b"TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE 16.The competition: I am not in competition with anyone. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone. I'm just trying to be better than the person I was yesterday. Youcanspendyourwholelifecompetingwithothers,tryingtoprove you're somebody while feeling like a nobody. However, you don't have to prove your worth to anyone.You were created for a purpose. Your life has meaning and when you develop the confidence to follow your heart and your dreams, you are now incompetitionwithyourselftobecomethebestversionofyourself. Nobody else!Sometimes you may doubt yourself, feel fear, but the truth is that you are more powerful than you think. However, you will need to reprogram yourself to get rid of your fears and doubts, in order to reconfirm your self-esteem and self-confidence.17.Support others: when you see something beautiful in someone, tell them. It may take a second to say, but for them it could last a lifetime.18.Appreciate: spend the day appreciating every little thing that happens to you, and you'll end the day feeling deeply grateful for your life. Whenwetakethetimetoletpeopleknowweappreciatethem,it encouragesthemtokeepdoingevenmore.Thisispreciselywhy gratitude is the ultimate gift that keeps on giving.Remember that a simplethank youmakes the recipient feel important and valued, which boosts their self-esteem and helps improve their self-image.19.Always be polite: politeness is the practical application of good manners oretiquettesoasnottooffendothers.Itisaculturallydefined phenomenon,andsowhatisconsideredpoliteinoneculturecan sometimes be quite rude or simply eccentric in another cultural context.To be polite is to be aware of the feelings of others and to respect them. Wedon'talwaysnoticepoliteness,butweusuallynoticerudenessor inconsiderate behavior. Many of the points raised may seem obvious, in most cases they are common sense, but too often social mores are overlooked or forgotten. Germain Decelles149"