Life Experience Feel That I

Life Experience feel that I am very fortunate, because I was able to discover these things through learning in a work environment. Most people who learn about these things - if they learn about them at all - learn them in a schooling environment. They do not come through in quite the same way that they do in the "real world" and so the lesson goes unlearned. Even though I did not really handle the entire job situation as well as I could have, I was able to think about what was taking place and try to work it out as easily as I could. Because I had the chance to do that, I had a much greater learning experience than I might have had if I was great at my job and never had any concerns about it. Sometimes, taking the chance on a job or remaining on one when you aren't sure if it is really for you is the way to learn what you need to know.

It was unfortunate, though, that my boss did not have better people skills. If he would have been more skilled at working with others, I would not have been so nervous about doing my job, and there is a chance that I would have performed better. However, I don't blame him at all. People simply are who they are. Instead of worrying about what he should have been working on or doing differently, it is easier for me to spend time thinking about what I should be doing differently. By so doing, I can grow as a person, and the next time I have a difficult boss to work with, I'll have a better idea of what I should do to work with that person.

Bosses are not the only concerns for people in the working world, either. There are other employees, clients, vendors, and many more people that one might find himself or herself having to work with. By knowing who I actually am, I am better equipped to deal with others. This was a relatively hard lesson to learn, but it likely would not have been accomplished if it wasn't for the job that I had at SAO and all of the different individuals that I was able to work with. Some of them treated me well and some of them did not. I learned that I couldn't change how others treated me - but I could change how I reacted to it.

Summary

Personal growth is so important today, and there are books and DVDs dedicated to it, but reading something from a book or seeing it on the TV is not the same as living it. Since I was able to live through many different experiences, I feel I've had the chance to experience a lot more of life than many people in my same age group have been able to enjoy. Through backpacking through Europe, working at SAO, being involved in college classes that taught me about life as well as specific subjects, and countless other activities that I've been involved with during my life, I have learned an amazing number of things about people. Most importantly, though, I have learned about myself. This journey of self-discovery is something that many people fail to experience. I have seen older people that have seemed to go through their entire life without ever really looking inside to find out who they are. It actually makes me sad. There is so much more to life than what most people see.

For me, the personal growth that most people think of is only part of the issue, however. Personal growth is often thought to be a "feel good" term that actually means very little. I believe what the term means is different for everyone. For me, it is not just about knowing 'who I am,' although that is part of it. It is also about knowing where my strengths and weaknesses are, and knowing what to do about them. The strengths that I have should be increased as much as possible, and the weaknesses that I have should be eliminated. However, a lot of weaknesses cannot actually be eliminated. They are part of a person's character, and some of them might only be weaknesses in a particular situation. Other issues that are always weaknesses, however, such as being rude to others, always coming in late, or procrastinating are areas that should be worked on so that an individual will not find himself or herself in serious trouble with employers and others.

There are some skills, however, such as being able to communicate well with others and being a good listener that are helpful in virtually any job. These kinds of skills should be cultivated because they never go out of style and they can always be useful. While eliminating weaknesses is important, working on the strengths that an individual has is equally important. The people skills that I learned through all of the experiences that I had have helped me to work with individuals that I never really thought I would be able to work with. Some of these individuals were difficult and demanding, and others clearly knew more than I did and were condescending about it. Despite any of this, however, being able to speak to individuals and listen to them can go a long way toward making others feel that they are important and that their opinion is valued.