Dear Talia,

Your open letter has received national attention. This is a great lesson in “the power of the pen”. Published words matter and people do notice what you write and share.

You’re taking quite a bit of heat. You lost your job and people are labeling you as a whiny, lazy millennial… and you deserve it because this is exactly how you branded yourself in your article. Accept this.

The good news is you can use the criticism in your favor. Use it to fuel you. Be angry about it. Get pissed. Anger can be a great motivator if it is harnessed correctly.

It’s up to you to change your circumstances. Everything you need to improve your situation is already inside of you. I encourage you put on your big girl pants and work relentlessly to create your own success.

Find what I call a “success model”. Someone you admire and who has achieved the type of success you want to achieve. Then dissect everything about them and learn how they did it. Read their books. Create a Google Alert about them. Watch YouTube videos about them. Study them intensely. I assure you they have left clues on how they did it.

Read every comment other post about your article, including mine… and use the negative ones to ignite the fire in your belly to become everything you want to be.

Create a “want statement”. Write down everything you want to be, have and do in this life. Avoid generic statements such as “I want to be happy” or “I want to have peace of mind”. Be specific such as “I want to be debt free by January 1, 2018” or “I want my own apartment by age 27”. Create a plan how you will achieve these goals, then work tirelessly to achieve them. Keep track of your progress… and setbacks.

Train your body to require less sleep. Get up earlier and use these hours to work towards your goals. Eat better. Exercise more.

Please post another article in a year and let us know where you’re at. Use this experience to reinvent yourself. You can do it.

I believe in you.

Joshua