If you are a product of your environment (as we all are in shipping), you must become a product of your own design. Otherwise, you will never be you. You will only be a compendium of others around you. And if you are not the "you" that you were meant to be, how can you expect to achieve happiness and wealth? Real education begins after school, not in school. Never, ever stop learning. Learning is the substance that fuels growth, and growth is necessary for success. Plan the work; work the plan. Plan in reverse to insure success rather than willy-nilly forward movement. And remain flexible, because life is not stagnant. Love, respect and happiness all have one ironic trait in common - we can only have them when you give them away.