the person i am today and the influences that helped shape the person i am today

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Human Growth and Development
It is said that change is the most constant thing in human life. That is undeniable. Most of the times, change and growth are gradual. We did not just wake up one day and found ourselves the way we are today. On the contrary, we have been molded into the people we are by the environment and events in our lives. It is barely noticeable in the short term, but looking back over a period of ten years, I am not the same person that I was. Apart, from the apparent biological changes, there has been a significant change in character, principles, attitude, and mentality (Alexander and Langer 31-3).
Today, I see myself as an individual of respectful and robust character. A person who develops a vision and pursues it aggressively. I have confidence in doing my best in every endeavor. Some of my most outstanding characteristics are my focus and resilience. Once I set a goal, I don’t allow any detractors to halt my progress. I am also a person of principle. I avoid taking duplicitous stands on issues. I like making my position known. Furthermore, I have learned to avoid making a false promise. My word is always a covenant. I interact freely with other people, irrespective of their age, race, or class. People say am kind and compassionate.
All those traits are a sum of what I have gone through and who I have interacted with. If I were to choose the factors that had the most significant effect on my life, I would choose my family.

Other factors that have had considerable influence include friends, the society, books, and school. In addition to that, I can name a few experiences that left indelible marks on my life.
I was lucky to be born in a military family. Many people who have interacted with cannot perceive the idea of living under a military father. They imagine that separation will characterize such a life, and parental love and care will be absent. Despite that popular belief, I have never been deficient of fatherly love in my life. I have always felt his presence in my life. It is a clear testimony that living with a military dad is not the same thing as living under military rule. In the family, my father had the most significant influence in my life. Most of my traits can be attributed to him.
The influence on dad in my life has been so much that some of my relatives suggest that the traits were inherited genetically. My father is said to have been very bold. Once he made a decision, convincing him otherwise was an uphill task. A story goes around that when he was joining the military, his family members were against it. They held that he should opt for civilian life. When they realized that they were losing the battle, my grandfather devised a new tactic. My grandfather’s friend was given the task of telling him scary stories of the Korean War. This strategy failed too; the youthful man had already made his mind.
My father never forgets to emphasize on boldness. Whenever I am in a dilemma, I swiftly consult him because he provides the encouragement I need. After explaining to me the implications of each side of the difficulty, he always concludes with “but always follow your heart.” This has become my rule of the thumb, all credit to dad. Many a time, I have indulged in things only to realize that the situation is not what I expected at the time of joining. Such cases present hard decisions to be made; whether to quit or continue suffering. This is where boldness comes in.
In the course of my education, I have had to change my majors several times. I was first perusing international relations. International diplomacy interests me. However, after majoring in international relations for a few months, I decided to pursue architecture. After that. I changed to biology. I attribute this boldness to my father.
Dealing with challenges is a challenge for many people. Some problems are devastating. The mitigation measures we take when faced with challenges are essential (Alexander and Langer 25). I learned the art of dealing with challenges from dad, from his words and his deeds. At times, someone would come to him in panic due to an imminent difficulty. Dad would tell you to relax and accept the challenge. He taught us that problems were the most prominent characteristic of life. “never expect life to be fair,” he often uttered this words in the middle of a heated discussion. Moreover, he made us understand that worry only increases the magnitude of the problems.
We are lucky that we never had to live hand to mouth. Dad was making enough money from his employment and other investments. Despite this, if there is a thing that makes dad angry, it is consumerism. He cannot tolerate extravagance, even from his most favorite son. Before he gives out money, one has to explain coherently how the funds will be spent. Occasionally, he asks for receipts. Sometimes, I overhear their conversations with mom regarding finances. He speaks against debt and encourages investments. Financial management is a skill I learned from dad. I strongly dislike consumerism too. The culture of spending within my means is deeply entrenched in me. Furthermore, I plan to make several investments later in life.
My family has relocated several times. We also travel a lot. This has enabled us to live in different societies and interact with different people. Different neighborhoods have different beliefs. A thing that is acceptable in one community can be unfathomable in another. Living in different societies have taught me how to live in harmony with the various cultures while maintaining my principles. Interacting with diverse people has not only opened my mind but also given me new ideas. It is said that man should sharpen his fellow men just like iron sharpens iron (Alexander and Langer 30). The people I have met have enlightened me. Furthermore, Meeting people with the similar challenges to mine has helped appreciate the fact that trials are part of human life.
