In a card game, sometimes you would have the best cards and lose, and other times you would have the worst cards and win. It makes no sense. In much the same way, life is not about the cards you have, it’s about what you do with them.Some people think that if you don’t start off in the right position, you can’t do anything with your life. But, how you use what you have is a mindset. Ella Pickering describes in this talk that we have to believe in our own abilities, trust in our skills, and pursue our goals. My name is Ella Pickering. I was born in Brussels and come from a British/German family. I have been at Frankfurt International School for 9 years. I’ve always been passionate about sharing thoughts and ideas and saw this TEDx talk as an opportunity to create a dialogue around a topic I believe in. In my free time, I am an FIS athlete and performing artist. In my speech, I share my belief that success isn’t necessarily determined by a person’s initial circumstances, but by the choices you make through self-determination, a growth mindset, maintaining a focus, and pursuing your passions. I conclude that effective use of all of your own resources is more important than having “the best cards”. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx