Six Rules of Success

Members of the faculty, parents, and most importantly, graduates of the class of 2009: It is a great privilege to be here today.

Over the years, people have asked me many times: ‘What is the secret to success?’

I have six rules of success that I live by:

1. Trust Yourself: Dig deep down and ask yourselves: Who do you want to be? Not what, but WHO.
2. Break the Rules: Not the law, but break the rules. Think outside the box. What is the point of being on this earth if all you want to do is be liked by everyone?
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Fail: Anything I’ve ever attempted, I was always willing to fail. You can’t always win, but don’t be afraid of making decisions.
4. Don’t Listen to the Naysayers: How many times have you heard ‘You can’t do this’ or ‘It’s never been done before’? I love when someone says ‘No one has ever done that before,’ because that means if I do it, I’ll be the first!
5. Work Your Butt Off: You can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets. Mohammed Ali said: ‘I didn’t count my sit-ups until it started hurting.’
6. Give Something Back: Whatever path you take in life, you must always find time to give something back to your community or your country.