Rule No. 19: MISTAKES ARE INEVITABLE BUT DON’T LET THEM DEFINE YOU
Mistakes are inevitable, but they don’t define you. They sting, they humble, and sometimes they leave cracks in the mirror—but grace has the final word. In this week’s Rule, I share lessons from my own missteps, a poem on the courage of restraint, and the reminder that your story is still being written by the One who never puts down His pen.
Rule No. 18: NEVER BE AFRAID TO GET FIRED
No one wants to be fired, laid off, or rejected. But sometimes being forced out is the only way God calls us up. Rule No. 18 reminds us that closed doors can become open ones, and detours can lead straight to destiny—if we trust Him enough to let go and step forward.
Rule No. 17: YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS CAN BECOME YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH
Your greatest weakness doesn’t have to be your downfall. Through God’s grace, even weakness can become the foundation of your greatest strength.
RULE NO. 16: STRONG ALONE, UNSTOPPABLE TOGETHER
It doesn’t matter how strong you are—where’s your team?
I’ve learned the hard way that isolation can look like strength, but underneath, it’s often a wound wearing armor. We tell ourselves we’re better off alone, that no one understands. But real healing rarely happens in hiding.
For years I called solitude safety. But God showed me the difference between being set apart and being cut off. One leads to restoration. The other to ruin…
Rule No. 13: THE UNDERDOG ATTACK
What do you do when preparation isn’t enough? Rule No. 13 is about the moment the storm hits—and how underdogs fight back with holy confidence, spiritual clarity, and relentless faith, even when the odds are stacked against them.
How to Prepare for the Worst Without Living in Fear: Rule No. 12
Some storms don’t give warnings. They arrive without thunder—just a shift in the air. The silence feels… off.
I’ve learned the hard way: positive thinking is not a substitute for spiritual preparation. True peace isn’t found in the forecast.
It’s found in your foundation.
Preparation is a spiritual rhythm. It’s not fear. It’s wisdom. Because strength isn’t about how perfect your plans are—it’s about how rooted you remain when they fall apart.
Mountain Tops Are Small. And The Air Is Thin: Rule No.6
Success is rented space, and the rent is due every day. The mistake isn’t in the climb—it’s in believing you can stay at the top without effort. In this piece, we explore the nature of success and failure, how to redefine growth, and why champions never stop climbing.
The Cost of Victory: Why Champions Keep Moving Forward: Rule #5
The arena is never empty. The crowd never quiets. Whether I am alone in my room or standing at the precipice of a challenge, I hear them—those voices, spectral and unrelenting. Some belong to those I have known: mentors, friends, skeptics, family. Others are strangers whose words have carved themselves into the marrow of my self-perception, echoing in the chamber of my mind.
They whisper caution. They roar doubt. They ask, again and again, Are you sure?
The Privilege of Pressure: Rule #4
Billie Jean King, the tennis legend and Medal of Freedom recipient, once said: “Pressure is a privilege.”
The first time I heard it, I recoiled. Could pressure really be a privilege? Or was this just another polished mantra designed to reframe hardship as something noble?
But now, I see it clearly.
Ubuntu and the Miracle of Sacrifice: Rule #3
On that January morning eight years ago, I didn’t fully grasp the sacrifices ahead. My focus was singular—a visa, an opportunity, a chance to start anew. I had 24 hours to reach the U.S., 24 hours to arrive in New York, 24 hours to begin my journey at St. John’s University.
Blind Spots and Breakthroughs: Embracing Rule #2
It’s fair to say that at some point, we’ve all been victims. I think it’s also fair to say that we’ve all felt like a victim—whether a victim of circumstance, the patriarchy, the system, or someone else’s actions.
When I first revisited this rule, my knee-jerk reaction was to internalize it and start hastily crafting my defenses. I heard myself say, “Well, Daniel, you’re not a victim. You don’t make yourself a victim. You’re a survivor, a fighter, and resilient. You’re all these things you’ve said about yourself and heard others say about you.”
But instead of leaning into that deceptive comfort, I did what the teacher in me would advise my scholars to do:
Grab the dictionary and define the word.
Read it a few times to fully understand it.
Process it with clarity and intention.