I am blogging everyday (or nearly everyday) on The Daily Stoic.

The plan falls apart the minute you get hit. What we do after that first hit defines who we are and what we learn from that situation. Do we crumble or do we find a way to get through. I’m not proud of how I’ve acted over the past year. It was a learning opportunity though. It showed me how I could fail and the corrections and adjustments I need to make. Hardship is something I think about often. I didn’t grow up in an abusive household. I did grow up in schools where I was constantly bullied and picked on. I remember the grade it turned for me. The middle of fourth grade.

I moved from Germany where I loved going to school on base with other military brats to a base in New Jersey with other military brats. Coming in half-way through the year I didn’t have any friends. I didn’t make any in the six months I was there. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. We moved to Kansas after that. I made friends. I had some good experiences and some bad experiences. I moved back to New Jersey and I really didn’t fit in. I had a friend or two. Eventually they moved away and I moved on. What was great about the experience was that moving allowed me to try and craft a better identity. To start over. It sucked but I learned a lot about interactions. I’m still learning about interactions. Especially, in a managerial capacity. It was a struggle growing up and I’m grateful for the lessons it taught me.