My experience in being labeled and practicing being a "good listener" has greatly impacted my life, especially in entering adulthood. I have grown up a relatively shy person & when I do get to opening up to new people, I regularly receive feedback on being such a great listener. This was something quite intuitive for me since I was very young, so I did not fully grasp the perspective of others noticing my good-listening. Once in high school, I became heavily involved in the choir program. Listening was taught to us as something very integral to a good choral performance. What I learned was the value of taking in the information of your surroundings. Understanding what is coming out of those around you will better inform how to deliver a unified and more well-crafted "sound" from oneself. I phrase this teaching from my choir director in a broader sense with the intent of showing that choir was so meaningful to me because the lessons learned apply to everyday life, too. This is when I began seeing why being a good listener was relevant to all types of relationships and communication. I was able to further my strength in listening for the sake of personal growth and creating more meaningful conversations with others. Conversations where both parties feel heard and know what valuable perspectives they bring to the table lead to stronger connections and more likely leaving a long-lasting and insightful impression. Growing up to automatically seek out deeper intent and meaning behind what others were saying was useful, but once I truly learned to utilize the skill and hold it with pride, I gained empathy for myself & took value in factoring-in not just what others had to say but what I could be listening to within myself as well.

I find the lesson "Don't Wait To Start" as it applies to personal finances very fundamental as a young adult entering my independent life. Get to working a part-time job at 16, start putting away savings at every opportunity, and open your first credit card at 18 to start building your credit score. These are all examples of crucial pillars for creating successful and satisfying personal finance. These areas are where getting started early to work on and build at the earliest possible age is helping your future self out and by setting the foundations for good habits as a teen surrounding a financially secure lifestyle. As my friend and I looking for our first apartment to move-in together, moving out of our childhood homes for the first time, we are looking into all aspects of personal finance to set ourselves up for success. Talking to our parents about their own experience with credit scores and their financial habits has given us lots of good insight on what we need to do in the months leading up to moving out. Over the past few years we have been keen on hearing from older young adults and learning from them as well. With that all being said, I also want to advocate that it is never too late to start either. I have set my self up with an advantage and learned much from experiencing the independence of managing my own banking since 16, but I only hold immense encouragement for others in similar boats as myself to try! Having my experience with responsible financing at a young age has allowed me to help guide my friends alongside their own personal finance journey. Looking to your community and taking advantage of those resources will help everyone to make smarter financial choices.