Narration and Description

Everyone has a story of how their life changed, whether in a big or insignificant way. From the stories that people tell, I have observed that most of these changes are always triggered by someone they met or those that are already in their lives. Thus, it is logical to conclude that every life change is always connected to an individual, who can be labeled as a life changer. Life changers are not always people you know or interact with more frequently. They can be strangers you only come across once in your lifetime, but the change they make in your life can last forever. Like others, I also have a story of how my life changed after encountering an individual. My life changer was a colleague I met at an internship I took during one of the summer holidays. I can confidently state that the impact that this colleague had in my life is a significant part of who I am today.

As an intern in a relatively big company, I felt small and voiceless, always ready to take orders from any corner they would come from. I had sworn to myself to never question those who were senior because I believed they possessed more knowledge than I did based on their experience working at that company. In other words, I was meek, accepted everything I was told, rushed to where I was instructed to go, and not once did I ever think about complaining about how my senior colleagues treated me because I was under the impression that it is what interns go through at any given company, an impression that I had observed in the movies and the stories told by others. This gave my colleagues a lot of room to take advantage of me, which led to fatigue and frustration as soon as the end of my first week at the company.

During the second week, another intern was brought in since the company prided itself in nurturing young talent even before they completed their education as a strategy of grooming its future employees beforehand. The intern was almost my age because she had the same educational level as I did. However, unlike me, who had adopted meekness, to remain voiceless, and accept whatever was thrown at me without question, this fellow intern was the exact opposite. She was outspoken and, without any hesitation, would question anything she was told that sounded odd or ask for more clarification and further instruction whenever she was assigned a task. This colleague was also confident enough to say no to tasks she believed were not part of her job description, as well as admit when she found a task to be too challenging for her to accomplish.

Simply, I found my colleague to be too open and highly confident for someone of that caliber. To my detriment, I observed that by the end of her first week, many members of our department had developed a lot of respect for her and wanted to be her friend. She did not give them room to take advantage of her like I did, yet it was her that they respected. She questioned them and raised concerns without fidgeting or appearing nervous. She admitted defeat or her challenges without any fear or shame whenever she found herself in such situations. I, on the other hand, cowered, felt nervous, and went silent when I did not agree with an idea or had a significant question to raise. I did everything I was asked and preferred to fail than admit that I was experiencing a challenge and ask for help. At the time, I believed that this was the way that people earned respect in the workplace. For instance, I had the belief that handling a challenging task without asking for help was a show of resilience and determination, which would earn me the necessary respect and admiration. Accepting tasks from every corner was a show of being dependable, and I anticipated respect in return for possessing this trait.

However, I was wrong. People, particularly at the workplace, prefer and respect those who can stand up for themselves. They admire those who challenge them, as well as those who add input to an idea. I was not any of those things, but my colleague was, leading to the difference in the respect accorded each of us. Whereas I had a difficult time working alongside this highly confident colleague during that internship, she significantly changed my life. Through the way she carried herself during our time working together, she taught me about knowing my value and sticking to it, how to challenge those higher than me respectfully, and how to say no when someone tries to take advantage of me. In simple terms, this colleague taught me how to be confident and believe in myself no matter the circumstances. My life changed the moment I met her, and I have never looked back.

OUTLINE

NARRATION AND DESCRIPTION

Thesis Statement: Life changers are not always people you know or interact with more frequently. They can be strangers you only come across once in your lifetime, but the change they make in your life can last forever. Like others, I also have a story of how my life changed after encountering an individual. My life changer was a colleague I met at an internship I took during one of the summer holidays. I can confidently state that the impact that this colleague had in my life is a significant part of who I am today.

1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Conclusion