My father taught me to be skeptical.

Middlebury taught me how to interact with the rich.

And seemingly every day since I’ve gone to school, even if it hasn’t taken place in a classroom.

I just listened to Tom Brokaw on David Axelrod’s podcast. He was telling the story of questioning President Nixon about executive privilege. Dick’s handlers accosted him after the press conference and asked him how dare he, treat the President that way. Tom said he’d done the scholarship, had they?

Intimidation… It doesn’t only happen on the schoolyard. Bullies are everywhere. And you don’t want your mommy to complain to the principal, you have to learn how to stand up to them, they’re often paper tigers.

But I get scared.

But now I won’t be as much.

Irving Azoff taught me not to be insulted by the offer, it’s just a starting point.

Marty Albertson taught me when the economy is tanking, you go for market share. Which is why when the Dow Jones crashes the pros buy, because they know it will go back up.

They also have cash to burn. You’ve got to have cash to burn. If you’re looking after every last dollar you’re not gonna get ahead.

And although you have a responsibility to aid those less fortunate, America is a jungle where it’s every person for themselves and if you don’t learn the hard lessons you’re gonna end up on the sidelines. Those who complain they just weren’t born with the talent or the skills or the right parents are left out of the game to their detriment. Each of us has own special gifts, you too can triumph, if you continue to educate yourself.

My shrink taught me how to get along. That no one gets to be themselves 24/7, that I’m in control of my own life, I get to interact however I want to, what choices can I make that will behoove me?

And my dad taught me…

Being a member of the group is overrated.

But being a member of the group is everything.

And if that sounds contradictory, the point is you need friends to survive, but don’t jump off a bridge just because they did.

My father taught me to search for the truth. This is a skill especially helpful in Hollywood, where everybody’s full of crap, putting up a good image. If the person has no visible means of support yet drives a Mercedes… They have a rich father or are up to their neck in debt. And the media prints the legend, because oftentimes the truth is too disillusioning.

And as I get older I keep peeling back the layers of the onion. I’m constantly learning new tricks, gaining new insights.

But time is running out.

My education lags my career. If only I knew then what I know now.

Like commitment is everything in relationships. Sure, sex and attraction are important. And never rule out money, it’s the number one relationship killer. But having someone who’ll stick by you through thick and thin, that’s key.

We get dazzled by looks, we can’t see through the skin, so we oftentimes make bad choices.

And sometimes we’re so worried we’re gonna make mistakes that we make no choices at all.

Book learning is cool. You’ve got to know how to read and write, er, type. Even more important is the power of analysis. The mark of an educated man is one who can hold two competing thoughts in his brain at the same time. You’d be surprised how few can do this, it’s what separates the men from the boys, it’s what you learn at elite institutions. If you’re going to college to make money…there are easier ways.

So it’s thrilling to uncover the truth on seemingly a daily basis. To tear down icons in my mind and realize I’ve got the chops, I can play.

And then I learn something new and feel so stupid. Now I get how it works. If only I knew then…

Too many people will tell you they have the answers. You can put your faith in a guru, you can read endless self-help books. But nothing equates with personal experience. We’re all individuals and we all have lessons to impart.

You’re on your own.

But that’s the game of life.

We can all play, if we realize the adventure is about lessons. Wisdom is gained through experience. Signposts are everywhere. You’ve just got to open your mind.

And apply yourself.

My father always told me to apply myself.