Inspire for Hire

By Alex Andy Phuong

As a person transitioned from college to adulthood, conflict came about along with hints of doubt.  After all, like after graduation is nothing like High School Musical.  Without graduating summa cum laude, this individual had to learn many powerful life lessons that extend beyond academic settings.  In fact, this person learned from the film An Education, starring Carey Mulligan, that shenanigans are unacceptable within reality.

Ever since this person was young, hope and ambition pushed this person to work very hard.  Perhaps a bit too hard, actually.  Furthermore, there is definitely a stark contrast between surviving school and staying cool.  In fact, this college graduate had to learn that crying over spilled milk applies to all forms of adversity, and not just snack time.  The journey towards self-discovery does continue on long after earning a college degree.

Even with a 3.9 GPA, simply acquiring a job was a job within itself.  In fact, this person experienced confusion and delusion after receiving one rejection after another.  Unfortunately, these hard times taught this young adult about how to juggle with struggle.  Along the way, this person had to learn fundamental facts that apply to the entire lifespan, and not just in kindergarten.  Feelings of hopelessness even did occur while not knowing what to do for sure.  Nevertheless, a pure heart resulted in this person doing anything possible to endure.

With such a loving heart, this person became a volunteer bookseller at the local library.  That idea resulted from a suggestion from a mental health professional.  After that, this person worked both diligently and willingly.  Even without receiving payment, all of that donated time actually never went to waste.  Additionally, doing all of that work for no payment caused this person to learn that there are more important facts of life besides just receiving monetary compensation.

Suddenly, after undergoing transformation through personal maturation, this person learned that money does not necessarily lead to happiness.  Not only that, but this person knew for a long time that the pursuit of happiness does result in anything except happiness.

With immense satisfaction of completing voluntary work, this person learned that motivation comes from within.  It even takes courage to walk to all the way to the local library, and then walk all the way home, just to do unpaid work.  As this person volunteered over time, all of that donated time led to an appreciation of the sublime. Working hard all day with no pay is not slavery at all.  Instead, it is simply a way to make the most out of finite time.   Finally, even though lost time is never found again, this person does have the willingness to sacrifice all of that time all over again.  The motivation to use the heart is the start to a wonderful life filled with hope and possibility.

Alex Andy Phuong earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from California State University—Los Angeles in 2015.  He was a former Statement Magazine editor who currently writes about literature, film, and culture.  He also earned an Associate of Arts in English from Pasadena City College in 2013, and tutored there.  He has written hundreds of film reviews for MovieBoozer, and has contributed articles to Mindfray.  His writing has appeared in The Bookends Review and The Society of Classical Poets.  Emma Stone inspired Alex to submit writing actively to publications after hearing the Oscar-nominated song, “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from the “Best Picture” nominee La La Land (2016).  His poetry collection is An Altruistic (Cyberwit.net, 2020).  Currently residing in Alhambra, California, he now writes with the sincerest hope to inspire readers while fully supporting the ones who dare to pursue their dreams.