The main thing is learning how to be, learning how to live. This includes learning how to deal with the challenges and obstacles of life, when it gets difficult, how to overcome problems and challenges, dealing with obnoxious peers, gossip, people doubting you. It is learning how to develop the self-confidence to ask for help in the face of challenge or self-doubt because we all deal with those two things.

It is also learning how to be happy and grateful for what we have. It’s about learning how to say thank you and remember that thank you is more powerful when it’s a verb or an action word.

It is about developing a set of values, respect, responsibility, integrity and the pursuit of personal excellence that will carry you in the good and the bad times because we will all experience our fair share of both of those.

I believe that taking this approach will help develop trust in your future self. It’s learning to be comfortable in your own skin and to water the flowers on your side of the path. We shouldn’t be worried about the fact that we will face great adversities. We should be worried because we may be setting ourselves up to fail at overcoming them because we shy away from them when they present themselves.

The main event is not getting a number or test score or grade to tell you that you are worthy. Of course, you are worthy. In simplistic terms, the main thing is making tough choices and digging in when things are challenging. It is about positive thinking. It is about recognising that we get to choose our attitude each and every day, in each and every moment. I see so much good stuff from so many of you on a daily basis so I urge that you remember that that triumph is within reach and often just the final oomph added to the try. Trust your future self. You can do this.

Please remember that if you are sick of starting over, then don’t give up when something gets tough, persevere. A bit more oomph.

Resilience and accepting triumph and disaster as learning posts have always been valuable capabilities. What that means is we strive to be better than before, today and every day whatever the result or outcome that just occurred.