My name is Aker-Mark Bayley-Hay, and I was born in Miami, Florida to Elsa and Mark Bayley-Hay. I'm a veteran with an honorable discharge, retired professional athlete with a perfect record, and a published author and content provider for a national online publication. On the other hand, I was diagnosed with a learning disability as a child, had a C average in high school, and was cut my senior year from my school team because of my attitude. I've always been a hard worker, but as you can see, I haven't always been successful.

I want to briefly impart some of the wisdom I’ve gathered from great people over the years on the formula for success, which has helped me cultivate success cooperatively and individually. Like most aspects of Life, there is a formula to complete any task. For instance, math, engineering, and even cooking all require formulas to complete tasks, and success is no different. There are many different formulas for success, but my personal formula has five vital components.

• Foundation – We need a solid foundation in love, family, and friends, community, spirituality, or a combination of the preceding examples. Imagine the builder that tries to build a house on a sand foundation. Without a strong foundation, we are doomed from the onset.
• Desire – We need to have strong desires in the pursuit of our goals. The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team to ever have a perfect season and win the Super bowl in NFL history, which was due in part to their collective desire to be great! The 1972 Dolphins embody the desire I'm speaking about. Collectively, they desired to be great, and their desires translated to a perfect regular and postseason.
• Dedication – We need to be dedicated. Don't get me wrong, it's okay to quit. For instance, I thought I was a tough guy during my adolescent years, which was, of course, until my father showed me otherwise. In all seriousness, it's okay to quit when we're not on the right path, but when we find our path, we must remain steadfast and disciplined, no matter who doubts us and no matter how many times we fail in our pursuits. That is the dedication we need.
• Positive Actions – We need to complete positive actions. It's not enough to just do. It should be all of our goals to positively impact every situation we find ourselves in! Without action, dreams remain dreams and will never become reality.
• Prosperity – We must embrace prosperity. It's important that we embrace success, so that we can understand it, repeat it, and finally show our sisters and brothers how to attain it as well.

This formula helped me become more successful in life, and I hope some or all of it resonates with you. The keys to success are simple enough concepts to grasp, and with discipline and determination, we can all implement these tactics on a daily basis. I'd like to conclude with one of my favorite quotes from a wise man, “The moment is the moment, and then it is gone.” This quote has inspired a mindset, helped me appreciate the time we have, and motivated me to be more dedicated to following the keys to success.