[Story] I have succeeded both mine and my parents’ expectations by 18.

Submitted by Ok-Cauliflower2900 t3_10sb7o4 in GetMotivated

My mom had me at 16. Dropped out of high school, tried to go to college a few times, never got through it. Her taste in men has always been terrible and any father figure I had was either an addict, abusive, or never around. Her last husband, who is now my legal dad through adoption although they aren’t together and has had the biggest influence on my life, is an emotionally abusive alcoholic who dropped out of high school and never bothered to get his GED.

Now that you have backstory, here we go. Neither of my parents ever expected me to get far in life. I was the daughter of a teenage mom and raised by substance abusers. I could’ve so easily been a statistic. Nobody thought I’d be successful, maybe a manager or entry-level office job at most.

At 18, I am making $37k a year and just signed the lease for my first apartment. I’ve been accepted to nursing school. I have a great steady job as an aide at a nursing home. For reference, at 26, my mom was making $10/hour as a repo agent. I’m making $18/hour at 18.

I am successful bc of the hard work that I put in, despite everyone telling me otherwise and the odds being against me.

While I’ve struggled with addiction and mental health before, I am at my best. I am over a year sober and doing the best I ever have mentally.

No matter what anyone tells you, you can make it happen.

Good luck on your journey <3

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Comments

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yadavhimanshu961 t1_j70pamz wrote

Your hard work and determination is truly inspiring, and I'm sure you'll continue to do great things in the future. Keep up the great work and never give up on yourself. You got this!

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Cold_Zero_ t1_j70j9xo wrote

*Exceeded.

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MSK84 t1_j7111ne wrote

Just don't show the parents this one! 🤣

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hardknock-life t1_j711jae wrote

All I can say is to not be complacent, things can change at any time so keep working hard without comparing to other's circumstances. Remember, it was a lot harder back then to be successful though now we're in the age of information so with determination, you can make it happen. Don't gloat about your success, the worst thing that can happen is peaking around your 20s and struggling to further yourself. Good luck!

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IADGAF t1_j712bjn wrote

Awesome. Well done.

Always keep a resilient guard against anyone that has a negative influence, whether that be through how they behave around you, what they do to you, or what they say to you.

Your attitude is EVERYTHING, and you’ve already PROVEN to yourself that you’ve got this right. Optimism, Positivity, Will. Just keep going.

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[deleted] t1_j71hb5e wrote

Keep investing in yourself

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WendysMoonshine t1_j71tcop wrote

God bless you! Yes, you are your own best person, mentor, friend, rock, influence, coach, etc. Nobody could have brought you to where you are today, but you. You have much to be proud of, and a limitless future ahead!

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JadedSociopath t1_j70rei4 wrote

Great work! A stranger is impressed and proud of you. Best of luck for the future!

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J1--1J t1_j70xnrq wrote

Good…. Good.

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whitelighthurts t1_j71jdy2 wrote

You never fully make it out of addiction especially if it’s genetic, be proud of yourself, but I always know that you have a demon inside you

I was in a similar place and I fucked it all up. You can always become a statistic later. Be careful friend.

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Utleroy t1_j71x4bt wrote

I love reading true tales such as this. OP I’m proud as hell of you & know for a fact how hard the addict life style is. You’re setting a precedent to your future self and family. You broke the addiction chain. I don’t know you but seriously inspired & impressed reading your post. Thank you for sharing your experience. Be proud & tell yourself good job when you look in the mirror.

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HomoVulgaris t1_j72a261 wrote

The best part about being a nurse is that you can keep going and keep investing in yourself until you get to Nurse Practitioner and make decent money.

Always remember to shoot for the stars. The satellites and GPS you use everyday were not invented by people trying to get electronics into low Earth orbit. They were trying to colonize Mars and the Moon. Aim high. Aim for the stuff you thought was impossible 5 years ago and you will go far.

You're gonna see failure. You might lose that lease, you might lose that job, you might have to break up that relationship. Don't worry about that, just take a note and keep going. You're gonna go far if you keep fighting.

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Ok-Cauliflower2900 OP t1_j72a8rh wrote

My biggest goal in life is to find or work towards a cure for degenerative dementia. That is a FAR reach but maybe if I work hard enough I’ll get there :)

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HomoVulgaris t1_j72ai48 wrote

That's a GREAT goal Cauliflower! I think you can do it. Well, we know we don't have to worry about you :) You got this!

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Mr2ATX t1_j75iq4a wrote

Inspiring! Thanks so much!

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CollieSchnauzer t1_j7ee7lw wrote

My parents are both in assisted living facilities. The good nursing aides are like gold. Keep up that great work--every smile and every competence is so appreciated.

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Ok-Cauliflower2900 OP t1_j7ehe93 wrote

Putting in the work to get a CNA certification makes a huge difference too. It takes years of work experience to get to the same level as someone who took 2 weeks of classes, I highly suggest it to anybody who can afford it or can get it through their workplace. There are definitely some crappy aides, but that’ll happen with every workplace. The ones who really care and form good relationships with the residents are the best, and their job becomes a lot easier after putting in the work. Once you form a relationship with a resident, they are more likely to listen and cooperate with you instead of putting up a fight, some of which get physical especially in dementia care. Overall, I love my job and my residents. Even though management sucks sometimes, I couldn’t ask for a better job at the moment <3

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otterworldly t1_j7fs3rl wrote

You are working hard and have already succeeded in many tough parts of your life. Congratulations and hugs!!

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SirBlackCoffeeFan t1_j74njb6 wrote

Do people really think that money is what measures the amount of happiness you have??? What kind of sad world do I live in.

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Ok-Cauliflower2900 OP t1_j76ij33 wrote

It doesn’t measure my happiness, but it does allow me to live much more comfortably and get away from a toxic living situation

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mannequin_vxxn t1_j74qfp5 wrote

Where tf can you afford an appartment on a 37k/year salary

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Ok-Cauliflower2900 OP t1_j76illk wrote

I scored a place for 800/month, but ohio seems to be one of the cheapest states to live in

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mrs1030 t1_j75rtbh wrote

Comparison is the thief of joy.

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humvee911 t1_j70ph9g wrote

Were you ever a nihilist?

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ContestFederal2044 t1_j7s6i3a wrote

Sorry, you're victim blaming your mom for having abusive partners saying it's because of her "terrible taste in men"? Ew

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Ok-Cauliflower2900 OP t1_j7stfqa wrote

She has gone into relationships knowing that the person has drug or domestic violence charges against them. She has learned from then to choose her partners wisely instead of falling into the wrong crowd and just choosing anybody to father her child, which is what she did plain and simple. You do not know my mother, I’m not saying she deserved the abuse but she did know the kind of person she was dealing with before she started a relationship with them. Please don’t speak like you know somebody’s situation when you don’t.

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Ok-Cauliflower2900 OP t1_j7stp3u wrote

In addition, most of the time her partners were not abusive towards her, only to her children. She was not the one being abused, she enabled her partners to abuse me and my sibling. She is not a victim, she is both an abuser and an enabler. Do not defend someone you know nothing about while insulting someone else you know nothing about.

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