I have great potential. That is something that I've been told basically all of my life. I don't say it to brag, or to put myself above others. Everyone has great potential. We just have to know how to reach it.
I learned how to work hard when I was young, and it's something that has stuck with my throughout my life. And this is something I really feel will help me to get there.
This was most evident in school, where I devoted a lot of time, effort, and thinking. So much so, that my parents had to discontinue their agreement of $100 for every straight A report card. (I'd be rich by now!) I loved the satisfaction that came from successfully completing projects and fully understanding concepts. I strove to make my parents, myself, and my teachers proud! Some of my teachers realized my dedication, and were constantly encouraging and pushing me. I felt closer to them appreciated their dedication to their students.
One of these teachers happened to come into my work today, and I couldn't help but feel about 2 feet tall! I could tell he was surprised to see me there, but maintained a polite composure as he asked "So this is where you are now?"
Honestly I was probably judging myself way more then he was me. I never really imagined myself working right out of high school, and especially not at a fast food joint. (Sorry, Fan Food not Fast Food™.) My plan was always to just go to University.
But the reality is, Life Isn't Free. I have to work to be able to get anywhere. And I am! I am working, and I will be going places! I'm working two jobs, anywhere from 30 to 50 hours a week, so that I can create a future for myself and meet my goals. If I'm completely honest, I would tell you how most days I think of quitting. That I tell myself it's only temporary and a stepping stone to what I really want to be doing. If it wasn't, I can honestly say I wouldn't be there.
If life was free, if I didn't have to pay for anything, I would be in school right now. I would have gotten a whole year in before my mission, and would go back immediately when I get home. But I still am going to Nursing School. I will still get a University degree, and nothing can change that! I'm just doing it slightly differently then society expects me to.
I am so excited for my future career! I literally feel so much excitement every time I think about it. Nothing will ever get in my way of that! But I know I am suppose to go to Mexico first. I'm not serving a mission because my friends are doing it, or to avoid going to school. I'm going because I know that it is something I am suppose to do. Because I know of the peace and the joy that is found in the gospel. And that the skills I am going to learn there, and the experiences I am going to have will better prepare me for my future and help me reach my potential than anything else.
My first elementary school's motto was "Follow Your Dreams" and that is exactly what I plan on doing.