After dad, mom comes second as the person who has had the most significant impact in my life. Apart from serving as a living an example, her inspiration and reassurance are what has kept me sailing in this storm of life. Mom is an indefatigable bee. She believes that with handwork, any goal is achievable. Unlike dad whose words of encouragement come at the times of challenges, mum bounces on every opportunity to advise her kids. Without her wise words, my life would have taken a different route. Moreover, looking at how hard she works to make us happy, I get the motivation to work hard so as not to let her down.
Though I had lived in different cultures, school is the place where I found real diversity. It is this place where I would spend many hours with people from different backgrounds without the watch of my mother. This taught me how to look people through the lenses of equality. It taught me that no matter our pedigree, humans are one under the umbrella of humanity. Today, I interact with people from all cultures without having any reservations.
My elementary and secondary schools had all kinds of characters you can think of. The ranged from arrogant and irritating figures to those who were humble and polite. School taught me to how to live with both likable and unlikeable characters harmoniously. It is in school where I met people who would hold a grudge against you and never let it out. Conflicts were rife, both physical and ‘cold wars.’ Under the guidance of our competent teachers, we learned how to resolve disputes honorably. I saw bitter enemies becoming inseparable friends. Today, I acknowledge that while conflicts among people are inevitable, it is important to fix them with dignity.
Sharing is a culture we were taught from day one. Working in groups showed us to be there for each other at times of need. Sports strengthened our bonds. In school, teachers called for obedience. I replicate this in my daily endeavors by respecting and obeying those in authority. Furthermore, the assignments we were given made us focused and determined. They also taught us how to make choices when faced with various tasks which are competing for attention. There are times when one would be forced to make painful decisions. One had to choose whether to complete an assignment or play, whether to do some assigned chores or watch TV. Today, these skills help us to be decisive (Alexander and Langer 41).
Education and intellectual growth have been a giant step forward. I can now understand issues of national and international importance which I could not comprehend those days. For example, when I was in elementary school, I used to plunder my father with naive questions. Some of them were myths and misconceptions which I heard from my schoolmates. I can now judge between a legend and the truth. The intellectual development is a change I am proud of.
Based on the intellectual development, I can confidently take a stand on critical matters and defend it. Without the knowledge I have acquired in school, I could easily believe rumors and propaganda. Intellectual ability has become an essential skill in this age of fake news. Education has given me freedom. The modern form of slavery inability to distinguish the truth from lies. Going to school has given me independence, confidence, and credibility.
Critical thinking is the most valuable idea I have learned in college. A critical thinker can make proper and rational solutions to problems. Moreover, it has also enabled me to question beliefs that have been given the label “truth” for a long time, but it can no longer hold due to the changing circumstances. Education has had an enormous impact on my life.
Betrayal and dishonesty have affected my life positively and negatively. I have experienced betrayal countless times. Regardless of how minor it is, betrayal hurts. Most of the deception comes from the inability of people to keep their promises. When I was young, my dad or an elder relative would pledge “carelessly” only to fail to fulfill it. That would pain me much. The other form of betrayal I have suffered is friends who fail to keep their part of the bargain and people who can’t tell me things straight to the face.
The pain of betrayal made me develop a new principle, a principle of being radically honest. Furthermore, I find it hard to keep a friend who is insincere. I believe that a person’s word should be their bond. One should not utter words recklessly because once they came out, they cannot be recalled. This belief has made me develop a habit of writing down even simple agreements. A written promise gives a permanent record.
Finally, I love reading books. Books have had a noteworthy inspiration in my view of things. I read books for entertainment, motivation, and to expand my knowledge. Of these books, I can give credit to The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason for giving me financial wisdom. It has changed my attitude towards financial investments. Furthermore, Six Secrets Smart Students Don’t Tell You by R. Chandan Deshmukh was a source of motivation. It altered my perspective towards success and failure. It trained me to vary the tactics to get different results. It also taught me to balance between working hard and working smart.
Our environments and experiences determine the people we are today. They dictate our principles, character, and believes. I am a better individual than I was 5years ago because I decided to allow my experience and the people around me to have a positive impact. Some environments affect people negatively. We should, therefore, strive to harness what is positive, and use it to build our lives.
Work Cited
Alexander, Charles N., and Ellen J. Langer. Higher stages of human development: Perspectives on adult growth. Oxford University Press, 1990.