I discovered TRP over the summer and felt inspired to go Monk after reading through the sidebar / top posts. It's been a really hard two years for me, so I wrote up a mantra that I read to myself every morning and every night.

I hope someone out there finds a bit of inspiration from it. This is my small way of giving back to the community.

"I am going to treat [my uni] not as a social obligation, but rather as a place to foster a better me: intellectually, emotionally, physically and wholly.

I do not need to fear seeing things or people that remind me of the past. And, when thinking about the past, I will be fair to myself and use previous mistakes as a means for self-improvement.

There are many people I blame, myself included, for all of the turmoil or trouble I have come across, but what/who was or is right or wrong is irrelevant now. The only thing that matters is whether or not I can take responsibility for my own happiness, self-esteem, and self-confidence, and thereby fix my issues and become a better person - for myself.

I am an ambitious person, and I have shackled myself for too long. I want to change the world. Everything I do, every small step I take, is aimed at that goal. I will accomplish small things along the way, like making small talk with someone I don't know, or asking a girl out who I've never met, but these things will take time and I must be patient with myself.

For now, the focus is on reading, getting fit, becoming confident, perfecting my skills, and more.

Today, and every future day I spend at [my uni], will be about me, and only me."