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Since I was a2a, in my definition of adequate self-confidence, there is primarily a belief that that one has sufficient competence to perform under the normal circumstances of their life, and an ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Competence is based on education, training, experience, and proven productivity; in conjunction with self-awareness (knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses, and knowing when and how to seek external augmentation to address those weaknesses), willingness to invest time and effort at improving strengths and weaknesses, willingness to risk failure, and the ability to learn from failure. Confidence includes being able to question one’s perspectives based on continued research and newly acquired information. This is known as the concept of defensive pessimism, which should be employed to anticipate problems, and facilitate the use self-doubt to motivate effective action (Myers 2012).My advice is that one work on themselves intellectually and physically (physical fitness enhances personality and appearance, with plenty of guidance on exercise, eating, and sleeping right available online), set goals and succeed; over time you will recognize that you are competent and have no reason to think that you have some reason to believe you are in any way deficient.Pretty/handsome people are not always happy, successful, and socially attractive. Attitude plays a huge role in how attractive a person is. One's attitude may be self-defeating or self-reinforcing, the psychological concept of the self-fulfilling prophesy indicates that our expectations subconsciously affect our behavior, either by their positive effects (from a positive attitude) or negative effects (from a negative attitude). And, it has been empirically proven that acting as if one is happy can be a method of being more positive in their life. And, a happy person is an attractive person. Moreover, there are avenues for females (and to a lesser degree males) to pursue (hair, makeup, fashion) that can enhance what nature provided. And, even if you don't want to hear it, you need to accept yourself as you are, then do what you can to develop your physical and emotional traits.How we act can come down to habit. Habits exist due to deeply entrenched neural connections formed through repetition of behavior or thought. Change your attitude and change your life; act as if you were what you want to be, and your brain will form new neural pathways that will help you be what you want to be. Establishing a habit to replace a habit that is the result of many years of practice is difficult. And, a habit that has become a character trait is even more resistant to change. If you start slow and gradually increase you will have a better chance of establishing a replacement habit. Of course, it will take from three to ten weeks or more to replace or eliminate a personal habit, and probably much longer to replace behavior that has become a character trait. During the process, you have to commit yourself to doing some things you don't really want to do.It has been proven that even fake laughter triggers a biochemical reaction in the brain that positively alters one’s perspective. Psych research in happiness indicates that achieving a goal seldom results in sustained happiness. Research also indicates that hope and optimism are key to success in life, and that genuine pride in success/accomplishments can evoke happiness. Dissatisfaction with life results from dwelling on past negative events, and insufficient appreciation and savoring of past positive events.Eagleman wrote that all of our brains hold simultaneous conflicting thoughts, which could result in opposing behaviors, depending on circumstances. He indicated that the human brain is “best understood as a team of rivals,” he labeled rational and emotional (p. 109). The rational system analyses and the emotional system “monitors internal state and worries whether things will be good or bad” (p. 111). Moreover, almost if not all human behavioral traits exist on a continuum ranging from little to obsessive, sociopathy included. And, even though much of our behavior is guided by subconscious thought, those subconscious thoughts are programmed by conscious thought. Once one realizes that their subconscious thought is leading them astray, the subconscious can be reprogrammed through conscious thought.“Brain development is use dependent: you use it or you lose it. …We also need to recognize that not all stress is bad, that children require challenges and risk as well as safety. It is natural to want to protect our children, but we need to ask ourselves when the desire for risk-free childhoods has gone too far. … Children’s brains are shaped by what they do slowly and repeatedly over time. If they don’t have the chance to practice coping with small risks and dealing with the consequences of those choices, they won’t be well prepared for making larger and far more consequential decisions. In today’s safety culture we seem to swing from strictly monitoring and guiding our children from infancy through high school, and then releasing them to the absolute freedom of college (though some parents are trying to encroach there as well). We have to remember that for most of human history adolescents took on adult roles earlier and rose admirably to the challenge. Many of the problems we have with teenagers result from failing to adequately challenge their growing brains. While we know that the brain’s decision-making areas aren’t completely wired until at least their early twenties, it is experience-making