At 32, I stood before the floor-to-ceiling window at the office, looking down over the bustling city. Steam curled from the coffee in my hand, blurring my vision while stirring up memories of the past, vivid yet tinged with bitterness. At 18, full of burning dreams for the future, I left my quiet little county town with a worn-out bag on my back and came to this strange, dazzling metropolis. Back then, gazing up at the skyscrapers that pierced the clouds, I was full of the conviction that "kings and generals are not born to their station." I thought that sheer courage would be enough to make a name for myself in this city. But reality's slaps always came fast and hard. With no connections or experience, I started my career in the lowest position, repeating trivial, exhausting tasks every day. On countless late nights, I sat alone beneath the solitary desk lamp, revising plans that never seemed finished and working overtime again and again, only to face my supervisor's cold stares and my coworkers' exclusion. In those days, I felt as though I were groping alone through a dark tunnel, unable to see even the faintest light. Frustration and confusion followed me everywhere...
Now, standing at this crossroads in my life at 32, I look back and see that all the hurdles I once thought impossible to overcome have become the firmest foundations beneath my feet.
