Motivation has always been a short-lived feeling in my life. I love to learn new things, but as soon as I do I tend to become bored with the task at hand. One of the hardest decisions in my life to stay motivated for has been college. While most of my family are hardworking, intelligent people, I never had the opportunity to see my parents set goals for themselves and achieve them. My father and mother are very lazy when it comes to responsibility which, in turn, led to them never wanting to work towards anything. I had no examples set before me on what motivation even looked like. Through the support of my husband, he has shown me different tools to use to remain motivated. I set small goals for myself that lead up to my one big goal. For example, with my college education, I created milestones for myself for contacting a financial advisor, contacting an academic advisor, completing my FAFSA form, etc. In doing this, I do not become overwhelmed by the situation. I have remained motivated in my aspirations of obtaining my Business degree and making a difference in the world through Human Resources.

I have always admired and respected those who commit all of their spare time to volunteering or serving others in their communities. While I aspire to be this person one day, I am starting small currently. I have always wanted to give back to people the same love and respect I have been shown in my times of need. Once a week I volunteer at a local cat shelter, Happy Cat Haven. Even if I only go for a few hours and spend time playing with elderly cats, I feel an amazing sense of purpose and drive. When I have free time between work, home life, and school, I also crochet and knit beanies, scarves, and mittens for the homeless. I do not have a specific organization that I donate too, but I do my best to disperse the clothing through the county to assist the homeless population. In the past, I have volunteered at other places, but none that made me feel as fulfilled as what I am currently doing.

Looking back over all of the events that led me to this moment in my life, there are many that shaped who I am today. Growing up, I had a mother that had to many relationships and marriages to count, a father who spent more money on cigarettes than his children, and much more. While all of these choices, made by other people, impacted my life in many ways, they also gave me the best qualities I could ask for. The most predominant moment that shaped me the most was watching my mother never work a day in her life, use men for their money and housing, then verbally abuse them, my brother, and myself. While I hated every minute of growing up under her roof, it also showed me exactly what I do not want to be. I have worked hard every day of my life since I was sixteen, I save money and ensure I will always be able to provide for myself and my family. I was given the perfect example of how a relationship should not work. This lead me to find my husband and to build a stable, loving, supportive marriage. The verbal abuse we endured gave examples of how I would never treat another human being, let alone my own children someday. Overall, the bad in my life has taken me years of therapy to work through, but, it also gave me the tools I need to build the life I was not given when I was young.

Joy, to me, is doing things that you love. When people think of joy, most associate the feeling with family, friends, material possessions, or fun activities. While I used to feel this way, I began to realize that how I define joy comes down too whatever makes you happy. This could include all of the previously mentioned items, but mainly I enjoy learning new things, being with my family, taking care of my pets, and working on my hobbies! I do my best to seek out joy every chance I can. COVID has proven to be a difficult challenge against joyfulness. While battling the solitude this pandemic has brought upon us, I worked hard to learn new things! I learned how to knit, cook, and do yoga. This also afforded me the chance of spending more time with family, although not in the traditional sense. My grandmother and I spent countless hours talking and crocheting on video calls. All of these things made me feel accomplished and happy. In such an uncertain time in our lives, it is more vital than ever to do the things we love.