decisions that wires them, and it can’t be done without taking some risks. We need to allow children to try and fail. And when they do make the stupid, shortsighted decisions that come from inexperience, we need to let them suffer the results” (Perry & Szalavitz, 2006, pp. 239-240).And consistent with Eagleman, Perry also wrote that early trauma may predispose one to anti-social behavior based on physiological alteration of the brain; however, he also wrote that anti-social behavior is a choice; and, anti-social behavior is the cumulative result of relatively minor decisions/choices, such as, who we associate with and the behaviors we engage in or avoid.Thinking differently means making different connections between neurons in the brain, which will eventually weaken or disconnect the previous neural connections that caused the problem. Guided imagery is a common technique in improving athletic performance and in cancer treatment, among other things. It involves mentally picturing a specific image of perfect performance or achieving a goal and imagining oneself succeeding. Those with cancer are taught to imagine their bodies fighting cancer cells and athletes are taught to see themselves executing their sport with proper form. With a phobia, it could involve gradual desensitization; such as picturing the feared object from a safe distance under controlled circumstances and gradually moving closer mentally. Or, it could involve imagining the creation of new neural connections and weakening of old neural connections (or all of the above).Although the research behind the information provided in this TED Talk (“fake it until you make it”) has been disputed, positive thought processes can lead to positive results, as in the psych concept of self-fulfilling prophesy: http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.htmlhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/psychology-writers/201210/using-self-fulfilling-prophecies-your-advantageReferences:Eagleman, D. (2011). Incognito: The secret lives of the brain. New York: Pantheon. Dr. David Eagleman directed the Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law, Baylor College of Medicine, and is a Guggenheim fellow, and heads the Eagleman Laboratory for Perception and Action at Stanford Univ.Myers, D. G. (2012). Social psychology (11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.Perry, B. D., & Szalavitz M. (2006). The boy who was raised as a dog: And other stories from a child psychiatrist's notebook child psychiatrist's notebook--what traumatized children can teach us about loss, love, and healing. New York: Basic Books.The author is Bruce Perry, MD, PhD, the former Chief of Psychiatry at Texas Children’s Hospital and former Vice-Chair for Research, Department of Psychiatry Baylor College of Medicine, as well as being a Senior Fellow at The Child Trauma Academy.Depression self-help for teens: http://www.helpguide.org/home-pages/depression.htmWebMD depression health check: Depression“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.” Groucho Marx (1895-1977)“People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln“The mind is its own place, and in itselfCan make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.”John Milton, Paradise Lost, Chapter 1 (1667)“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 161-180)“Self-pity is easily the most destructive of the nonpharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.” John W. Gardner (1912–2002)“A man is but the product of his thoughts, what he thinks, he becomes.” Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” ShakespeareIf you compare yourself with others,you may become vain or bitter,for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. …You are a child of the universeno less than the trees and the stars;you have a right to be here.Max Ehrmann (1872-1945), “The Desiderata”“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” Abraham Lincoln, who:Failed in business at age 21.Was defeated in a legislative race at age 22.Failed again in business at age 24.Overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26.Had a nervous breakdown at age 27.Lost a congressional race at age 34.Lost a congressional race at age 36.Lost a senatorial race at age 45.Failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47.Lost a senatorial race at age 47.Was elected PRESIDENT of the United States at age 52! (http://www.championshipcoachesnetwork.com/public/426.cfm)“Confidence... thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.” Franklin D. Roosevelt“Before success comes in any man's life, he's sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That's exactly what the majority of men do.” Napoleon Hill“All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” Walt Disney“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” Ralph Waldo Emerson“This is as true in everyday life as it is in battle: we are given one life and the decision is ours whether to wait for circumstances to make up our mind, or whether to act, and in acting, to live.” Gen. Omar Bradley“If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man. All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened.” George S. Patton“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.” Winston Churchill“Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.” Colin Powell“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” Maya Angelou (childhood sexual assault victim, unwed mother at 16, Grammy winner, best-selling author, and presidential inaugural speaker)“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” Sun Tzu, “The Art of War,” c. 500 BCE.

