I am working on a Master's degree in Counseling. I've been at it full-time since January, 2022. I expect to graduate in December, 2024. Since January, I have been working on the internship portion of my degree at a place called the Hope and Healing Place. It is a grief support organization where families from the community meet bi-weekly for small group grief support sessions, in which I am a facilitator. The organization provides support for all age ranges. This past spring, we had ages ranges from six to seventy six. All have experienced the death of a family member. Working at a grief support organization is not as gloomy as it sounds. Sure there is sadness, but there are so many other raw, powerful emotions. The gravity of our plight is explicated there by the cold, hard truth of death. Yet, there is an abundance of warmth, camaraderie, mercy, and grace, illumination. I think that being able to get real with people is an incredible privilege. We are only here for a short time, so why should we not be serious about the time that we have? Laughter and light-heartedness are important too, but those states of being can be attained even amidst the gravity of our existence. Grief counseling has shown me that. Mother Teresa once said, "May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in." I like that a lot and it is a prayer that I utter often, as painful as it can be to see it realized. I started this counseling program because I wanted to do good for this world, as if I couldn't do good anyway. I had a very high opinion of the future self I wanted to be. Yet, I was discrediting the potential that I had to do good for the world in the present. I thought I needed to have a philanthropic career to to it. Oh, myopia! I realized recently that I have spent too much of my life being overly concerned with appearances. For example, I am currently working as a customer service/sales representative at an insurance agency to support my family and to afford tuition at the university I attend. Nobody likes insurance people. I had a woman tell me yesterday that all insurance people are going to have a special place in hell when judgment day comes. Ouch! Part of why I got into counseling was to rebel against the idea of working in the insurance industry. Yet, I realize now that what I was truly rebelling against was the appearance of working in the insurance industry. How vain I was. Could I not practice beneficence from within the dragon's mouth? If people perceive insurance as so evil, can I not do my best to at least protect them from the teeth of the monster? I realized that, after all this time, I really do try my best, thankless as the task is. Becoming a counselor one day will give me the appearance of doing good for the world. But that is not why I want to do it anymore. I've realized that I can be good no matter what I do and regardless of how I am perceived. I have a genuine desire to do good for this world in my life. I think that by becoming a counselor, I will be able to help others attain their potential to do good too. Thank you for your consideration!

All my life, I have searched for meaning. I’ve always been introverted and contemplative. As an undergraduate, I pursued a degree in Philosophy because I thought it would help me get closer to finding meaning. I learned a lot, but it wasn’t quite enough. I felt that it left out some of the spiritual aspects of life, so I decided to pursue a minor in Religious Studies to supplement my pursuit. I loved learning about world religions and different ways to engage in living a spiritual life. Still, I felt that I was missing something. I was learning so much about the intricacies of the mind and spiritual frameworks, but I never could figure out how to incorporate what I was learning into my own life. Wanting to get to the bottom of things, I have always had a hard time relating to trivialities, and for years, I had a hard time pinpointing exactly what I was supposed to do in life. After earning my undergraduate degree, I jumped between a wide variety of jobs, including washing dishes, manufacturing greenhouse kits, working on a farm, landscaping, teaching in an elementary school, and selling insurance. What could I do to be the best version of myself without engaging in work that didn’t resonate within me? I ended up meeting a family of people who, at one time or another, had been licensed professional counselors. Two are now retired, but one is still working. Somehow, the path of our lives kept crossing, as if the universe or God intended to send a message. Then, one day, I was sitting on a bench waiting for a bus, when I looked around and noticed all the people carrying on with their lives. I saw homeless people, businesspeople, mothers and fathers with their children, and groups of friends. I suddenly realized that every single one of these people is struggling with some aspect of their lives, whether it be with relationships, job dissatisfaction, financial troubles, physical health, or any variety of mental health struggles. I realized at that moment that my quest for meaning is everybody’s quest for meaning too. I felt a profound sense of oneness with humanity and all people who struggle. It was a very emotional experience and ended up leading me to the decision to go back to school to earn a master’s degree in counseling. At 36 years old, I am finally going back to school after 13 years. In those 13 years, much has happened. I moved around a lot and held many different jobs, but finally settled down in a place where I can plant roots. I am the proud parent of a 4-year-old son, who brings with him a world full of meaning. I am in love with his mom and have embraced the family life with all my heart. I have continued to struggle with depression but have found many meaningful ways to cope. One of the things that has helped me and that I plan to incorporate into my eventual counseling practice is yoga to unite the mind, body, and spirit. I have come to believe that if what happens in the body affects the mind, the opposite must be true too; what happens in the mind affects the body. Counseling is a very broad field, but my education and my personal experiences have led me to narrow my focus down to somatic forms of therapy. I believe that this is how I will integrate mind, body, soul, and spirit into my practice and how I can share my quest for meaning with others.

