Worth It

Never underestimate the value of hard work.

Never underestimate the value of figuring out what you want to achieve, and setting yourself up to achieve it.

I am overwhelmed with pride right now.

Pride… in myself.

Now, before you go on thinking me a pretentious, self-centered millennial- allow me to explain.

Five years ago, I was never a go-getter. I was never looked at as someone that would do anything of value in school or career. I was never worried about doing well in work, classes, or anything really.

I was never happy with myself. I was never happy to give a presentation in class. I was never happy to show my work. I was never excited to turn something in. I was never able to accomplish something that made me say, “wow, look at that.”

In short-I was never proud.

A few years later, I have pride in myself.

I am proud of who I have become. I am proud of the mistakes I have made. I am proud of the accomplishments that have come. I am proud of the person I am yet to be.

I am proud, yet I understand that there is still more work to do.

And I am proud of that too.

I understand that although I have come a long way, I have much farther to go. I realize that just because I have attained goals, I can’t stop working toward more. I don’t underestimate the power of working through hardship and starting from the bottom (now I’m here… except not really at all yet, but someday), and I can see now that success is not easy.

Because if it were easy, we’d all do it.

From all of my experiences, I can’t reiterate enough how important taking all opportunities before you and working your ass off in them really is. Through all of my resume building, life changing, and “growing up,” that has been happening in the past year or so, I have realized that the most important thing you need to remember is that it’ll be worth it.

It’s worth it to start from the bottom. It’s worth it to network. It’s worth it to put yourself out there. It’s worth it to maintain your genuineness throughout it all. It’s worth it to not take the easy way out. It’s worth it to work even if there is not a lot of recognition. It’s worth it to push yourself to your limits. It’s worth it.

I’m not saying it won’t suck sometimes. Working until you are falling asleep at your desk and then going to do homework after, spending $5 on gas each time you fill up because that’s literally all you have in your bank account (college probs), having people in your life wonder why you are doing the things that you are doing, being uncertain if what you are doing is beneficial to your future- it’s not easy.

It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. Even if the work doesn’t do exactly what you thought it would for your future (even though it often will), it teaches you something- it helps you in some way.

As I look back on my past years, I can’t help but laugh.

Never would I have thought I would be in the position I am now-driven, accomplishing my goals, being rewarded for hard work. Never would I have thought I would care this much about anything, that I would relish in the possibilities of life so greatly. That I would be so full of life and wonder at the possibilities of hard work.

Never would I have thought that I would be sitting here, right now, typing a blog out of free choice explaining my successes and my pride for all of my friends to see.

Never.