Altering subconscious behavioral patterns requires reprogramming of neural connections. Eagleman wrote that all of our brains hold simultaneous conflicting thoughts, which could result in opposing behaviors, depending on circumstances. He indicated that the human brain is “best understood as a team of rivals,” he labeled rational and emotional (p. 109). The rational system analyses and the emotional system “monitors internal state and worries whether things will be good or bad” (p. 111). Moreover, almost if not all human behavioral traits exist on a continuum ranging from little to obsessive, sociopathy included. And, even though much of our behavior is guided by subconscious thought, those subconscious thoughts are programmed by conscious thought. Once one realizes that their subconscious thought is leading them astray, the subconscious can be reprogrammed through conscious thought.“Brain development is use dependent: you use it or you lose it. …We also need to recognize that not all stress is bad, that children require challenges and risk as well as safety. It is natural to want to protect our children, but we need to ask ourselves when the desire for risk-free childhoods has gone too far. … Children’s brains are shaped by what they do slowly and repeatedly over time. If they don’t have the chance to practice coping with small risks and dealing with the consequences of those choices, they won’t be well prepared for making larger and far more consequential decisions. In today’s safety culture we seem to swing from strictly monitoring and guiding our children from infancy through high school, and then releasing them to the absolute freedom of college (though some parents are trying to encroach there as well). We have to remember that for most of human history adolescents took on adult roles earlier and rose admirably to the challenge. Many of the problems we have with teenagers result from failing to adequately challenge their growing brains. While we know that the brain’s decision-making areas aren’t completely wired until at least their early twenties, it is experience-making decisions that wires them, and it can’t be done without taking some risks. We need to allow children to try and fail. And when they do make the stupid, shortsighted decisions that come from inexperience, we need to let them suffer the results” (Perry & Szalavitz, 2006, pp. 239-240).And consistent with Eagleman, Perry also wrote that early trauma may predispose one to anti-social behavior based on physiological alteration of the brain; however, he also wrote that anti-social behavior is a choice; and, anti-social behavior is the cumulative result of relatively minor decisions/choices, such as, who we associate with and the behaviors we engage in or avoid. Eagleman also stated that our conscious mind is tasked with programming the subconscious mind, which is exemplified by the learning curve when taking on a new task. Neuroplasticity has been proven to exist, based on results of psychotherapy without medication or surgical intervention, summarized as the power of positive thinking (Doidge, 2007). “Implicit memory systems (subconscious) are fundamentally separate from explicit memory systems (conscious): even when the second one has lost the data the former one has a lock on it” (Eagleman, p.64). We operate most efficiently when relaxed and functioning on "autopilot," our subconscious mind.At first it is difficult, them "muscle memory" is formed that makes the task easier because the need for conscious thought is reduced. Altering those subconscious behaviors that tend to lead one in a disadvantageous direction is a matter of self-awareness, followed by conscious decision-making. The assistance of psycho-therapeutic counseling may be beneficial, or even necessary.Also see: http://www.positivepsychology.org/people/martin-ep-seligman, re” Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman, Director of the Penn Positive Psychology Center, Director of the Penn Master of Applied Positive Psychology program (MAPP), former President of the American Psychological Association, and author of “Authentic Happiness.”http://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology/transcript?language=enAlso see: https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-build-confidence-when-you-just-started-a-professionnel-carriere/answer/Dan-Robb-2References:Eagleman, D. (2011). Incognito: The secret lives of the brain. New York: Pantheon.Dr. David Eagleman directed the Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law, Baylor College of Medicine, and is a Guggenheim fellow, and heads the Eagleman Laboratory for Perception and Action at Stanford Univ.Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. New York: Viking Press.Psychiatrist Norman Doidge, MD, is a researcher and professor, Columbia University and the University of Toronto.Perry, B. D., & Szalavitz M. (2006).The boy who was raised as a dog: And other stories from a child psychiatrist's notebook child psychiatrist's notebook--what traumatized children can teach us about loss, love, and healing. New York: Basic Books.Bruce Perry, MD, PhD, the former Chief of Psychiatry at Texas Children’s Hospital and former Vice-Chair for Research, Department of Psychiatry Baylor College of Medicine, as well as being a Senior Fellow at The Child Trauma Academy.

