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High School Can Be a Jungle

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From the time you were born, we’ve taught you values and character skills that we hope will help you become a great person, and we’ve spent time, money, and energy pouring into you. Then we send you off to high school, where our voice and message get challenged in ways we can’t imagine. That’s why I say, “High school can be a jungle.” It means high school can feel wild, unpredictable, and competitive—like a jungle where everyone’s trying to survive and find their place, and some people will try to bring you down or tear you down in the process. You are going to learn more about the world and the people in it than I would like sometimes, and you have to—get to—decide who you want to be. But remember, no matter who you share a classroom or locker room with, you always get to choose who you want to be. Every day before you leave the house, or before you walk through the school doors, think about that—think about who you want to be, and fight to be it. I say you have to fight for it...
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9.15 Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: Be Consistent

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“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work gains success. Greatness will come.” - Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Are you showing up with enough consistency to match the goals you say you want? Greatness isn’t something you chase directly—it’s something that shows up as a byproduct of what you do every day. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the most recognizable entertainers and athletes in the world. He went from college athlete, to wrestling icon, to global movie star and entrepreneur—while building a reputation as one of the hardest-working and most inspiring figures in entertainment. The Rock once said, “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work gains success. Greatness will come.” You don’t need to be the most talented, the smartest, or the best right away. What matters most is showing up, working hard, and sticking with it, even when it’s boring or difficult. Success is built brick by brick through stea...
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9.14 Lionel Messi: Sacrifice

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“You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.”  - Lionel Messi What are you willing to sacrifice today so you can become who you want tomorrow? One thing all great athletes have in common is that they are willing to sacrifice what they need to be what they want to become. Success doesn’t come free—it asks for trade offs. The people we admire most have given up comfort for growth, free time for discipline, and approval for purpose. They’ve sacrificed late nights, weekends, even their own fears, because they believed in something bigger. Success is about making a choice: do you want what feels easy right now, or what matters most in the long run? Every sacrifice is really an investment in your future. Lionel Messi is one of the best soccer players of all time. He said, “You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.” He also said, “I start early and I stay late, day after day, year after year. It took me 17 yea...
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9.13 Jerry Rice: Work Ethic

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“I’m not the most talented, I’m not the fastest, but I work the hardest.” - Jerry Rice Are you getting everything you can out of your natural talent? Everyone is born with a unique set of strengths, weaknesses and gifts. What are yours, and are you getting the most out of it? Jerry Rice is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver in NFL history and one of the best football players of all time. He was known for his legendary working, conditioning, and discipline. Rice once said, “I’m not the most talented, I’m not the fastest, but I work the hardest.” He also said, “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” He was naturally talented, but he got more out of that natural talent than most because of how hard he worked and how hard pushed himself. Near his hometown in Mississippi, there was a steep, punishing hill. Rice ran it every day in the offseason, often leaving younger or even professional athletes gasping for air. He believed that ...
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9.12 Madison Keys: Be Brave

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“I just kept saying, ‘Be brave.’ And, ‘Go for it.’ … I went after it, every single point. And if I missed it and I just didn’t execute, I could live with that. I didn’t want to have any sort of regret that I was passive and I missed.”  - Madison Keys Can you live with and move on from mistakes, or does the fear of failure leave you passive or paralyzed? Every coach and parent wants a confident, brave, courageous athlete who knows it’s not about being perfect but trying to be the best you can be. This requires being willing to try new things and make mistakes, fail, learn from it, and bounce back and try again. Madison Keys is a professional tennis player, known for having a powerful serve and a strong forehand. She once said, “I just kept saying, ‘Be brave.’ And, ‘Go for it.’ … I went after it, every single point. And if I missed it and I just didn’t execute, I could live with that. I didn’t want to have any sort of regret that I was passive and I missed.” If you want to be gr...
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9.11 Sonja Henie: Know Your Worth

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“The world never puts a price on you higher than the one you put on yourself.” - Sonja Henie Do you know how much you're worth? Everyone wants to feel valued. Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star who became one of the most famous athletes and entertainers of the 20th century. She once said, “The world never puts a price on you higher than the one you put on yourself.” You have the opportunity to set your own value first. Henie is saying that people around you will treat you based on how you treat yourself. If you carry yourself with confidence, discipline, and pride, others are more likely to respect you and see your worth too. If you undervalue yourself—whether in sports, career, or life—others won’t raise the bar for you. They’ll take the cue from the standard you’ve set. Instead of waiting for the world to recognize your talent or give you opportunities, you claim your value first, and then the world follows that lead. Know what your strengths are, invest in y...
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9.10 Claressa Shields: Remove Doubt

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“ All I kept saying to myself was: ‘Remove all doubt. Believe in yourself. You’ve got this.’ ” - Claressa Shields How do you push past the doubt? We all have doubts at times in our lives. The key is to remove and push past it. Professional boxer and former mixed martial artist Claressa Shields is a symbol of power and determination both inside and outside the ring. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist boxer, and she is the only boxer—male or female—to hold all four major belts (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) in three different weight divisions. When she was asked to reflect on her journey to becoming an Olympic champion, Claressa said, “All I kept saying to myself was: ‘Remove all doubt. Believe in yourself. You’ve got this.’” Her words are a reminder that doubt doesn’t disappear on its own—it has to be replaced with belief, action, and persistence. Shields didn’t wait to “feel” confident; she trained, prepared, and spoke confidence into existence until it became real.  The same is t...
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