An optimal experience and life is not something that just happens to you through an abundance of wishful thinking; it depends on skills you have acquired that allow you to reach peak states of perfor- mance. You are required to set the conditions in your life that will swing things in your favor, and commitment and dedicated hard work are the means to achieve that end. We often recoil from hard work because we are used to other people telling us what to do in exchange for financial reward. But if you really want to excel in your life it takes blood, sweat, tears, and many failures to realize your full potential.