As long as I can remember, traveling and meeting people have been two of my favorite pastimes. I believe there is nothing more interesting than new faces and new places.

Recently, I traveled across the United States and talked to hundreds of students from all walks of life. I asked them all what they wanted to do when they finished school and almost all of them said the same thing: "I don't know. I want to be successful but I don't know where to start."

These were some of the brightest young people I had ever met. While their intelligence impressed me, their confusion surprised me. I wondered how so many young people could be so unclear about their future.

It is obvious that schools are educating these students. But no one seems to be preparing them for the real world - which is where they will all soon be.

Today, every time you turn around, someone is telling you what not to do: don't do drugs, don't smoke, don't drink, don't sleep `till noon, etc. I have a feeling that you've heard enough about what you can't do. Maybe the time has come to tell you what you can do if you want to succeed.

Now is the time to begin to understand the value of people skills, networking skills, early career preparation, integrity, communication skills, dreams and community service. All of these are critical for anyone who wants to succeed and I believe most teenagers want to succeed.

This book is about the skills of success. It was written for those who want to succeed. What you do now will make a difference. All teenagers are on a journey. It's the same journey that I used to be on. In order for you to succeed on your journey you will need two things - a good education and good preparation.

Schools were built to educate you. This book was written to prepare you to succeed.

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