JORGE RODRIGUES SIMAO

To get the most out of your companionship, you must choose your friends well. One of the greatest time-wasters and obstacles to success in all areas of life is associating with the wrong people. Yet surprisingly many individuals spend time with dysfunctional characters whom they don 't even like. Associating with the wrong people can cost you your time, energy, creativity, and money. They can even cost you your health - mainly mental.

Think you know a lot? Think again. It is commonly accepted in Western society that knowledge is power. Not necessarily so! Knowledge is power only if you use it - and use it properly. Put another way, don 't tell the world about how much you know if you aren't going to use your knowledge for anything but talk. The Buddhists have a proverb: "To know and not to do is not yet to know."

Needless to say, knowledge and wisdom are useless if you don't use them to accomplish something worthwhile.

We all have a negative acquaintance or two who seems to know everything there is to know about what is wrong with this world. These pessimistic individuals, to be sure, can be just a little unpleasant and difficult to be around. If you are like me, after a few moments with them, you begin to squirm in your seat, trying to determine your next course of action. Unfortunately, there are no laws under which you can have negative people charged for interfering with your life.

Trying to attain great success in life is like trying to climb a great mountain. They both involve substantial risk, a chance for major disappointment, and a sense of adventure. On your journey to success you will encounter many new problems - but you will encounter many new opportunities and wonderful experiences as well. You must be warned, however, that attaining your goals will likely take a lot longer than you may think. Not only does the mountain always look closer than it is, the mountain gets steeper as you get closer.