Only when you can endure what others cannot, can you then do what people cannot do." - John D. Rockefeller For thousands of years, philosophers have said, “Know yourself.” But it’s not just about recognizing your negative traits; it’s about knowing your potential. Others will treat you the way you think you are. If a person believes they’re inferior, their actions will reflect that belief, proving it true to others. How you think determines how you act, and how you act determines how others see you. If you want to be respected, you must first believe you are worthy of respect. Impulse is your worst enemy. I used to tell myself I was impulsive, and that mindset trapped me. But with practice, I began to flip the script: saying to myself daily "what you don’t do determines what you can do". Also repeating knowledge from the great Warren Buffet, "The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything" My role model, John D. Rockefeller—the world’s first billionaire—was driven by two main goals: to become the richest man in the United States and to live to 100. He became the wealthiest man in the world and lived to 97 without modern medicine, which is incredible considering he died in 1937. His strong will and discipline kept him healthy and alive. Much of my attitude lately has been shaped by the 38 Letters from John D. Rockefeller to his son, and saying to myself "What would Rockefeller do" stops me from wasting time, because I need to win in life. I will gladly sacrifice my comfort in the present moment to gain knowledge that will pay dividends for the rest of your life. Patience doesn’t mean you suppress your competitive spirit; it means you channel it strategically. In the past few weeks, I started meal prepping, and the time saved on cooking and cleaning gave me more energy and productivity in other areas. Once you see the net benefit of a good habit, it becomes easier to maintain it. The opposite is true for bad habits—they’re easy to create but hard to break.