All my life, I have searched for meaning. I’ve always been introverted and contemplative. As an undergraduate, I pursued a degree in Philosophy because I thought it would help me get closer to finding meaning. I learned a lot, but it wasn’t quite enough. I felt that it left out some of the spiritual aspects of life, so I decided to pursue a minor in Religious Studies to supplement my pursuit. I loved learning about world religions and different ways to engage in living a spiritual life. Still, I felt that I was missing something. I was learning so much about the intricacies of the mind and spiritual frameworks, but I never could figure out how to incorporate what I was learning into my own life. Wanting to get to the bottom of things, I have always had a hard time relating to trivialities, and for years, I had a hard time pinpointing exactly what I was supposed to do in life. After earning my undergraduate degree, I jumped between a wide variety of jobs, including washing dishes, manufacturing greenhouse kits, working on a farm, landscaping, teaching in an elementary school, and selling insurance. What could I do to be the best version of myself without engaging in work that didn’t resonate within me? I ended up meeting a family of people who, at one time or another, had been licensed professional counselors. Two are now retired, but one is still working. Somehow, the path of our lives kept crossing, as if the universe or God intended to send a message. Then, one day, I was sitting on a bench waiting for a bus, when I looked around and noticed all the people carrying on with their lives. I saw homeless people, businesspeople, mothers and fathers with their children, and groups of friends. I suddenly realized that every single one of these people is struggling with some aspect of their lives, whether it be with relationships, job dissatisfaction, financial troubles, physical health, or any variety of mental health struggles. I realized at that moment that my quest for meaning is everybody’s quest for meaning too. I felt a profound sense of oneness with humanity and all people who struggle. It was a very emotional experience and ended up leading me to the decision to go back to school to earn a master’s degree in counseling. At 36 years old, I am finally going back to school after 13 years. In those 13 years, much has happened. I moved around a lot and held many different jobs, but finally settled down in a place where I can plant roots. I am the proud parent of a 4-year-old son, who brings with him a world full of meaning. I am in love with his mom and have embraced the family life with all my heart. I have continued to struggle with depression but have found many meaningful ways to cope. One of the things that has helped me and that I plan to incorporate into my eventual counseling practice is yoga to unite the mind, body, and spirit. I have come to believe that if what happens in the body affects the mind, the opposite must be true too; what happens in the mind affects the body. Counseling is a very broad field, but my education and my personal experiences have led me to narrow my focus down to somatic forms of therapy. I believe that this is how I will integrate mind, body, soul, and spirit into my practice and how I can share my quest for meaning with others.

