Increasingly, staying in the middle class - let alone aspiring to become middle class - is becoming a game of chance.

It's time to sleep your way to the top.

The only tool we have to fix the problems of this country - the democratic process - is itself broken. Which is why nothing will fundamentally change until we solve the problem of money in politics.

Clearly drive, IQ, and hard work are incredibly important. But ultimately what matters most is resilience--the ability to quickly rebound from failures, indeed to see failure as a stepping stone to success.

Be a go-giver, not a go-getter

The fastest way to break the cycle of perfectionism and become a fearless mother is to give up the idea of doing it perfectly - indeed to embrace uncertainty and imperfection.

Trying to be Supermom is as futile as trying to be Perfect Mom. Not going to happen.