“Be your best self and do not imitate anyone else. Find your strengths. They are your talents. They will make you smile and cause you to real joy on the inside.Don’t listen to those who ridicule the choices you make or the dreams you share. Let no one despise your youth. As Og Mandino explained in The Greatest Salesman in the World, “Experience is overrated, usually by old men who nod wisely and speak stupidly.” Create your own experiences. And know that you are creating memories for a lifetime.Life is not about finding yourself; it is about creating yourself.You have to take chances to make your dreams reality. Face your fears head-on and move rapidly. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Make lots of them! Your odds for success will increase with the number of decisions you make. Have patience with your dreams and the expectations you have for others. Be impatient with yourself daily. Live as if this is your last day. Say “I love you” to all those who matter. Know that everyone matters.You must play full-out right now. Sit up, hold your head high. Breathe deeply. Lift your chest up. Stand up straight and with confidence. Dust yourself off. Stop being a party pooper in your own life. Smile. A bigger noticeable smile. Start acting happy. Yes, you act first. I promise the feeling of happiness will soon follow.”

“I want you to always hold your head up and follow your dreams wherever they take you. Don’t you ever listen to the people out to hurt you or make you cry. Listen to your heart and be better than them. No one gets ahead by hurting others. The only real peace anyone will ever have is the one that comes from within. Live your life on your own terms and make it a happy life. Always. That’s what’s important, Torimou. (Theo)”

“You are essentially who you create yourself to be and all that occurs in your life is the result of your own making.”

“To gain your heart's desire you have to lose some part of your old life, your old self. To do that you have to have courage; without it, you can't make the leap. And if you don't make the leap you have only three choices: You can hate yourself for not taking the chance, you can hate the person from whom you've sacrificed your happiness, or you can hate the one who offered you happiness, and blame them for your lack of courage, convince yourself it wasn't real.”

“Mitchell Maxwell’s Maxims• You have to create your own professional path. There’s no longer a roadmap for an artistic career.• Follow your heart and the money will follow.• Create a benchmark of your own progress. If you never look down while you’re climbing the ladder you won’t know how far you’ve come.• Don’t define success by net worth, define it by character. Success, as it’s measured by society, is a fleeting condition.• Affirm your value. Tell the world “I am an artist,” not “I want to be an artist.” • You must actively live your dream. Wishing and hoping for someday doesn’t make it happen. Get out there and get involved.• When you look into the abyss you find your character.• Young people too often let the fear of failure keep them from trying. You have to get bloody, sweaty and rejected in order to succeed.• Get your face out of Facebook and into somebody’s face. Close your e-mail and pick up the phone. Personal contact still speaks loudest.• No one is entitled to act entitled. Be willing to work hard.• If you’re going to buck the norm you’re going to have to embrace the challenges.• You have to love the journey if you’re going to work in the arts. • Only listen to people who agree with your vision.• A little anxiety is good but don’t let it become fear, fear makes you inert.• Find your own unique voice. Leave your individual imprint on the world, not a copy of someone else.• Draw strength from your mistakes; they can be your best teacher.”

“I know you like to be in control and you operate a lot from fear but you have to break the bounds of your past Nicole and rewrite the story you’ve been telling yourself based off of others experiences. You have to create your own experience, write your own story.”