My childhood was filled with life lessons that shaped the person I am becoming and the beliefs I developed. The most influential lesson in my life is the only constant in this world: life moves forward, time never stops for any of us, and we cannot stop time when there is obstacles on the road. Inner strength, perseverance and determination are necessary to succeed in life and overcome obstacles that present themselves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Throughout my childhood and adolescence, my parents struggled to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. My parents worked diligently to overcome each obstacle, which represented the need for hard work and determination. "Parents... who have an identity investment in their own interpretations and values, define a child's reality..." (Mézirow, p. 2, 1991), my father lost his job and the mortgage on our house had doubled a few months before. During this time, my great-grandmother became ill and. my parents started taking care of my great-grandparents My great-grandfather promised that if my father postponed the job search, he would make sure our house was safe. illness, the mortgage company decided to begin foreclosure proceedings My great-grandfather refused to save our house and my parents were forced to sell it. A few weeks after my sixteenth birthday, our house was gone and. we were homeless. My parents managed to get out and we moved into a friend's basement. They both started new careers, working as many hours as possible and moving past the pain and the pain. fear to create a new starting point. The level of awareness and understanding I was able to maintain during this time allowed this specific situation to become woven into the fabric of who I am as a person. Although this conflict directly affected my life as it unfolded, most of what I learned during this time was absorbed unconsciously as I observed my parents' actions and listened to their arguments and beliefs. Leaving childhood and adolescence behind to become an adult learner is a conflict in itself. Lysaker and Furuness (2012) state that “. . . the examination and reintegration of aspects of the self are fundamental to our conceptualization of the meaning of transformation” (p. 185). How does the adult learner separate the aspect of self from the active role of rational learning? The transformative theory discussed by Mezirow (1991) in Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning presents the method with which the learner interprets information. Mezirow (1991) states: “[i]n transformative learning. . . we reinterpret an old experience based on a new set of expectations, thereby giving new meaning and perspective to the old experience” (p. 11). Reinterpreting the experience allows the adult learner to break the habitual emotional response (Mezirow, p. 11-13, 1991). At the age of sixteen, being homeless triggered anger, jealousy, sadness, and fear. When I am faced with an obstacle that needs to be overcome, I am often faced with some, if not all, emotional reactions. I have learned to react based on which feeling of panic appears first (Mezirow, p. 13, 1991). Before an emotional trigger can be resolved, it must.