1. Ready for the Test
It issafe to say that the strugglesof youngadulthoodusuallyexposesthe
true compositionof anindividual.Withthe experiencesandlessonstaughtfrom
realityinadolescence,aperson'scharacteristestedwhenintroducedtothe
more taxingparts of life asa youngadult.The constanttrialsof expanding
responsibilitiesare animportantbreakthroughone mustsurvivetodiscover
theirweaknessesandstrengths,personality,andinnergoalssothat theymay
continue toendure ascapable humanbeings.EventhoughIhad justenteredthe
prologue of myadulthood,mydailylife broughtme closertodiscoveringmyown
traitsand potential thankstowhateventstranspiredrecentlyinmylife.Asa
result,Iam more aware of the advantages I have ininstancesthatinvolve
large amountsof stress,challenges,communication,adaptingtochanging
environmentsanddemandforknowledge indiverse situations.Igainedall this
due to workinga full-time jobwhile attendingschool,continuingmyeducation
voluntarilyasapastime,workinginself-governedjobsforadditional income
and improvingmyself asahobby.
One trait I've gainedfrommyoccupationisa resistance tomassive amountsof
stressor enhancedphysical andmental labor,makingitlessof aweightonmy
shoulders.Fromthe verybeginningof mystartto college,the slate waswiped
clean,startingeverythingoverasI movedawayfrommy hometowninMcKinney,
TX. I had movedawayfrommy friends,mostof myfamily,mysurroundingsand
had to become acclimatedwithawhole new worldcalledFortWorth.Itwasn't
all as horrible asI thoughtit wouldbe since Ifoundmytime usedforhanging
out withfriendscouldbe divertedintotime forstudyingformyclassesat

2. Tarrant CountyCommunity College.Thattime soonbecame scarce though,asI had
to start searchingfora job to helpsustainmygrowingresponsibilities.For
almosta year,I had beenworkinganovernightshiftforAmazonatone of its
fulfillmentcentersthatwasalmostanhour's drive awayfrommy home.Itwas
loud,physically-demandingandminddeterioratingworkthatlastedforten
hourseverydayfor fourdays a week.A brandnew college studentsigningup
for a joblike thatsoundslike completeinsanity butIhad chosenAmazonfora
good
reason.One of the corporation'smany charitable benefitsisthe offertopay
for the employee'sclassesplusthree sharesof Amazon'sstock,estimatedata
little overthree thousanddollars atthe time,once they've workedthereforayear and
that waswhat I was hopingtoachieve.Despitethe lossof more thanforty
hoursa weektoa brainlessjob,the occupationdidn'tseemlike abaddeal,
but waituntil Iadd inthe elementof school.Underall the stressof a
warehouse jobthatwasmilesawayfromwhere Ilived,Ialsomanageda full
school workload,orfourclasseseveryterm.My unwaveringdesire torush
throughthe earlystagesof college andprepare fortransfertoa university
appearedtobe the mainthingthat drove me throughall the madness.Beinga
bitof an overachieverthough,Iwasn'tsatisfiedwithbarelymakingitbywith
the minimumeffortrequiredbutexcelledinbothworkandschool.Withall of
the physical andmental chaosensuinguponmybodyeachday, I managedto doan
excellentperformance atAmazonandbe promotedtoa techfieldcalledAmnesty.
Alongwiththat,I workedhardenoughat Tarrant CountyCommunityCollege tobe
acceptedintoboththe International Dean'sListSociety andthe Phi Theta
KappaHonor Society.Asif I feltIdidn'treceive enoughpainandsuffering,I

