By: The Soho Loft Editorial Team
 Success doesn’t always come easy. Take it from Abbe “DieHardBirdie” Borg. Being the reigning senior world champion on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) at age 78 is not an easy feat, but DieHardBirdie serves as an example of gaining success in spite of one’s age. 

Here are the 10 tenets Abbe lives by which motivated him to win the championship:
1.“Success has no age limit. We are never too old or too young to learn and succeed.”
I am 78 years old and the reigning world champion in Counter-Strike for gray gamers. What’s your excuse? We are never too old or too young to learn. Get your grandparents to check me out and inspire them to engage the youth and not dismiss eSports!
2.“I don’t hope for it. I go for it.”
Don’t get me wrong. Hope is a good thing. But too many people only hope things will change or get better. And that’s all they do. Don’t just hope to become a better person, be a better person. Don’t just hope to get in better shape, get in better shape. Don’t just hope to win, win it. Don’t just hope, GO FOR IT.
3. “Set goals that excite you and scare you at the same time.”
Big goals are scary! But big, crazy, wild goals make life more enjoyable, exciting, and fulfilling. Do you know why? Big goals cause us to swell up our vision — we strengthen our moorings and cause us to make long term improvements. In the process, we develop great habits, become more positive, and become better versions of ourselves. I’m glad I didn’t stop making big goals in spite of my old age. Big, scary goals keep me young, excited, and fulfilled. It doesn’t matter if I reach them or not. The juice is in the journey.
4.“No one ever achieved greatness by playing it safe.”
Do you know what it means to throw off the bowlines? The bowlines must be thrown off where they are attached so that the ship can move away from the dock. Ships aren’t made to stay on the dock. So sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Discover. By the way, Mark Twain did NOT say that. Can you guess who?
5. “Prepare while others play around.” 
How often have you been unprepared? That job interview. That dinner. That virus. Many things take us by surprise. Life is spontaneous, unprompted, and seemingly random. If we’re prepared, we can jump to the next plan and adapt to change when things go out of whack as they sometimes will. I wasn’t just playing around before joining the world championship for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, I came prepared for it. Prepare to make and do things that might seem pointless at first. Don’t just stare blankly at the ceiling. Don’t just play. Go and be prepared.
6. “Success is not ‘lucky,’ success is built.”
Yes, my success came from daily practicing and playing for hours for the last 4 years. Success comes from projecting and hard work. My fellow elderly and young, you can also become a champion…in gaming or in life.
7. “An obstacle is often a stepping stone.”
In life, we’re always told to be ready. A soccer match today. A game tomorrow. An exam the next. Life throws challenges at us every single day. Sometimes, life pitches us a curveball. An unexpected turn and things go wrong. Embrace the challenge. Life is hard. But learn to die hard and play hard.
8. “Stay positive, work hard, and make it happen.”
Today was a 2-hour session and I had to work really hard to get some really good plays on Twitch. I’d say the majority of the plays today were lousy. Yet 4 sessions really worked out tremendously well for me; incidentally 2 more than yesterday. The lesson I learned 70 years ago: just keep trying, repeating, and enjoying the moment … This way we die hard.
9. “We all fall. Only a few get back up.”
Are you stuck in a rut? Our lives improve only when we take chances. Fear not in taking chances on yourself. When you fall, just get up. When I took a chance in video gaming, I was butt-kicked a gazillion times. But I just keep on getting up. I still do. Remember, life is a numbers game. We all fall but only a few get up.
10. “Your dream does not have an expiration date.”
Dare to dream. And no, don’t give up on them. If at any point, those dreams slip off your hands, grab the courage to dream again. Stretch the old or make new ones. After all, there’s no expiry date. Take it from me, I’m just your oldest video game world champion.
There will be obstacles along the road to success but don’t let it stop you. As DieHardBirdie puts it, you have to be patient, work hard, and overcome these hardships to succeed in life. 
If these quotes have motivated you, please share it with your friends and loved ones.
Abbe “DieHardBirdie” Borg can be reached at .moc.liamg%40eidribdraheid Follow him on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch.