My childhood was full of life lessons that have shaped the person I am becoming and the beliefs I have developed. The lesson that has the highest degree of influence in my life is the only constant in this world: life goes on, time never stops for any of us, and we cannot stop time when there are obstacles in the way. Inner strength, perseverance and determination are necessary to succeed in life and overcome obstacles as they arise. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout my childhood and early adolescence my parents struggled to keep food on the table and a roof over my head. My parents worked diligently overcoming every obstacle, exemplifying the need for hard work and determination. "Parents . . . who have an identity investment in their own interpretations and values ​​define a child's reality . . ." (Mezirow, pg. 2, 1991) When I was 15 my father lost his job, the mortgage on our house had doubled a few months earlier, my great-grandmother became ill and my parents began to take care of my great-grandparents. My great-grandfather promised that if my father postponed his job search he would make sure our house was safe. Year after his illness, the mortgage company decided to start foreclosure proceedings our house and my parents were forced to sell it. Within a few weeks of my sixteenth birthday, our house was gone and we were left homeless. My parents stepped up and we moved into the basement of a friend. They both started new careers, working as many hours as possible and overcoming the pain and fear to create a new starting point. The level of awareness and understanding that I was able to maintain during this time allowed this specific situation to woven into the fabric of who I am as a person. Although this conflict directly affected my life as it happened, most of what I learned during this time was absorbed subconsciously 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 central 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 by which the student interprets information. Mezirow (1991) states: “[in transformative learning. . . we reinterpret an old experience starting from a new set of expectations, thus giving a new meaning and a new perspective to the old experience” (p. 11). Reinterpreting the experience allows the adult student to break the habitual emotional response (Mezirow, p. 11-13, 1991). At the age of sixteen, being homeless triggers anger, jealousy, sadness and fear. When faced with an obstacle that needs to be addressed I am often faced with one if not all of the emotional reactions. I have learned to respond based on the feeling of panic that comes in first (Mezirow, p. 13, 1991). Before an emotional trigger can be resolved, it must be identified and the adult student must determine that a transformation is needed and put the issue in order..