1. There will be many times in corporate America when you feel you are fighting a war you will never win.

2. In the corporate world, we work towards our level of competence and knowledge.

3. I have an incredibly high level of education and knowledge, yet I have a very simplistic understanding of the world. Treat me with respect, and I will treat you with respect. Treat me disrespectfully, and do not expect me to engage with you.

4. Our struggles in life give us the foundations of courage. Developing courage becomes complicated if your life’s path is seamless and without disappointments.

5. Being able to say I am sorry to someone you hurt constructs a bridge to functional relationships.

6. Many times in your life, there will be a mountain to climb; others will create the mountain against you, or you will create your own mountain to climb to reach the summit.

7. Live your life for yourself, and you help no one; live your life for others and help the world.

8. The absence of shame allows individuals in your life to behave in ways they could never imagine.

9. Many people in American culture can go through their lives from the cradle to the grave and never have a relationship with someone markedly different from their upbringing, beliefs, and values. How else do you learn who you are?

10. Don’t be surprised when the rug trips you, and you fall because you used it to sweep away all your problems.