EN ESPAÑOL

Derek's Values

Have you ever looked into a kaleidoscope - one of those toys that looks like a spyglass? When you first peer through it you see a mass of color. The more closely you look, the more you twist and turn it, the brighter and sharper each individual colored piece seems.

As young as I am, I've done a lot of thinking about what may have helped me get where I am today. I guess you could say I've looked at my life through a spyglass of sorts. At first, the colors were all jumbled up but the more closely I looked, the more obvious the different pieces became.

I'm a very proud New York Yankee with four World Championship rings! I'm also a person who knows who I am and what is truly important in my life. It starts with my family and what my parents intentionally set out to teach me. And then there's what I've learned unintentionally from my family simply because of who they are as individuals and the kind of family we've become.

However, that's not much help to you! My hope is that the following 10 "Life Lessons for Achieving Your Dreams," which have guided my life, may also help guide you. At the very least, maybe they'll help you explore how you can be more successful in your own life and in your own way.

When a life lesson helps you and you want to know how a particular lesson has affected my life, you can find more details in my book, "The Life You Imagine" by me, Derek Jeter, and Jack Curry.

1. Set high goals
2. Deal with growing pains
3. Find role models
4. The world isn't always fair
5. Don't be afraid to fail
6. Have a strong supporting cast
7. Be serious, and have fun
8. Think before you act
9. Be a leader, follow the leader
10. Life is a daily challenge