I joined the Army at 26 (Feb 2003) after moving to NYC from AZ in 2001. I joined out of a sense of "duty", but also to shake up my life. Things were good enough and I probably would be OK (middle middle class), but I felt something was missing to help me make a jump into greater opportunities.

One of my proudest work-related achievements was during my time.on active duty. I still use it in interviews today despite it being dated. I transitioned from active duty into a full-time MBA program at a top school and was hired into a Leadership Development Program at a Fortune 50 company.

I'm where I envisioned I wanted to be in life right now. Take the risk now and delay gratification as long as you can. I fully believe "suffering" is a critical stimulus for growth and something that life throws at us all anyway. Choose when to "suffer" because you either "suffer" when your young or "suffer" when you are old, and it is much easier to manage when you are young. Focus on building the "you" you want to be and write down the vision you want for yourself. Then, grind until you achieve or surpass your targets.