During tough times I can always go back to it and find encouragement. The Bible tells us what God says about us. In it, we read about how much he loves us and that he's got a plan and a purpose for our lives.

I'll always use the negativity as more motivation to work even harder and become even stronger.

I'm a people pleaser by nature, and I want to make everybody happy. But at the same time, it's not fulfilling to make everybody happy. What's fulfilling is to stand for something that's right. Now that doesn't mean you're going to be perfect. We're going to fall and we're going to mess up every day, but we can at least try to stand for something. When you stand for something, then you won't fall for everything else around you.

It's OK to be outspoken about your faith.

Don't worry about what you can't control. Our focus and energy needs to be on the things we CAN control. Attitude, effort, focus- these are the things we can control.

I am not better than anyone else just because I play football.

Mom used to quote Isaiah 64: about waiting on the Lord. It doesn't mean being complacent. It means understanding that he has a plan, and that we're not the ones in control. In the meantime, we need to strive to use our gifts and abilities fully.