The Summer That Changed Everything
How many times have we heard the phrase “If you work hard enough, you can achieve anything” and thought that’s just something people say, but not something that is actually true? Probably a lot.
Throughout our lives there are limits placed on our potential for success, whether by external forces telling us that we can’t do something or our own internal voices mimicking them with: “That’s not possible”, “You can’t do that” or “Try something more suited to your skills”. These excuses have become so commonplace in my head that I have actually accepted them as part of my life. Once I accept them, I stop noticing that they are there and I let them dictate what type of job I can apply for. I end up in jobs with minimal responsibility and even less job satisfaction.
It occurred to me the other day that I have had 17 jobs in the past 11 years, most of them service or retail jobs, and not one of them lasted more than six or nine months. That is not a great track record. I recently started to ask myself why this has been the case? Why have I pursued my academic career with such vigour and determination and yet still be satisfied with mediocrity at work? Why haven’t I gone after the more challenging jobs that require a higher skillset? The answer was simple: I didn’t believe that I was qualified enough to take on those challenges. The fear of failure and the acceptance of my limits led me into jobs that did not fulfil me or bring me happiness.
Something changed in me this summer with Vector Marketing Canada that made me perceive these fears and limitations in a different way. For the first time in my life, I am in a job where the only person keeping me accountable to my work and my goals is myself. When I am the only one motivating and pushing myself to success, I have to confront those fears and limitations head on and decide whether or not they will control my life. I have decided that they categorically will not. I have decided to change my belief and this has led to a change in my behaviour. I still have fears. We all do. The difference now is that I am more aware of them and I am less willing to let them control me.
The strengths I possess today will propel me forward in everything I do in the future, but my fears still hold me back. I truly believe that the Vector opportunity can give me the tools I need to confront my fears head on and I know that with dedication and hard work I can learn how to be the best version of myself. I never want to settle for mediocrity ever again. I want to be the best. Today I am not the best version of myself but the difference between the me of yesterday and the me of today is that I can see those fears. I know where they live and I’m going to hunt them down and take them out. One. By. One.
Throughout our lives there are limits placed on our potential for success, whether by external forces telling us that we can’t do something or our own internal voices mimicking them with: “That’s not possible”, “You can’t do that” or “Try something more suited to your skills”. These excuses have become so commonplace in my head that I have actually accepted them as part of my life. Once I accept them, I stop noticing that they are there and I let them dictate what type of job I can apply for. I end up in jobs with minimal responsibility and even less job satisfaction.
It occurred to me the other day that I have had 17 jobs in the past 11 years, most of them service or retail jobs, and not one of them lasted more than six or nine months. That is not a great track record. I recently started to ask myself why this has been the case? Why have I pursued my academic career with such vigour and determination and yet still be satisfied with mediocrity at work? Why haven’t I gone after the more challenging jobs that require a higher skillset? The answer was simple: I didn’t believe that I was qualified enough to take on those challenges. The fear of failure and the acceptance of my limits led me into jobs that did not fulfil me or bring me happiness.
Something changed in me this summer with Vector Marketing Canada that made me perceive these fears and limitations in a different way. For the first time in my life, I am in a job where the only person keeping me accountable to my work and my goals is myself. When I am the only one motivating and pushing myself to success, I have to confront those fears and limitations head on and decide whether or not they will control my life. I have decided that they categorically will not. I have decided to change my belief and this has led to a change in my behaviour. I still have fears. We all do. The difference now is that I am more aware of them and I am less willing to let them control me.
The strengths I possess today will propel me forward in everything I do in the future, but my fears still hold me back. I truly believe that the Vector opportunity can give me the tools I need to confront my fears head on and I know that with dedication and hard work I can learn how to be the best version of myself. I never want to settle for mediocrity ever again. I want to be the best. Today I am not the best version of myself but the difference between the me of yesterday and the me of today is that I can see those fears. I know where they live and I’m going to hunt them down and take them out. One. By. One.
Kreig Yeh
Jacqueline Wright
Brittany Steeves
Chloe Elliott
Jordan Baptie
Sarah Baker Andrus