I am working on earning a master’s degree in counseling. Once I complete my degree and my supervised training, I will become a Licensed Professional Counselor. When I started along this path, I knew that I wanted to help people find their own unique sense of well-being. However, I was unsure of how I wanted to try to help them toward that end. Throughout my studies, however, I have become deeply attracted to the somatic forms of healing, such as trauma-informed yoga therapy. To supplement my LPC credentials, I also plan to earn a certification as a licensed yoga therapist. I believe that a career as a Licensed Professional Counselor and yoga therapist will bring much fulfillment to my life. As a mental health counselor, I will have the chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals facing emotional and psychological challenges. I believe that everyone deserves the feeling of well-being. As an LPC, I will be able to help clients navigate their struggles so that they might be able to discover what well-being means for them in their own lives. I also look forward to the opportunity to establish meaningful connections with clients and colleagues. I believe in the power of the therapeutic relationship. Often, what a person needs most is to feel heard, understood, and validated. In addition, I will join a growing network of other mental health professionals. As we work collectively to improve our communities through one client at a time, we can help each other learn new techniques and practices to make ourselves more effective. As we work together to become better at our practice, we will more effectively address the growing need for mental health support in our society. I believe that the work and advocacy together will help to reduce the stigma around mental health, improve access to mental health services, and improve the quality of life for many people. On a more personal level, I believe that a career as a mental health professional will allow for the opportunity for self-reflection and personal development. To truly “walk the walk,” I will need to consistently engage with the improvement and maintenance of my own well-being. As I support others, I will also gain insight into my own values and beliefs. As I navigate the complexities of the counseling profession, I will be able to explore a growing sense of fulfillment within myself. Focusing on somatic forms of therapy such as trauma-informed yoga therapy would bring me fulfillment in other ways too. I try to approach my well-being holistically. As I progress through my career, I will be able to help others find holistic solutions to physical, emotional, and mental well-being too. I will be able to help others restore balance in their own lives. I believe that by finding the common ground between mental and physical well-being, I will be able to guide people toward a holistic sense of self-empowerment and self-healing. As a result, I will be able to witness their growth, newfound resilience, and improved quality of life. Since starting the journey toward my career goals, I have felt that my life has had more meaning than ever before. I am enthusiastic and excited to be on this path. I look forward to experiencing the ups and downs throughout the years ahead on my journey toward my own wellness and toward the wellness of the people that I work with.

My future self has put himself in a position to make the world a better place by helping as many people as I can reach to find self-acceptance and relief from their mental health struggles so that one day, we may all be free to become the best versions of ourselves.

My experience with mental health had shaped my life perhaps more than any other force. I have always suffered from depression and have struggled to find my purpose. This fact is what led me to study philosophy and religion during my undergraduate years. I was looking for answers to help me find meaning. I was unable to find them. I have come to believe that there is no universal meaning to our lives. Rather, we must create our own meaning. To do so, we must look within ourselves and listen to our instincts and conscience. I don't believe this to necessarily be a pessimistic worldview. In fact, it is much in line with spiritual practices such as Buddhism, which fundamentally accept the reality of suffering in life. I remember sitting on a bench one day, waiting for the bus that would take me to campus for classes. I watched several different people walk past. A homeless man was pushing a cart full of his meager belongings. A man in a business suit was carrying a briefcase and talking on his phone while rushing to get somewhere. A group of college kids with scowls on their faces were caught up in some gossip. Over and over, I saw people who were suffering in some way. I came to realize that life is not easy for anybody. We are all struggling with our mental health in one way or another. Some of us struggle more than others, but none of us are free. Years went by before I figured out what to do with this realization. I recognized that life could not be taken for granted. Because of this, I suffered from a "fear of missing out." After college, I did some traveling. However, my refusal to live a mediocre life made it hard for me to find enjoyable work. If I didn't believe that I was making a difference in the world, I wasn't interested in the work. Because of this stubborn view, I bounced around between many jobs. In addition, my depression never really went away. I met my wife and eventually had a child, a son who we named Robin. My life had changed forever and I found meaning and a new sense of humility. Now, I was not only a husband, but I became Dad. One of my first tasks as a new father was to get my depression under control. After a particularly dark few weeks, I finally sought professional help, which was obtained through counseling and with my doctor, who found a medication that worked for me. After all these years of suffering, I finally found some alleviation. I also realized that I had spent my entire life working through mental illness and the struggle to find meaning. I had come up with numerous tools and ideas that worked well for me. I also realized long ago that I wasn't the only one who struggled, and that I could leverage my experiences to help others. For these reasons, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in counseling. I want to share some of what I've learned through experience over the years. So far, the counseling program that I am in has given me even more tools and a much broader perspective on mental health. I look forward to compassionately helping others through their struggles in life. I believe that mental health is becoming more and more of a priority in society, which is a huge step in the right direction. I look forward to the opportunity to join this movement as a helper.

