Don’t let the phrase “fake it” fool you into thinking it isn’t real. You can gain any skill, achieve any level of success, become anyone or anything you mean to be, if you start by believing it first.

Some days you just feel sad, anxious, weary right down into your bones and in your soul. And on those days, it can feel like the only thing you’re capable of is letting it all happen to you. But you can choose. And small choices can lead to big changes.

The interesting thing about your mind is that in just about every respect it is an “environment.” And unlike your external environment, the mind is one you can intentionally shape and care for. You can design your mind.

Time travel. Ok… maybe not time travel. But the next best thing, possibly. Because we have a remarkable super power, in the form of being able to reframe and rewrite our memories and experiences. And if we are who we remember ourselves to be, then we have the power to change at will.

You can either spend your time and energy trying to be all things to all people, trying to be a success in a broad field where the competition is stiff, or you can turn all of that toward the singular goal of becoming the biggest fish in your small pond. Become too big to ignore. Become inevitable.

You’re going to experience pain and suffering and tragedy anyway. Why fight it? Use it instead.

Marketing doesn’t have to be all about business. We end up having to market ourselves to new friends all the time. Marketing is about connecting with people. Let’s look at putting it to work in every aspect of our lives.

The thing you’re reluctant to do is probably the best indication of what you should do next. Every time you embrace discomfort, you’re resetting the bar on your own limitations.

Gratitude is such a simple thing, but it’s way more powerful than you think. If you make the effort to both feel and express genuine gratitude, it changes everything about your life. You come from a place of abundance, you open doors that were closed, you resolve conflicts. Gratitude makes you someone new.

No doubt, time is precious. But if you don’t have the energy to use that time, then it’s worthless. That’s why it’s more important to work out how to manage and increase your energy, so that you can get the most of of all that time.

In 2012 Neil Gaiman gave an address to the graduating class of the University of the Arts. In it he used the metaphor of a mountain to frame his career. I have misinterpreted that metaphor for years. Let’s set the record straight.

One day you’re part of a huge community, pulsing with energy. The next your trying to find a cup of coffee in a place where no one knows you, and no face is familiar. Community evolves, and so do you.

Let’s be honest—you’re not really in control of your life. In fact, there’s really only one thing you ever actually have control over. And the good news is, it’s the key to everything.

Like any blade, your patience will take some wear and tear with use. You’ll get a nick, the edge will go dull. So you’ll have to suffer through the process of sharpening it. And the whetstone is all those niggling little irritations and annoyances in your life.

Rough days happen. Stress is a given. Things can get ugly. But it’s up to us whether we choose to react—let our emotions dictate what comes next—or respond and take whatever measure of control we can over that moment in our lives.