-Lou Holtz

This ratio basically means that it’s really how you respond to life that matters (in case that wasn’t obvious).

I think if the quote went like this, “Life is not what happens to you, but how you respond to it,” it would still work.

In fact, I think I’ve heard someone say that before.

Whatever. The message is the same.

At each point in your life, you have the power to determine the results you get.

• Turn your worst situations into an exercise in patience and self-control.
• Learn from your failures.
• Use that “No” as a chance to work harder so the next time is a “Yes.”

Too many people try to predict the future. They think things should happen the way they want them to happen. Then, when they don’t, they stubbornly kick and scream and complain about their bad luck.

Isn’t that a little audacious? It’s actually a lot audacious.

Life happening to you is life doing you a favor. It is directing you, testing you, and turning you into the person you can, and should, be.

But you will only recognize it if you take on the right attitude.

You have to embrace life as the random, free-flowing, constantly changing thing that it is. Then you have to ride the wave the best you can. And if you fall off the board—you will plenty—you paddle right back out and catch the next wave.

Since we are on the surfing analogy, imagine this: A surfer misses a great wave, then paddles back to shore vowing to never surf again because he missed that one wave.

Sounds absurd, doesn’t it?

Well, such is the case when you are bitching and complaining. Why not paddle out and catch another wave?

There is always, always, always another wave. And most often, there’s a better wave.

Life is about how you surf the waves, not about the waves you get.