where I've gotten to today, is that of following up on new connections.

Generally, as a teen, I've found that people don't expect a whole lot from you. Which has its ups and downs. However, I've found one massive thing that sets me aside from a lot of my peers is following up new connections with a thank-you letter. I originally heard this idea from Issac Morehouse of Praxis, as a way of going above and beyond the call to action.

As a teenager, I honestly don't have a lot to offer some of the people I am asking for advice from. And the fact that they are willing to take time out of their day to help me out, shows a lot of how giving they are. So I've found the one thing I can give, and give honest, is that of appreciation. You show yourself to be a person of gratitude and a learning spirit. You also set yourself up for more opportunities to learn by showing appreciation. 

I would even go one step further and describe exactly what you are thankful for. Maybe it's a specific piece of insight you hadn't heard before or a new book recommendation. Even in the cases where they didn't share anything new or particularly helpful, but you still want to show appreciation. You can put it in terms of thanking them for confirming more of the ideas. Showing that you respect them and that their confirmation is something you hold to a high standard and will act upon. 

Key takeaways:

1) As a teen, you don't have that much to offer, so give what you can: appreciation

2) Follow up interactions with a short thank you note

3) You can go the extra mile, and in that note put exactly what you're thankful for and reword what they gave to you

4) If nothing you learned was new, show appreciation for confirming the ideas. This shows them that you respect their opinion.