Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.

If your head tells you one thing, and your heart tells you another, before you do anything, you should first decide whether you have a better head or a better heart.

I believe that one becomes stronger emotionally by taking life less personally. If your employer criticizes your report, don't take it personally. Instead, find out what's needed and fix it. If your girlfriend laughs at your tie, don't take it personally. Find another tie or find another girlfriend.

Know the official post office abbreviations for all 50 states without having to consult a list.

Know where to find the sunrise and sunset times and note how the sky looks at those times, at least once.

Common sense comes from experience, and kids need to fail as well as succeed in order to learn it. It's difficult to develop common sense when you spend a lot of time in your room where nothing much happens.

Be able to read blueprints, diagrams, floorplans, and other diagrams used in the construction process.