“Oh, Jesus”! I shrieked out as the knife slid through my skin as I endlessly hacked away at the gobs of raw chicken breast I was preparing for tomorrow morning. My face began to pale and every part of my body seemed to go numb, except my mind. Working overtime, my body trailed off into thought, deeming the injury at hand trivial and obsolete. I put the summer before my junior year of high school into perspective. Slaving away all my time, working forty plus hours a week just to take some responsibility and pay a couple of bills every month. I was missing out on social events, family time, and soccer workouts because I made a conscious choice to dedicate myself to the success of a local restaurant called Crunch Bistro. My mindset was wrong.
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Primarily, my manager Johnny, a twenty-one-year-old Mexican-American who worked more diligently and honest than anyone I had ever encountered. He was a college dropout working upwards of sixty hours a week because the university had become too expensive and he was forced to provide for himself. I took notice of his drive and superior work ethic because it sat deep in my stomach, stirring up an introspection of how I had the opportunity to do something great with my life. Beginning to contemplate all I had been blessed with, I was humbled. In other words, I felt minuscule, fragmented compared to this god complex of a coworker who I grew to be dear friends with. He motivated me never to take anything for granted considering a lot of children, especially in foreign countries, will never receive the luxury of a life similar to mine. He said, these children will live and will die jumping for the same opportunities you kick through the dirt. And that’s bullshit. So pick up your self-pity, grow some thick skin, and work for something every single day that you can come home and hang your hat on. Choked up in emotional turmoil, I could only embrace …show more content…
My personal standards reached a new peak. Expecting a lot more out of myself, I strived to be the best at everything. With unwavering drive and determination, recognition and awards ultimately followed the continuous amount of work put in. The results included a varsity starting spot on a state championship contending soccer team, academic honors from my school, and promotions coupled with raises at work. The accolades stacked up, but they would never satisfy me. My gratification came from the process. I fed off my intrinsic motivation, working harder than my competition because I refused to take anything for granted ever again. The personal satisfaction came from knowing I took full advantage of all my opportunities because I owed it to my parents, to Johnny, and most importantly, I owed it to
Primarily, my manager Johnny, a twenty-one-year-old Mexican-American who worked more diligently and honest than anyone I had ever encountered. He was a college dropout working upwards of sixty hours a week because the university had become too expensive and he was forced to provide for himself. I took notice of his drive and superior work ethic because it sat deep in my stomach, stirring up an introspection of how I had the opportunity to do something great with my life. Beginning to contemplate all I had been blessed with, I was humbled. In other words, I felt minuscule, fragmented compared to this god complex of a coworker who I grew to be dear friends with. He motivated me never to take anything for granted considering a lot of children, especially in foreign countries, will never receive the luxury of a life similar to mine. He said, these children will live and will die jumping for the same opportunities you kick through the dirt. And that’s bullshit. So pick up your self-pity, grow some thick skin, and work for something every single day that you can come home and hang your hat on. Choked up in emotional turmoil, I could only embrace …show more content…
My personal standards reached a new peak. Expecting a lot more out of myself, I strived to be the best at everything. With unwavering drive and determination, recognition and awards ultimately followed the continuous amount of work put in. The results included a varsity starting spot on a state championship contending soccer team, academic honors from my school, and promotions coupled with raises at work. The accolades stacked up, but they would never satisfy me. My gratification came from the process. I fed off my intrinsic motivation, working harder than my competition because I refused to take anything for granted ever again. The personal satisfaction came from knowing I took full advantage of all my opportunities because I owed it to my parents, to Johnny, and most importantly, I owed it to