1.04 Personal Narrative

As a retired Seal, I still retain the memories of the struggles and hardships I have encountered over my life. Starting at the age of five, my mother met a man named Leon. He would always criticize me for something I did or what I did wrong. Every little detail that was not done correctly would lead to pain and discipline. This was Leon’s way of ,”setting me straight”. Finally I had enough. I decided to leave home by boarding the wrong bus after school one day out of fear. I was so scared to go home. But I eventually decided that I have to live with it, I knew Leon was going to stay I could do nothing to change that. In life there are things that you can't change. I believe that you must learn to cope with problems in order to succeed, not by running away from them.

I was told about the good and hard times that I would face. But what I looked forward to the most was to be surrounded by soldiers who were much like me. These soldiers would lift me up to success. I could then help them when they need it. If I could have talked to my younger self today I would tell of the great experiences and how to deal with the struggles I would face. But no one knows what the future may hold. I believe you should always be prepared and stand your ground, no matter what. Being part of a team of top elite soldiers was not easy. The training I have went through was military training taken to a whole other level. I was put through many mental and physical challenges. I was put down. My body would ache and my mind broke down. The main goal of training was to turn soldiers into machines. This is because the less thought one has of taking a life from another, the easier it was in battle. I wondered how any of it helped. But I soon figured out they were breaking me down only to build me up. I believe the best way to grow is to start rock bottom and go from