My Biggest Life Lesson

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My Biggest Life Lesson Prior to going to the military, I had made some rather stupid, impulsive decisions. Specifically, I graduated high school clueless, naïve, and without any career path or jobs lined up so I could support myself. Initially, my parents gave me money. Then those “gifts” became loans. I immediately knew I had to find a job. The most sensible path to follow would be that of my uncle Charles, who had been a life insurance salesman all of his adult life. He was self-employed and appeared to have a substantial income. Some of my earliest memories are of Uncle Charles coming to our house, dressed head-to-toe in designer fashions. He would brag and boast of how much his shoes cost, or where his suit was made – Italy, Milan, and France, just to name a few. Charles was a very charismatic guy, full of self-confidence and ambition. Dark, wavy hair, with a full mustache to match, Charles was definitely a salesman. He was very persuasive, and was a smooth talker. He could talk to anyone, anywhere and showed no concern for the situation or setting. Having those memories should have convinced me early on not to pursue the same career as my Uncle Charles. But my money was running low and my parents weren’t loaning funds as frequently as they had been in the previous months. With that, I decided to approach Charles with my idea. It was a cool, slightly overcast day in March, when Charles and I first discussed the idea of me working for him. We met in a Coco’s restaurant, on the west side of town. Immediately, Uncle Charles was keen on my idea to work for him. Business was good and there was definitely potential for “unlimited income.” Those words would later come to be my personal mantra. Unknown to me, Charles had been trained in sales and wanted me to do the same before I could start working with him. So I underwent two weeks of training at a business
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