This is my first time working in retail, and honestly, my first real experience working in America. It’s been this wild mix of highs and lows, little wins and stumbles that knocked me back a bit. But you know what? Through it all, it’s been this beautiful journey of growth—meeting people who’ve touched my life, learning things about myself I didn’t know, and just… accepting whatever comes my way with open arms.
When staffing issues started piling up, when budgeting became this constant headache, when people clashed and I got stuck in the middle—it all felt like watching a balloon rise higher and higher into the sky. My first thought? “Here we go again. More work problems.” But then I stopped myself. I took this deep breath and thought, “Wait. This is actually my first real challenge here.”
That shift in perspective? I’m so grateful for it. I even caught myself saying to someone recently, “I won’t let this mess with me the way things used to.” Because honestly, this isn’t the first time life has thrown curveballs at me. What I’ve learned—really learned—is that growth doesn’t happen when everything’s perfect. It happens after you stumble. Not just once or twice, but again and again until the lesson finally clicks. And I’ve realized that tearing myself apart over mistakes? It does nothing good for my mind or my body. So I’ve started embracing the mess-ups as part of the process. I’ve stopped blaming myself for what I did yesterday or what I might do tomorrow.
I’m always telling people, “It’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them.” I believe that so deeply—I share it with everyone. But sometimes I forget to tell myself the same thing. I remember someone said, “Tell yourself what you want to say to somebody who’s struggling or who needs support.” Still, here I am, still learning, still growing. Just like those balloons—problems can rise up high, float around for a while, and eventually, they pop when their time is done.
So yeah, the first challenge of the year? I’m meeting it head-on, with everything I’ve got.