I am a proud father of a four-year-old son. When he grows up, the world is going to be a much different place. If he ever asks me, "What did you do to combat climate change," I want to be able to answer, "Everything I could." I believe climate change and environmental/ecological conservation are the top issues that need to be addressed in the world. I cannot fathom how it could be denied or that people would actively fight against taking action. If there is even a slight chance that what we are doing is going to destroy or make inhabitable the very planet that we call home, wouldn't it be worth doing everything in our power to prevent it? To deny that there is a problem is incredibly myopic and self-centered. Yet, what a daunting task it is! What can the average person do to combat such a terrible force? I believe that we can make a difference if we all work together on changing the little things and advocating for the right big things. Recycle. Even better, reduce. Stop consuming excessively. I have a couple of different strategies for reducing my shopping. One, I call the "24-hour rule." If I think that I want something non-essential, I make myself wait 24 hours. Usually, by that time, the impulse is gone and I realize that I don't really want what I thought I did. Another is to ask myself, "Do I need this to live and thrive?" Usually, the answer is "no." The production and transportation of disposable goods leads to excessive carbon emissions and waste that ends up polluting the earth's air and water. If we just stop buying so much stuff, we can make a huge difference. Another thing I do is advocate for environmental causes as frequently as I can. I try to not only walk the walk and talk the talk, but to also advocate for larger environmental issues, such as reforestation (and the cessation of deforestation), species conservation, ocean protection, regenerative agriculture, and social/environmental justice and accountability. In our small, individual ways, I believe that we are still able to cast votes toward what matters to us with every dollar that we spend. Conscious spending is a very impactful way to combat climate change. The money that we spend fuels the industries required to deliver us products. If we use public transportation or walk/bike to work, for example, we are giving less money to oil companies. If we boycott palm oil, for another example, we are also boycotting deforestation. I choose to use reusable shopping bags. Buying food and goods from local food co-ops, farmer's markets, and natural food stores allows me to buy food and goods that are not wrapped in excessive single-use packaging and that are produced using organic and sustainable methods. There is so much that we can do to combat climate change, but only if we start to take it seriously! It is going to take each one of us making changes to our own lives and advocating for the cause. There is still hope, but there isn't much more time.

As the father of a four-year-old and the only income provider in a house of three people, taking on full-time graduate work might seem insane. Yet, I am so excited to finally be taking the initiative to pursue a meaningful career. I received my undergraduate degree in Philosophy, but have had a hard time since then finding a relevant career. Finally, I was able to identify a creative segue into the field of mental health counseling. I've always enjoyed having "deep," meaningful conversations with people. Returning to school for a graduate degree in counseling will allow me to use that aspect of myself to better the lives of other people. While that inspiration feels good, this college endeavor comes with some hurdles, particularly regarding my mental health. In short, I have a lot on my plate. My wife is a stay-at-home mother, so I am working full-time to provide a living for my family. My stress level is something that I must continually monitor so that I can not only maintain sound mental health but so that I can continue to foster positive relationships with my family and friends, maintain productivity at work, and still get the most out of my learning experience. I have had to combine a variety of ways to ensure that I am maintaining a healthy mind, body, and soul throughout and beyond my educational career. One routine that seems to combine this focus on all aspects of myself has been physical exercise and mindfulness. For the past several months, I have been able to set aside time each day to practice yoga. I have also been enjoying the experience of swimming and running. Each physical activity set aside in my day is an opportunity for me to mindfully check in with myself and reestablish communication between my mind and my body. Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins in my brain and helps to manage my body's cortisol levels. It allows my mind to integrate the experiences that I have throughout the day. Another practice that I have been employing to care for my mental health is to meet with a counselor when times get particularly hard. As an aspiring licensed professional counselor, going to counseling myself is not only a way to practice what I preach, but has the added benefit of learning first-hand what it is like to be on the other side of the therapist-client relationship. I am learning new skills to make it through both the hard times and the good, as well as new tools that I can pass along to my own clients one day. Time management has become yet another important priority for me. Before embarking on this graduate program, I set a very clear intention to not let my new responsibilities diminish the relationship that I have with my family. My son is four years old and I know that as we both age, I will never get these years back with him. I can not allow myself to become so busy that I miss out on watching him grow. With that in mind, I have to structure my day in a way that allows for quality time to be spent with him, with my wife, and with the two of them together. I believe that this educational pursuit will contribute greatly to the meaning that I find in my life. Finally, I will be able to confidently know that I am doing what I can to make the world a better place. All the while, I have learned to prioritize my mental well-being more than ever.

