I believe essay

Caileb Newby

English 101-113

Mrs. Anthony

February 23, 2013

I Believe Essay

When it comes to life there is one principle that I believe is very important for success and that principle is hard work. According to an article by Simran Khurana, Thomas Edison once said,” Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”(Quotes about Hard Work) I have seen countless examples throughout my life of how hard work and dedication has paid off for different people. Improving your work ethic can improve your life in many ways; whether it’s at work, your everyday life, or even at school.

At a young age I was introduced to the idea of hard work. When I was growing up my parents separated. I lived with my dad, two older brothers, and twin sister. My dad had to work three jobs to provide for us. Raising four kids could not have been easy, but he was successful because he always worked hard to give us the best he could. He taught me that I should always work for anything that I wanted. In my earlier years before I was old enough to work a legit job I would borrow my dads' lawnmower and go door to door for money. It would take me about an hour depending on the size of the yard and I would earn twenty dollars. Sometimes I would take the lawnmower pretty far just to make some extra money. I associated hard work with material rewards like candy or extra milk money. It felt good to make my own money and be able to buy things. The independence I felt was a direct result of hard work. When I wanted something more expensive I would have to work harder to get my reward. This kind of thinking led me to have an outstanding work ethic that I could take with me to future jobs.

When I was finally able to start working as a legal employee I started working in a restaurant close to my house. The only job they would hire me for is the dishwasher position because I had no experience for anything else. I worked really hard in the dish area for about six months and by that time the kitchen manager had seen my work ethic and decided to move me up to a prep position. I was so happy when I did not have to wash dishes anymore and got to do more things with food. It turned out that I actually really liked to cook. After a while of learning the prep duties, I eventually got to start working on the line doing desserts and salads. I worked my way up from the bottom all the way to the fry, grill, and sauté stations. Hard work allowed me to move up faster and make more money with promotions and raises. However, I also saw fellow employees that would slack off. They would be stuck working the same positions for years. I would not have had the same opportunities if I did not believe in hard work. As I worked in many different kitchens over the years I have always taken my hard working beliefs with me.

Hard work transcended to other aspects of my life. Having a good work ethic helped me to progress and become a better skateboarder. I started out riding my skateboard to school as transportation. As I skated with my friends and learned tricks, I really became passionate about it. I decided I wanted to work hard to be the best skateboarder I could be. I eventually became really good after a lot of hard work and dedication. I wanted to test my new skills and started skating in contests at the Springfield Skate Park. The highlight of contest skating for me is winning first place in the advanced division and also winning the best trick contest in the same day. It felt so good to be rewarded for my hard work. Soon after, a skate shop owner approached me to be on his skate team. I accepted and still ride for 41/7 Skate Shop to this day. As a team we travel to different places to film skateboarding and shoot photos. Currently I am filming a video part and there is a lot of hard work that goes in to the making of a skate video part. Sometimes I fall down, roll my ankle, or even break my board. I always get back up, dust myself off, and go back to get the trick. I am very thankful for these life opportunities that my work ethic has made possible.

Work ethic in School is essential for success. If you want to do well in a class you must do the homework and take time out of your schedule to study for the test. I always got good grades in High School because I would always try my best and I liked the challenge. I knew that if I worked hard someday it would pay off. My senior year in High School I started dual enrolling in Ozarks Technical Community College. I even got A's in all my classes during dual enrollment. Now I am almost done with my Associates Transfer Degree and I have maintained above a 3.7 grade point average. I will be working to get a Bachelors Degree of Science at Missouri State University when I am done. I am also eligible for scholarships as a result of the hard work I have put into my education. Scholarship opportunities made the difference for me continuing my education because without them I might not have been able to afford the tuition. In my future, I will continue down the road I am heading and I know I will be able to do it as long as I continue to believe in hard work. My goal is to get a good education so I can get a really good job and be able to afford the things I want to do in life. According to the Census Bureau, “workers with bachelor’s degrees in 2008 earned about $26,000 more annually on average than workers with a high school diploma.”(census.gov) This statement just reassures my beliefs that hard work will pay off long term.

When it comes to life, hard work and dedication are the tools to get anything that your heart desires. If you want something then you will have to be willing to put in the hard work to get it. I feel like nothing is out of reach. My work ethic has guided my past, present, and will continue to guide my future. Without these principles I would not have any of the things that I have today. I have many friends with good and bad work ethics. I have noticed that the ones that are willing to work hard are happier and in a better place in life in general. Good work ethic can give you opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have, help you accomplish your dreams, and improve every aspect of your life in a positive way.

Work Cited

Julian, Tiffany. "Work-Life Earnings for People With a Bachelor’s Degree: 2011." www.census.gov. N.p., Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2013.

Khurana, Simran. "Quotes on Hard Work." About.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 15 Mar. 2013.