3. alsoappliedmyself inwintermester,maymesterandsummerclassesinwhichboth
school and workactuallyrequiredalongeramountof time assignedtothem.
Altogether,the dailyslavingfromone place toanothergrantedme a greater
resilience tohighlystressful situationsandallowedme toexercisequality
time managementskills.
Duringmy time incommunitycollege,Ihadalreadygainedasetof
responsibilitiesthatIwasmeantto be accountedfor.I wasin charge of my
gas, car insurance,a portionof mycar payment,andmycollege savingsof two
hundreddollarsaweek,whichmade savingupforanythingelse nearly
impossible.Thiscausedme tolookfor additional waysof gainingincome andin
turn helpedme learnskillsandcooperate withco-workersinfieldsIwould
have neverseenmyself employedin,suchassalesmarketingandevencomputer
programming.The firstside jobIhad beenintroducedtowas a healthand
fitnesssupplementationcompanycalledAdvocare thatwasintroducedtome bya
friend.Iwasattracted to the ideaof talkingtostrangersabout productsthat
couldhelptheirbodiesinanywaytheycouldhave possiblywantedanddidthat
very thing.The companyevengave me a website,givingme asmall taste of a
self-governedbusinessthatisbasedsolelyonmydecisions.Itookthe time to
go out to publicgatheringslike the mall totalktopeople,handoutbusiness
cards, and evenorganizedafree itemgiveawaywithmyco-workerstoincrease
our numberof customers.Itwas a unique experience,andIevengotpaidforit
a fewtimes,butI didn'tletitconsume as muchas my time as YouTube did.I
don't meanI wastedtime watchingpointless videos,butteachingmyself
computerprogramminginJavawiththe channel "thenewboston".Igainedalarge
interestinthe algorithmsincode-makingandhope toapplyitlaterinthe

4. future towardsappsand gamesthat can earn itsownprofit.Astime went by,I
gaineda passionforwantingtoalwayshave an additional source of income and
evenstarteddelvingintostocks.IwouldreadintocompaniesthatIfeltI had
the most relative knowledge of suchasSonyand made my ownprojectionsof
their
future yield.Allof these extremelydifferingfieldsgave me atidbitof
familiarityinmore thanjustone aspectof somethingandmakes me more adaptable
to a changingenvironment.
Aside fromall the "extra-curricular"activitiesIputmyself into,Istill
cravededucationandadvancementinsome of mysocial propertiessuchas
speakingefficientlyandworkingout.Findingwaystoimprove myself uponand
gettingpreparedfora life full of responsibilityandtestsof self-control
became somewhatof ahobby.Aftermynightshiftat work,I forcedmyself into
a routine of goingto the gym so earlyinthe morningI wasusuallythe only
one there.Itwas veryhard at timestopush throughmyinhibitionsandexcuses
to maintainaworkoutschedule,butIpulleditoff anddevelopedmyown
self-confidencefromit.ThankstoAmazon,I wouldalwaysspota goodbook
abouthow to effectivelyparticipate insocial conversationsorwaysto remain
financiallysecureandIwouldsetupa listof booksto read.Thanksto one
novel called"The DefinitiveBookof BodyLanguage"byAllanand Barbara Pease,
I was able topractice the art of bodylanguage perceptionandcultivate myown
charisma.Finally,since Iplanonbecome anActuarywithknowledge in
accounting,Idecidedtotake up a great exercise onmyown.My friendsbackin
my hometownhadbeengivenacompanycalledEscobarLandscapingwithrunning
assetsand evenemployees.Itwasstill averybasicbusinessbutIvolunteered

5. increatinga monthly reportonExcel tohelpthemunderstand theirfinancial properties
and allowthemtoformulate plansfortheiramateurbusiness.Overall,Ihardly
everletmybrainrest evenwhenitprobablyneededtoandI acquireda sortof
fascinationwithwantingtobecome ajackof all trades.
Movingto a newcityreallyallowedme todiscovermyadvantagesinlong-term
stress,differingenvironmentsandfields,andmyhungerforknowledge and
experience.Those fewyearstryingoutnew thingsandworkinghardmade me even
more confidentinmyfuture andincreasedmyexcitementof the unknown
exponential growthIhave yettoendure.Despite the sacrificesthatwere made
to gatherall of these skills,myperspective isthatthere isstill more than
enoughtime inlife to sitbackand relax.Now Iknow I am much more prepared
than some individualsmyage forthe upcomingmetaphorical testof greater
independence.