Running head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT 1

Personal Philosophy Statement

Statement Essay
Sarah Abel
LDS Business College

ENG 101 Sections 01 & 02

Brother Gagon
August 3, 2015

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

Personal Philosophy Statement

I believe that continually moving forward will bring forth the progression needed to
change and grow as individuals, and that hesitation can hinder our growth, as self-doubt can be
defeating. Its easy to reject change, as consistency is calming and does not require the stress that
adaptation can bring. However, a person cannot learn and grow without the constant shift of
change. I have found this to be true in my own life, particularly in regards to my education.
When I graduated High School, I first went to Utah State University, and was accepted
into their Art program as a freshmen. However, I found that I had a difficult time adjusting to the
changes that living on my own brought about. I felt unprepared and folded in on myself,
rejecting the change that would ultimately help me develop character. This, in turn, created a
cycle of anxiety and shame, as I avoided the negative feelings I associated with attending class. I
feared the judgment of others and hid from any opportunities that could have been presented to
me.
Eventually, I had to leave Utah State, and started my first job at a restaurant. However,
this cycle of avoidance continued to follow me, and I was reluctant to disturb any sort of
structure that I had established. I revisited my school career by taking the Fire Science course at
the Davis Applied Technology College in the Winter Semester of 2014. However, circumstances
beyond my control forced me to leave the course early, which created feelings of failure.
I then attended the Emergency Medical Technician Basic course at the DATC. This
course retaught me how to study and take notes effectively. I was able to create better study
habits that I still utilize today. Because of the new skills I had developed and applied, I was able
to graduate and become officially certified. This sparked hope in me that I would continue to be

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successful by finding a job with my new certification. However, the First Responder market in
Utah is oversaturated with many fresh out of school hopefuls, and I was unable to find a job.
This, in turn, brought me to LDS Business College, where I have been attending my first
Semester as a Paralegal major. Through exploring these many academic paths, I have found that
life does not go as we originally planned. When I graduated High School, I had no plans to
attend LDS Business College, and had aspirations to be a graphic designer. However, as I have
found through the StrengthsFinder assessment taken for the college, my top strength is
adaptability. This holds a certain amount of irony to me, because I have always struggled with
the inevitability of change. If I do not attain a certain amount of structure, I will struggle to find
my footing.
This accumulation of unique educational experiences have strengthened my skills of
adaptability in more ways than one. First, I strive for high grades and peer approval. By adapting
my behaviors to better suit both grading rubrics and public opinion, I have been able to predict
what others want and have delivered it to them both efficiently and effectively. This makes me a
very dedicated and hard worker, and I have gleaned skills from each of my classes that will better
serve me both in my personal life as well as my professional career.
My philosophy is important to me because I feel that if I had not taken the progressive
steps that led me to each academic stepping stone, I would not be as successful in my education.
Though I have experienced many trials, by continually moving forward I have been able to grow
as a person. This is a feat I would not have accomplished if I had not embraced the change that
was forced upon me by circumstances beyond my control.
A part of my philosophy that I have tried to focus more on is not giving in to hesitation.
While it is important to think any major decision through, hesitation can hinder us from

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achieving the goals we wish to reach. By doubting ourselves, it is very easy to talk ourselves out
of making a decision that would greatly benefit us in the long run. Giving into the anxiety that
can prohibit me from moving forward is an obstacle that I am continually trying to push past. By
working towards the self-confidence needed to overcome my doubts, I will be able to become
more successful as I apply my personal philosophy to all areas of my life.