Throughout my journey, I’ve had ups and downs that tested my ability to keep moving. Everyone reaches breaking points. What we do there can reveal our purpose.

Here are eight things about life and business that I wish someone had told me earlier.

Never Be Afraid to Ask.

No question is dumb. It’s actually the ones you don’t know that will guide you to your journey. I’m a high school drop out, so my success comes from asking a lot of dumb questions to a professional in their field. It’s these dumb questions that yield creativity. Life is not about 0s and 1s; it’s about imagination and most importantly your passion.

Stay Humble.

You’re not Jay Z or Beyoncé.

In 2015, our generation was often called narcissistic, egotistical, and self-entitled. That label was never true of everyone, but it made self-awareness even more important.

Experience life. Live in the moment. Put the phone down. Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook can wait.

Fail fast. Learn faster.

As a young professional, you may enter an industry filled with veterans. If you have fewer responsibilities early in your career, use that time to take on challenges that force you out of your comfort zone.

When you do this, you’ll be able to learn more, as you’ll fail at times and be able to regard that failure as a lesson.

The key to failure isn’t to get caught up on the act, but instead, to get caught up on the lesson. When you don’t make a deadline, ask yourself why you didn’t reach it.

Relationships are Everything in Life.

A business isn’t run by algorithms or machines. It’s run by relationships. Business is about trust and you don’t want to lose that.

Nurture these relationships and ensure that they are authentic and full of value. Strive to give more than you take and you’ll win in the long-game.

Your Word is your Honor

Your reputation is everything. Hold on to what you built to get the job and evolve that into something that allows you to stand out as a true leader in your profession.

It’s easy to work your way up the corporate ladder and forget about the things you did to get there. Instead of brushing off appointments, focus on keeping your promises.

If you schedule a meeting, be there for your meeting. It’s called respect. It’s how you get respect from others and it’s how you ensure those around you see you as a quality human being. No one respects someone who doesn’t give it to others.

Things won’t just “work out.”

I’m not sure which phrase bugs me more: “Everything will work out in the end” or “Everything happens for a reason.” Both of these phrases are misused and misunderstood on a daily basis. They instill false hope.

First, no, everything will not always work out in the end. You have to do things to make them work. If you have an important pitch tomorrow, going home early because you’re not interested in working late won’t cut it.

As for everything happening for a reason, it’s the same situation. Yes, everything happens for a reason, but you can influence what those things are. In fact, you can influence what the majority of those things are.

The fact that you’re late for a meeting isn’t because “of a reason”; you’re late because you didn’t manage your time properly. The fact that your company didn’t win that pitch isn’t because “of a reason,” it’s because you didn’t listen to the client’s goals and you could have done better.

If you have the tools and opportunity to act, do not waste them. You control your time and the decisions you make with it. Doing things changes things. It boils down to common sense.

Create your own story.

Society is filled with expectations. Specifically, there are expectations at every stage in our life (college, get a job, marriage, have kids, etc.). Forget that; there are no rules.

Focus on what you really want out of life and don’t let external forces influence what you want to do.

Instead of trying to keep up, take a deep breath and spend some time looking at the person in the mirror. That’s the only person you need to start competing with.

Your Mental Health.

At the same time, don’t let it own you; own it. Own your mental health and well being.

Sometimes, you’re lucky enough to have a support system in place to keep you grounded, but some people aren’t as fortunate.

Focus on your sanity. Focus on what makes you happy. Focus on You.

Most importantly, focus on your life’s purpose. Life is too short to pretend to be someone you were never meant to be.