When I was 17 I was L-O-S-T…lost for what I wanted to do in life. That’s not to say I didn’t have a strong foundation or upbringing, but when every young person comes to age of having to decide what they want to be in life, I did not have any real sense of direction. Over the past 10 years I have gained and learned many painful life lessons in my career and personal life. Lessons that do not need to be unnecessarily repeated by any person to have an equal or even greater success than mine. My goal is simply to help anyone, although specific young people with early life decisions and how to have a successful less painful future. Notice I say “less painful” for no real progress comes without some pain. In a society like today that would have you be pain-free all the time, I would argue that is a fallacy of think. The Greek word, “charassein” means to “sharpen, cut in furrows, or engrave/chisel.” This word gave the Greek’s the noun “charaktēr” meaning “mark, distinctive quality.” As a young person you should be actively working to sharpening or chisel your character. How do you do that? Jimmy Buffett has a great quote that answers this, “life is a journey that’s measured not in miles or years, but in an experiences.” As a young person, you should be looking to gain every opportunity that leads to an experience that will help develop your character. Part of that experience is having some pain in a positive way. You will develop character that can withstand hardship, tough timely decisions, courage when there is adversity, and leadership among your peers. I do not claim to have all the answers, but I certainly have a few and I am ready and willing to arm you with the tribal knowledge to find the answers and ultimately your success. ITC (SW) Paul Treacy