In my definition of adequate self-confidence, there is primarily a belief that they have sufficient competence to perform under the normal circumstances of their life, and an ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Competence is based on education, training, experience, and proven productivity; in conjunction with self-awareness (knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses, and knowing when and how to seek external augmentation to address those weaknesses), willingness to invest time and effort at improving strengths and weaknesses, willingness to risk failure, and the ability to learn from failure. Confidence includes being able to question one’s perspectives based on continued research and newly acquired information. This is known as the concept of defensive pessimism, which should be employed to anticipate problems, and facilitate the use self-doubt to motivate effective action (Myers 2012).“To be self-confident is to trust in oneself, and, in particular, in one’s ability or aptitude to engage successfully or at least adequately with the world. A self-confident person is ready to rise to new challenges, seize opportunities, deal with difficult situations, and take responsibility if and when things go awry. …People with a healthy self-esteem do not need to prop themselves up with externals such as income, status, or notoriety, or lean on crutches such as alcohol, drugs, or sex. To the contrary, they treat themselves with respect and take care of their health, community, and environment. They are able to invest themselves completely in projects and people because they do not fear failure or rejection. Of course they suffer hurt and disappointment, but their setbacks neither damage nor diminish them. Owing to their resilience, they are open to growth experiences and meaningful relationships, are tolerant of risk, quick to joy and delight, and are accepting and forgiving of themselves and others.” (Burton, 2015)My advice is that one work on themselves intellectually and physically (physical fitness enhances personality and appearance, with plenty of guidance on exercise, eating, and sleeping right available online), set goals and succeed; over time you will recognize that you are competent and have no reason to think that you have some reason to believe you are in any way deficient.Pretty/handsome people are not always happy, successful, and socially attractive. Attitude plays a huge role in how attractive a person is. One's attitude may be self-defeating or self-reinforcing, the psychological concept of the self-fulfilling prophesy indicates that our expectations subconsciously affect our behavior, either by their positive effects (from a positive attitude) or negative effects (from a negative attitude). And, it has been empirically proven that acting as if one is happy can be a method of being more positive in their life. And, a happy person is an attractive person. Moreover, there are avenues for females (and to a lesser degree males) to pursue (hair, makeup, fashion) that can enhance what nature provided. And, even if you don't want to hear it, you need to accept yourself as you are, then do what you can to develop your physical and emotional traits.How we act can come down to habit. Habits exist due to deeply entrenched neural connections formed through repetition of behavior or thought. Change your attitude and change your life; act as if you were what you want to be, and your brain will form new neural pathways that will help you be what you want to be. Establishing a habit to replace a habit that is the result of many years of practice is difficult. And, a habit that has become a character trait is even more resistant to change. If you start slow and gradually increase you will have a better chance of establishing a replacement habit. Of course, it will take 3 weeks or more to replace or eliminate a personal habit, and probably much longer to replace behavior that has become a character trait. During the process, you have to commit yourself to doing some things you don't really want to do.It has been proven that even fake laughter triggers a biochemical reaction in the brain that positively alters one’s perspective. Psych research in happiness indicates that achieving a goal seldom results in sustained happiness. Research also indicates that hope and optimism are key to success in life, and that genuine pride in success/accomplishments can evoke happiness. Dissatisfaction with life results from dwelling on past negative events, and insufficient appreciation and savoring of past positive events.Eagleman wrote that all of our brains hold simultaneous conflicting thoughts, which could result in opposing behaviors, depending on circumstances. He indicated that the human brain is “best understood as a team of rivals,” he labeled rational and emotional (p. 109). The rational system analyses and the emotional system “monitors internal state and worries whether things will be good or bad” (p. 111). Moreover, almost if not all human behavioral traits exist on a continuum ranging from little to obsessive, sociopathy included. And, even though much of our behavior is guided by subconscious thought, those subconscious thoughts are programmed by conscious thought. Once one realizes that their subconscious thought is leading them astray, the subconscious can be reprogrammed through conscious thought.“Brain development is use dependent: you use it or you lose it. …We also need to recognize that not all stress is bad, that children require challenges and risk as well as safety. It is natural to want to protect our children, but we need to ask ourselves when the desire for risk-free childhoods has gone too far. … Children’s brains are shaped by what they do slowly and repeatedly over time. If they don’t have the chance to practice coping with small risks and dealing with the consequences of those choices, they won’t be well prepared for making larger and far more consequential decisions. In today’s safety culture we seem to swing from strictly monitoring and guiding our children from infancy through high school, and then releasing them to the absolute freedom of college (though some parents are trying to encroach there as well). We have to remember that for most of human history adolescents took on adult roles earlier and rose admirably to the challenge. Many of the problems we have with teenagers result from failing to adequately challenge their growing brains. While we know that the brain’s decision-making areas aren’t completely wired until at least their early twenties, it is experience-making decisions that wires them, and it can’t be done without taking some risks. We need to allow children to try and fail. And when they do make the stupid, shortsighted decisions that come from inexperience, we need to let them suffer the results” (Perry & Szalavitz, 2006, pp. 239-240).And consistent with Eagleman, Perry also wrote that early trauma may predispose