When I started my first job, I had no idea what I would be in for. Unlike most of my friends, I did not choose to start my job in retail or at a fast food restaurant. The job I chose comes with a huge responsibility. I take on the realization that every day as I stand by the pool at Lifetime Fitness, I hold the lives of hundreds of people in my own hands. That is what lifeguarding is all about. Each time I enter my work environment, the pressure is on. I must always keep my head and be ready to react to any emergency. Of course, it took time for me to adjust to my natural fear of failure. At first, when on the job, I was terrified. I would come into work everyday scared that something might happen, for which I would not be prepared. I knew that working as a lifeguard would not be for the faint of heart, but the responsibility did not sink in until the first day of work. This was real, and the pressure weighed on me more than it seemed to weigh on others. I had hoped if an emergency …show more content…
You see, this fear woke me up to responsibility not many teenagers face these days. My fear drove me to become excellent at the task I am paid for. It has made me a better lifeguard because I knew failing in this setting was not tolerable, but it has also made me a better person. I take the approach I use for my job to school and sports and have seen great results. As the doubt in myself drifts away it is replaced by a humble confidence that is recognizable in all that I do. I succeed as a person today because, I now want to be the one to hold the lives of many in my hands. I want them to be able to trust me as I now can trust myself. Every time I see a new guard step out onto the pool deck for their first shift, I think back to when I had the same look in my eyes and sweat on my brow, and I reach