I recently was asked, "who is the smartest person you know"? I quickly knew my answer, my paternal grandmother. To me, Smartest does not equate to GPA or your highest level of education; it is something greater than that. My grandma did not go to college or speak with perfect grammar, but she had something that all the educational systems could not provide; that was her outlook on life. She had endured life altering situations, yet kept the fire inside of her alive to keep going. Her husband died when she was 37, leaving her with 4 kids. She was a homemaker that quickly pulled up her bootstraps and began working 2 cafeteria jobs to provide for her family. Then, her eldest son died 15 years later. Still, this woman had such a positive mindset and never a negative word to say. This is a gift she passed on to my father, who also continued to see the bright side of things no matter how bad it seemed. Now, I have been given the ability to look a life's obstacles as road bumps, not blocks. So many people use their past as an excuse for their behavior. Whether its anger, drug/alcohol addictions, or lack of drive it's an easy outlet and society tends to justify this if you have had a troubled upbringing. Listening to this podcast featuring Derek Clark reminded me of my grandma and I wanted to pass along the very important message that if you have the will to accomplish something, IQ, money, social status, or anything else does not have the power to hinder your determination.