You are responsible for the quality of your life, the results in your career, and the state of your health. Yes, external things do influence your life, career, and health. But ultimately, you are responsible. You are in control. You are in the driver’s seat of your life. This means you must hold yourself to higher standards if you want to upgrade your life.

If you want to move forward in your life and career, you have to become strict with yourself.

Be tolerant with others, but hold yourself to the highest standards.

Each time, you’ll learn something. Each time, you’ll develop strength, wisdom, and perspective. Each time, a little more of the competition falls away. Until all that is left is you: the best version of you.

Nevertheless, we’ve been conditioned to avoid failure and see mistakes as a bad thing. This has turned most people into being risk-averse.

A more productive way to look at failure is to see it as an essential part of growth. To see mistakes as the fastest way to get better, gain valuable experience, and set yourself up for future success.

The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best self. Other people’s energy is contagious. This can make or break you, so you have to be mindful of who you surround yourself with.

Surround yourself with positive, inspiring, and ambitious people, and you’ll automatically become more positive, inspired, and ambitious.

We become who we surround ourselves with.