Anton, one of the few good things about getting older is having the benefit of hindsight and experience.

First off, never, ever let anyone discourage you from following a dream.

With that being said, when you shoot for the sky, sometimes luck isn't on your side. For that reason, you have to be very careful that if this happens, it's not catastrophic for you.

Don't go into major debt (or your parents) chasing ratings and short cuts.

Don't shortcut your way through college with a degree that is useless i the real world.

Don't let the idea of flying a 747 around the world blind you to the things in life that will be more important as you get older.

Stability, being paid what you are worth, all these things start coming into focus. You can never have too much info, even when it seems discouraging. For the majority of people, nothing worth having in life is easy. It's up to you to accept the challenge.

Keep your nose clean, make smart decisions, and anything is possible.