We can't change our past- history of our birthday, our parents' strategies of raising us, the surroundings in which we grew
up. But it's up to us to look at all those things from a different, more optimistic prospective, and by that to change our present and future. Each of us went through some kind of challenges, and it means that we acquired
experience and learned something important. Try to act and feel like a winner- happy, flexible, able to trust and cooperate, and to allow yourself and the rest of the world be imperfect. Don't be too hard on yourself if you are overweight, not making enough money, don't get promotions as often as others, if your children are not straight A students, if your sibling lives in much bigger house than you do. Do what you can to fix the existing problems, but do it for yourself instead of trying to change what people think of you.
You can stay focused on what is good and praise yourself for every little accomplishment, instead of thinking how far you are from achieving goals; admit that there's nothing wrong with you and with majority of the people you know. Set up only realistic goals. Don't worry about what others expect from you, or what you are supposed to have, do and say. Concentrate on your own tasks, really interesting and exciting. Do what you like and enjoy, even if it's not the most prestigious job. Do your best to get the result you want, but remember that only part of success depends on you. You can show enough
flexibility in choosing the ways of reaching your goals, but sometimes the goal itself needs to be corrected.
Strive for acquiring abilities rather than things. Your inner qualities can't be lost or stolen, unlike material things. In addition, it will contribute to your flexibility: if you weren't appreciated in one place, your experience and accumulated knowledge will be needed in another place.
Make sure that being yourself is much simpler and more fun than trying to play a certain role which other people will like. Live your own life instead of some scenario suggested by some soap opera or best- seller.