Old-time sailors would sometimes get the phrase “hold fast” tattooed across their fingers. It was a reminder to stay vigilant in gripping the rigging of the ship. Without grasping the ropes firmly, a sailor could get a ship off course, or be himself swept overboard by wind and wave. I live by the core principle to hold fast to my values and vision of who I am and where I am going, even when hit with the storms of setbacks. To maintain our grip on the ropes of our values, we need reminders written not on our hands, but in the books we read, the habits we perform and the hearts of those we love and befriend.