Regardless of one's walk of life or background from which one comes, it is evident to say that in some way, at some point in time, they will lose. They will fail. I have, as you probably have too. There will come a point where life will not go your way.

Concurrently, those setbacks will do just that: set us back. Some will rise, some will collapse, and some will breed something entirely new. But all will react to their situations.

I'm still a young man, to say the least. Hell, in the eyes of many, I'm still a kid. But regardless of chronological duration, or time spent on Earth, I have had my fair share of battles, as I have iterated many times before. I will not say I am as wise or bright as they come, but I can and will say that hardship and I have done the tango at multiple soirees.None of these are solutions to problems, per say, but I know they have made my life easier.

Here's a few things I have learned:

1) If you have time to do it over, you have time to do it right once.

2) If you want to make an impression, be the first there, and the last to leave.

3) When an employer asks you when you can start, always answer with "Immediately".

4) There is always time to feel - especially in grieving.

5) When you feel out of control of your life, dress up. Wear your favorite outfit, and don't rush a single second in putting it on.

6) Sometimes resting is the most productive thing you can do.

7) You can be part of the problem, or part of the solution. The choice is always yours.

8) Take every chance to call someone by their first name.

9) "I don't know" is a perfectly honest and respectable answer. Up the ante by figuring it out.

10) Cry as loud and often as you need to.

11) Some things are simply beyond your control. You will burn less energy accepting it and moving on.

12) Make amends, and make them genuinely. You can't store time in a bank.

13) You'll never know the street name if you cut corners.

14) Easy money truly does not exist.

15) There is a time to take charge and a time to go with the flow. Learn the balance as early as possible.

16) The popular route is not always the fastest one.

17) The fastest route is not always the smoothest one.

18) Entertain advice that is bestowed upon you - it will rarely be that easy to acquire.

19) Sometimes appreciation is the best motivational speaker.

20) The severity of other people's problems doesn't negate the validity of your own. Your problems are your problems.

21) There is a time to ponder, and a time to act. Don't think so much that you never act.

22) The world does not owe you anything. It was here first.

23) If you had the first, offer up the last.

24) A handshake will never go out of style.

25) You are the first and last person to decide what happens in your life.