Here’s my biggest aha moment: I spent too much time trying to impress people who didn’t matter. I wasted energy trying to win over someone the neighborhood thought was important—only to realize, outside the neighborhood, no one even knew who they were. The truth is, if I don’t like me, I can’t like you. If I don’t respect me, I can’t respect you. If I don’t love me, I have no idea how to love you. Loving yourself—wholly and completely—changes everything. It gives you the courage to take the road less traveled, to stand tall like an eagle among buzzards and turkeys, and to be the person no one understands but everyone admires. I’d rather earn your respect and let you learn to like me than be liked without respect. When you’re comfortable in your own skin, you become more authentic, and that authenticity attracts power, capital, and people. You’ll walk into a room, and everyone will want to talk to you. Here’s what I’d tell my 18-year-old self: Life isn’t just about being smart. It’s ...