one to anti-social behavior based on physiological alteration of the brain; however, he also wrote that anti-social behavior is a choice; and, anti-social behavior is the cumulative result of relatively minor decisions/choices, such as, who we associate with and the behaviors we engage in or avoid.Thinking differently means making different connections between neurons in the brain, which will eventually weaken or disconnect the previous neural connections that caused the problem. Guided imagery is a common technique in improving athletic performance and in cancer treatment, among other things. It involves mentally picturing a specific image of perfect performance or achieving a goal and imagining oneself succeeding. Those with cancer are taught to imagine their bodies fighting cancer cells and athletes are taught to see themselves executing their sport with proper form. With a phobia, it could involve gradual desensitization; such as picturing the feared object from a safe distance under controlled circumstances and gradually moving closer mentally. Or, it could involve imagining the creation of new neural connections and weakening of old neural connections (or all of the above).There are cognitive errors and fallacious thinking that can lead us to lose confidence:• Belief perseverance, clinging to reasons a faulty belief may be true, even if discredited;• Counterfactual thinking, imagining false scenarios and outcomes;• Confirmation bias, confirming information is over-weighted and disconfirming information under-weighted or ignored;• Fundamental attribution error, attributing behavior to personal traits rather than the situation;• Illusory thinking, consisting of perception of a relationship where none exists, or perceiving a stronger relationship than is true; and,• Self-fulfilling prophesy, believing leads to behaviors facilitating the expected result.One's attitude may be self-defeating or self-reinforcing, because our expectations subconsciously affect our behavior, either by their positive effects (from a positive attitude) or negative effects (from a negative attitude)( Using Self-Fulfilling Prophecies to Your Advantage). Material fallacies that negatively affect confidence include False Analogy: Assuming one failure indicates failure overall; and Insufficient or Suppressed Evidence: Conclusions based on an unrepresentative example of failure.Although the research behind the information provided in this TED Talk (“fake it until you make it”) has been disputed, positive thought processes can lead to positive results, as in the psych concept of self-fulfilling prophesy: Your body language may shape who you areUsing Self-Fulfilling Prophecies to Your AdvantageReferences:Burton, N. (2015, Oct 19). Self-Confidence Versus Self-Esteem. Psychology Today. Retrieved from: Self-Confidence Versus Self-Esteem (Self-Confidence Versus Self-Esteem)Neel Burton, M.D., psychiatrist, philosopher, who teaches in Oxford, England; Awards: Society of Authors Richard Asher Prize for Psychiatry, British Medical Association Young Authors’ Award for The Meaning of Madness, Medical Journalists’ Association Open Book Award for Living with SchizophreniaEagleman, D. (2011). Incognito: The secret lives of the brain. New York: Pantheon.David Eagleman, PhD, directed the Laboratory for Perception and Action and the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law, Baylor College of Medicine, and is a Guggenheim fellow, and heads the Eagleman Laboratory for Perception and Action at Stanford Univ.Myers, D. G. (2012). Social psychology (11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.Perry, B. D., & Szalavitz M. (2006).The boy who was raised as a dog: And other stories from a child psychiatrist's notebook child psychiatrist's notebook--what traumatized children can teach us about loss, love, and healing. New York: Basic Books.The author is Bruce Perry, MD, PhD, the former Chief of Psychiatry at Texas Children’s Hospital and former Vice-Chair for Research, Department of Psychiatry Baylor College of Medicine, as well as being a Senior Fellow at The Child Trauma Academy.Depression self-help for teens: Depression Home PageWebMD depression health check: Depression“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.” Groucho Marx (1895-1977)“People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Abraham Lincoln“The mind is its own place, and in itselfCan make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.”John Milton, Paradise Lost, Chapter 1 (1667)“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 161-180)“Self-pity is easily the most destructive of the nonpharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.” John W. Gardner (1912–2002)“A man is but the product of his thoughts, what he thinks, he becomes.” Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” ShakespeareIf you compare yourself with others,you may become vain or bitter,for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. …You are a child of the universeno less than the trees and the stars;you have a right to be here.Max Ehrmann (1872-1945), “The Desiderata”“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have.” Abraham Lincoln, who:Failed in business at age 21.Was defeated in a legislative race at age 22.Failed again in business at age 24.Overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26.Had a nervous breakdown at age 27.Lost a congressional race at age 34.Lost a congressional race at age 36.Lost a senatorial race at age 45.Failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47.Lost a senatorial race at age 47.Was elected PRESIDENT of the United States at age 52! (Abraham Lincoln Overcoming Failure)“Confidence... thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.” Franklin D. Roosevelt“Before success comes in any man's life, he's sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That's exactly what the majority of men do.” Napoleon Hill“All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” Walt Disney“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” Ralph Waldo Emerson“This is as true in everyday life as it is in battle: we are given one life and the decision is ours whether to wait for circumstances to make up our mind, or whether to act, and in acting, to live.” Gen. Omar Bradley“If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man. All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened.” George S. Patton“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.” Winston Churchill“Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.” Colin Powell“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” Maya Angelou (childhood sexual assault victim, unwed mother at 16, Grammy winner, best-selling author, and presidential inaugural speaker)“Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1809-1894“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” John Quincy Adams“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” Walter Elliot (1888-1958)