There are a lot of other ways to be successful than being academic. You are so much more than the grades you get!

As told to Perel Stone

Dear Readers,

Thank you for following me on my journey from the first grade through adulthood. Maybe you’re thinking, “I wish I had a Mrs. Taub to believe in me, so I could also make friends and do well in school.”

Don’t wait for someone else to believe in you. Believe in yourself! You have so much to offer the world. But I’ve never even met you — so how do I know?

Well, did you wake up this morning? If Hashem put you in this world, that means you have a job to do here. Not only do you have a job — YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE in the world who can do what Hashem put you here to do. No one else in the whole entire world is exactly like you, so you better get to work and be the best YOU that you can be.

Some kids aren’t very good at school and they feel bad about themselves, because even when they try hard, they don’t get good grades. That’s okay — there are a lot of other ways to be successful than being academic. You are so much more than the grades you get!