[This is part three of a four part post. Check back here for Parts One and Two, and wait patiently for Part Four of this article!]
As I mentioned in Parts One and Two of this article I asked some of my mentors, friends, and role models to give me their 1-3 sentence responses to the following question in order to kick off my gap year from school:
Knowing what you do now, if you could have taught yourself and/or done one thing at 18 years old to create a better foundation for your future success, what would it have been and why?
Parts One and Two covered advice I received from 25 people I hold in high regards, and so here we will continue with #26.
Lifestyle Design -
26) "What I would tell my younger self is that everything always works out. No matter what decision you make, everything always works out. No matter what direction you take, everything always works out. You may not know it at the time, but each and every time you look back, you will know in your heart that it's true." - Kym McNicholas, Emmy Award-Winning TV Personality and Executive Director, Extreme Tech Challenge
27) "I would have taken a one-year deferral on going to Columbia University, and asked my uncles whether I could go live with them and work in one of their new companies in New York or California. I had extended family doing really interesting things in venture capital and artificial intelligence, but I just never thought about capitalizing on those family connections and learning what I could about business and real life. If I'd have done that, I could have entered college with more maturity, ambition, and perspective." - Dr. Geoffrey Miller, Associate Professor at The University of New Mexico
28) "I would have taken statistics in college, had more sex, and married rich. (In that order.)" - Nancy Lublin, CEO of DoSomething.org
29) "I would tell myself to embrace learning as the gateway to your possibilities. Mindfully pursue all forms of learning - both formal and informal - as a life-long journey and document your insights along the way. Take time to reflect on your life's vision and purpose and pivot and reinvent yourself as needed to realize your aspirations." - Sophie Vlessing, Senior VP of Strategy and Innovation at Kaplan
30) "Base your life on integrity, character and accountability. Your destiny is what YOU make it. Live each day with courage. Take pride in your work. Always finish what you start. Do what has to be done. Be tough when you have to, but be fair. When you make a promise, keep it. Remember that some things aren't for sale. Learn from your mistakes. When you're wrong, admit it and move on." - Frank Shankwitz, Founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and RippleEffect.org
Relationship Building -
31) "The teaching most beautifully taught to me by my friend and mentor Annie Lalla-Pagan is that falling in love and doing whatever it takes to stay there is the surest path to self actualization/enlightenment. If I were to teach my 18 yr old self anything, it would be specifically to take the path of gratitude and intimacy." - Anthony David Adams, Co-Founder of PRMatch.com
32) "Much of my success has been the result of surrounding myself with good people--many of whom I met simply by asking if they'd get a cup of coffee with me. I wish I'd started asking at 18 rather than 22!" - Megan Gebhart, Author of 52 Cups of Coffee
33) "As Charlie 'Tremendous' Jones has shared...'We are the same today as we will be in five years except for the people we meet and the books we read.' Surround yourself with winners and you'll become one too. Place positive and encouraging information in our minds and again, we absorb that wisdom." - Greg S. Reid, NYT Bestselling Author and World-Renowned Speaker
34) "At 55 years of age, having spent most of my working life in the spotlight, whether in front of a camera, on film sets, or on stage, most people find it hard to believe that I was once very shy. It was hard for me to connect with others and it didn't really seem to matter at the time. After I started working as a entrepreneur in my late 30's, I realized just how important the creation of relationships (whether with family, friends or in a working environment) would be. I would let me 18 year old self know just how important healthy, close-knit, and sharing relationships are for your mental and emotional well-being." - Clarissa Burt, Clarissa Burt International
35) "If I could have taught myself one thing at eighteen years old to create a better foundation for my future success, it would have been to put myself out there and make as many connections to people as possible. The more connections and good impressions made, the more job offers and opportunities you receive. I would have also taught myself not to just make these connections, but to attempt to sustain them as well." - Mariah Spears, Top 20 Finalist on So You Think You Can Dance Season 10
[This is part three of a four part post. You can find Parts One and Two, as well as wait for the finale, here.]