Live for yourself.

Posted by Rob McNealy

I learned a long time ago that you should not judge a person by their background or what they have been through, but rather judge them on what they have done with what they have been through in spite of their background.

That message's power and depth has never lost its hold over me. How I translate it and use it in my daily life, is that no matter what pain, happiness, sorrow, or joy you have endured in your past, no matter what abuse or horrors you have seen, smelled or endured, they do not define you. You define yourself. Your actions, your character and your moral endurance are what define you.

Any experience can create concentric waves of chance that radiate around you. You may not know the how or why, but take comfort in the knowledge and light within you, that you can overcome and thrive with whatever you come in contact with. You control it.

Rob is the founder of Contrived Media and the host of StartupStoryRadio.com