I'm Jack, and the reason you're reading this is to find out what that means, right? Who is Jack?
I have 11 brothers and sisters. And though that’s unimaginable to some, to me, I can't imagine anything different.
I grew up with three older brothers, and that's where I got my fire.
In a house of four boys, Rule One is to find the place to wrestle where mom can't hear. A healthy fear of mom is necessary. Rule Two is don't make Jack cry, or else he'll quit and tell mom (see Rule One).
And though we all grew up and stopped fighting, something about being the punching bag for 13 years gave me a different perspective on success:
It's okay to cry, but it's not okay to quit.
Life doesn't pull its punches, like my brothers did. Life will hit you square in the mouth in front of god and everyone, and then it'll beg you to quit. It's not bad if you want to quit, and it's not bad if you cry. But at some point, it's up to you to stand back up and shake the dirt from your shirt, because life will hit you again. But this time you'll be ready for it.
Living in a large family has shown me lesson after lesson, but most importantly, that one. Life doesn't stop moving, and as soon as you do, you've lost. Don't stop, and don't quit. Even if you cry a little bit.