16 Things Every Young Person Should Know

After a lifetime spent in the high-performance arena — from military service to elite sport, from coaching businesses to building my own life brick by brick — I’ve noticed patterns. Habits that lift people up. Mindsets that hold them back. And most importantly, principles that separate those who succeed from those who spin their wheels. Whether I was working with soldiers in combat zones, athletes chasing world titles, or young people looking to turn their life around, the truth never really changed — it just showed up in different ways. Here are 16 things every young person should know — lessons learned through experience, failure, grit, and growth. They’re not soft. They’re not sugar-coated. But they are real.

1. Your looks might spark curiosity or interest… But your discipline, your edge, your consistency — that’s what earns respect in a room full of grown adults.

2. Being a ‘good’ person isn’t enough. If you’re not useful, respected or strong, the world will walk over you while calling you ‘nice’.

3. You can’t heal in the same environment that broke you. Staying for comfort will cost you your future. Leave. Rebuild. Evolve.

4. Comfort is a leash around your brain. It numbs your drive. Dulls your edge. Kills your fight. No-one becomes powerful addicted to comfort.

5. The world owes you nothing. But you owe yourself everything — effort, honesty, discipline, and a refusal to give up.

6. You won’t always be motivated. But if you stay consistent, you’ll beat 90% of people still waiting for “the right time.”

7. Friends who mock your growth are anchors. You’re not “changing” — you’re evolving. Let them stay stuck while you move forward.

8. Emotional control is power. Lose your temper, lose the battle. Stay composed, win the war.

9. Nobody is coming to save you. The sooner you become your own hero, the stronger and freer you’ll become.

10. Entitlement is poison. Kill it early. The real world doesn’t reward potential — it rewards results.

11. If you want a different life, you need different habits. Your daily actions are your future in disguise.

12. How you do anything is how you’ll do everything. Sloppy with the small stuff? You’ll be sloppy with the big stuff too.

13. Not all pain is bad. Discomfort is the price of growth. Choose your suffering: the one that breaks you, or the one that builds you.

14. Your attention is your most valuable currency. Where it goes, your life follows. Spend it wisely — not on drama, gossip, or distraction.

15. Your standards will decide your future. Raise them. For who you date. How you train. What you tolerate. Especially from yourself.

16. People may doubt your words, but they’ll believe your actions. Talk less. Show more. Prove it in the grind, not your posts.

So What Now?

Young people don’t need more lectures. They need guidance. They need lived experience. And they need to be shown a better way — not just told.

At the Building Better Humans Project, we’re not here to sugarcoat the truth. We’re here to equip the next generation with tools that actually work — mentally, emotionally, and physically.

We run camps, mentorships, and real-world programs that develop confidence, resilience, and clarity. Because the earlier someone learns these 16 principles, the faster they can build a life they’re proud of — not one they settle for.

If you’re raising a young person, leading a team, or are one yourself — lean in. The world isn’t getting softer. But you can get stronger.

We can help. Let’s build better humans.