Today is a regular day for most, but for me, I suppose it’s special. It’s September 26th, 2018 and I am officially thirty years old. I never imagined thirty would come this fast. My childhood years felt like a blur, and my twenties even faster. It seems like the past thirty years have gone in a blink of an eye. Yet here I am, sitting alone in this silent room, as a thirty-year-old with very little to show. Society expects one should be established at this age. A promising and stable career, a marriage, a house, and perhaps even children. These individuals should have all their affairs in order and be completely independent. They ought be successful and accomplished, with an exciting future planned ahead. I could lie and say this is me, but it isn’t. I am single, unemployed, and living with my parents. And yes, I am staying in their basement. While I did finish a graduate degree, have no debt or addictions, and am in good physical health, I’m in a situation that is far from my ideal. It’s embarrassing just telling you about this, but it’s a reality I can’t deny, and one I’ve been struggling to accept for the past year. In January I had a major accident in Taiwan. I found myself in a local hospital, unable to think properly or fend for myself. My mother had to fly across the Pacific Ocean to bring me back to her home in the United States. After recovering physically and mentally, reality began to set in. I was back at home with my parents, living like a teenager again. And without a job for income, I couldn’t simply move out. However, as embarrassing as it was, it was comfortable. I didn’t need to pay for rent or food. I had all the amenities I could ask for. I could wake up anytime and do whatever I wanted. What did I do? I did a lot of nothing. I played hours of video games and watched endless TV shows, anything but work. As I did all this, in the back of my mind I knew I should have been doing more. But as important as that was, the task felt daunting and formidable. The realities of life seemed so unforgiving, so harsh. Rather than facing it all, it was easier to do nothing, and that’s what I did for months, until I finally had a realization. After listening to lectures discussing psychology and philosophy, I realized that my situation wasn’t improving due to a choice I was making. It’s a choice that we all must make, including you, a choice between two diverging attitudes. While every individual has their own unique situation in life, everyone chooses to live one of two attitudes. These attitudes affect how we perceive ourselves and every difficulty we face. They also drastically determine the experience we have in life, and the course we take. The first attitude is to blame everything else for the situation we’re in, and to take no responsibility for it. It’s not my fault that this my life is like this. I’m just unlucky. My life would be completely different if only I had my chance. People need to be more nice to me. They need to accommodate my needs. I deserve so much more. Life is too hard, too unfair. It’s so difficult. Why even try? This is the victim attitude. The second attitude is the opposite. Instead of blaming others for our situation, we take full responsibility. We accept our situation, whatever it is, and we try our best to improve it. My life isn’t perfect, but that’s fine. I accept my situation. I take responsibility. I understand that all my choices have consequences. What I do now will affect my future. Because of this, I know that I can change my situation. Life is tough and painful sometimes, but every challenge I face helps me grow and develop as an individual. This is the hero attitude. It’s called the hero attitude because we can be the hero of our own life. While there aren’t dragons or wizards in this world, the fundamental idea is the same. In life we all are constantly facing uncertainty and danger, but how we each respond is completely up to us. So this brings us to the decision that we must make. Do we want be a victim, who avoids difficulty, always blames others, and passively accepts whatever life leaves them? Or Do we want to be a hero, who takes full responsibility for the situation, approaching life as a sometimes difficult but exciting adventure where anything is possible? Being a hero is no small task. While it’s a choice that you must make repeatedly for the rest of your life, it can change your life, as it is doing to mine. I am a 30 years old man who is still single, unemployed, and living with his parents. This is my situation, and I accept it. It’s my sole responsibility to rebuild my career and get my life back on track. I know I can do this. I just need to face my challenges day by day and press forward. I refuse to be the victim in my life. I choose to be the hero. A victim or hero. Torture or Adventure. How do you choose to live?