Brian Herbert, an American novelist, once said, “The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; The willingness to learn is a choice.” I'm here to tell you that he was onto something. Throughout my seventeen years on this Earth, I've come to find out that if you are not willing to learn, no one will want to help you. However, should you show some determination and desire to learn, no one will be able to stop you. Everyone can play the role of the teacher, just as everyone can play the role of the student. However, the thought of learning something truly invaluable from one of my peers never crossed my mind. Thankfully for me, I did. Just the other day, I was texting a friend of mine who I hadn't spoken to in quite some time. He was describing to me the ups and the downs of his freshman year of college. We were talking late into the night, and I ended up actually falling asleep before ending the conversation. Fortunately, I woke up to the best advice that anyone has ever given me. God bless you, my friend. You've inspired me to want to become the best version of myself.

Allow me to paraphrase his advice.

The first time Rocky stepped into the ring with the Russian, he's vastly unprepared and gets slapped around. However, Rocky, standing in the face of defeat, goes home and trains harder than ever, and comes back unbeatable and knocks out Drago.

In the beginning of Scarface, the two brothers are in a small food hut cleaning dishes late at night, watching with envy all of the wealthy people enter the night club across the street. They sit there and admire the women, wishing that they had them. To their dismay, they're nothing but poor immigrants and will never have a chance with those women. That is, until, Al Pacino goes off and turns himself into a wealthy and powerful man, and then comes back and gets the woman he used to watch from the window.

At first, you'll want the pretty girl, the nice car, etc. and you won't get it. You'll try hard, but you'll fail because you won't be prepared or won't deserve it yet. At that point, look yourself in the mirror and decide what's next. Do you quit because it's too hard, or do you search within yourself for that inner drive/will, like Rocky and Pacino, and work your tail off?

Go out, work hard, use your God-given talents to their full potential and make yourself undeniable, and then whatever you want...will walk right into the palm of your open hand.

You want the pretty girl, you don't want to be single? You want the nicest car in the shop? You want the highest-paying job? You want the starting position on the team?There's only one option. Go and make yourself undeniable. Don't even think about the woman, or the car, or the job or the position. Sure, there will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, there are no limits. And just know that when you get there, you won't even realize that you've made it (until the perks roll in, of course).

Become the greatest. It's the only way to get what you want.

One thing at a time. Kill it, then move on.

You mow the lawn, and for that hour you become the best at pushing a lawn mower in the world. You make it your priority. You have a test, you become the most knowledgable person in your class on that material. You aim as high as you can and you make it happen, and if it doesn't work, then you keep trying anyways.

You don't worry about anything except for what's in front of you. It's like being buried under rocks. You can't worry about the rocks at the top of the pile until you move the rocks out of the way that are right on top of you first.

You set goals for yourself that pertain only to making yourself better and you focus on those and let the perks roll in naturally.

All people are capable of great things, and once they reach their full potential, the benefits will rain in.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

"Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work." - Booker T. Washington