If anyone knows me, I have an appreciation and love for DJ Khaled. Long before his Snapchat days, he had already made himself somewhat of an icon. However, years later, with his explosion into pop culture, DJ Khaled is known around the world. His famous phrases have become famous memes amongst various social media platforms. However, after reading his book and truly listening to his anecdotes, DJ Khaled really does have the keys. Here are my 10 keys I'm bringing with me into the new year.

1. Stay Away From They

You hear him say it all the time, but the more you hear him say it, the more you understand, or in the words of DJ Khaled "overstand." He constantly reminds his fans of "they." "They," in simple terms, is the enemy. "They" is anyone who has attempts to destroy or restrict you from achieving your goals. DJ Khaled has an inventive way of describing the enemy, but what he says is true. Many times the enemy will try and destroy one's confidence or will to succeed. DJ Khaled encourages us to stay away from "they" and continue to prosper.

2. Weather The Storm

There are actual storms, and then there are roadblocks. Throughout 2016, DJ Khaled continuously reminded me to weather the storm when things get complicated. Despite the many obstacles I may face in my life, it's important to push through them, knowing something better will come of it in the end.

3. Don't EVER Play Yourself

DJ Khaled said "Major Key: Don't play yourself. What I mean by that is don't do anything foolish to compromise your joy and prosperity." Don't become the person that hold you back from achieving your goals in life. Always be honest with yourself and don't let success get to your head too early. Learning to be humble and appreciate all the blessings that come your way, prevents you from ever playing yourself. Don't set yourself up for failure, but instead success.

4. Believe You're Special Cloth

"Special Cloth" is what DJ Khaled describes to be one-of-one. Every single person is a special cloth (unless you're "they"). Special Cloth is a person who's different. They stray away from the normal patterns of society and choose to be themselves. By doing so, they become unique and a masterpiece. DJ Khaled taught me to see myself as Special Cloth and to believe I am in order to reach my full potential and become the person I am meant to be.

5. Believe In The Hustle

Always believe you can do it. No matter what your aspirations are in life, you can never give up on them. Despite the complications, or "they" entering your life with negative vibes, you must continue to persevere. Even if no one else believes in you, believing in yourself and your dream is the most important thing. If you don't believe in it, then who else will?

6. Stay Away From Temptation

Temptation surrounds us wherever we go. Sometimes temptation comes in the most trivial forms; that's when it can do the most damage. One important lesson I learned from DJ Khaled is to stay way from the temptation and stay focused on my journey to success. Also, temptation is a form of "they" so you definitely want to stay away from it.

7. Choose Your Own Wins

Bascially, choose your own battles. If there's something your passionate about an love to do, make sure you're putting in 1000% into whatever you choose to do. DJ Khaled encourages us to bet on ourselves even if no one else does. It all starts with you. Keep yourself and your ambition first, and the success will follow.

8. Positivity is Major Key

All day, every day. Never stop putting positive vibes out into the universe.

9. Success is a Process

Success definitely doesn't happen over time, and he makes sure to remind us to "stay patient and trust your journey." Getting success is a process and does not happen overnight. You have to keep putting in the work, and like my father says "hard work always pays off."

10. Win, Win, Win, No Matter What

Simple as that. Never stop winning and always strive for more. Let's be honest, we all want to win. But, you can't forget the hard work that goes into it. One day, we'll all be sitting on a throne surrounded by flowers and a real lion. Bless up