As an aspiring mental health counselor, managing my own personal wellness is critical if I am to practice what I preach and provide the best therapy for my patients. I believe in a holistic view of wellness, including physical, mental, and spiritual aspects. Perhaps the most significant approach to personal wellness in my life is a daily yoga practice. I wake up daily at 5:00 am and begin my day with a 30-minute yoga session. This invites my mind and body to fully participate in the events of the coming day by waking up all of my joints and muscles and preparing my mind for maintaining mindfulness. Similarly, I often end each day with another 30-minute yoga session to allow my body and mind to process all of the new information that they were given throughout the day. Yoga has so many benefits. It allows me to be aware of my body, including places where I feel tension. Moving through the forms allows for the chance to soften the strain that had developed. It also helps me relax my mind and reflect on why I am feeling the tension in the first place. This mindfulness allows me to process some of the daily inputs into my life. It gives me the chance to adjust to them and eliminate as many tension-causing inputs as possible. As I finish each session, I realize that I am blessed to be able to set this time away for myself. I am grateful to have a family that loves me and who I can love in return. I am grateful to have an able body that permits me to invite such a practice into my life. I have come to love my daily yoga practice so much that I plan to implement it into my eventual professional counseling practice. I have researched different places where I can become certified as a trauma-informed yoga therapist. Taking care of your mental health is incredibly important. Yoga therapy supplements mental health therapy with a physical aspect, which contributes greatly to holistic healing. In addition to obtaining a trauma-informed yoga therapist certification, I plan to become certified as a yoga teacher to spread the practice beyond the clinical setting to the general population. Having a strong focus to maintain personal wellness helps me in almost all aspects of my life. Having a mindfulness practice encourages me to eat well and avoid substances that I know to be toxic to my body and mind. I believe that it also makes me a better student. I have maintained a 4.0 average thus far in my graduate studies. I believe that one reason for this is that I incorporate schoolwork into my preexisting morning ritual. After my morning yoga session, I am awake and alert at 5:30. At that time, I jump right into schoolwork. With an awake body and an alert mind, I can attend to my schooling with diligence.

I became interested in rock climbing during a particularly dark period of my life. I was about 19 years old and more depressed than I ever had been. I was smoking too much weed, crying by myself when I could find time to be alone, spending too much time indoors, and otherwise not taking care of my mental and physical health. I was in my second year as an undergrad and found myself surrounded by a particularly toxic group of peers. Not only did they not want the best for me, but they were dealing with their own darkness too. Something deep within me knew that something was very wrong and I knew that I had to make a change. I heard of the Expeditionary Studies program at SUNY Plattsburgh near the Canadian border in New York. I transferred colleges and enrolled in several Expeditionary Studies courses, including rock climbing, ice climbing, sea kayaking, and backcountry skiing. It was rock climbing that particularly caught my interest. After leaving behind toxic friendships, I found myself suddenly immersed in a crowd of friends who were interested in physical and mental health and who also loved to climb. I learned outdoor living skills, how to build anchors, ascend and descend from multi-pitch routes safely, the basics of mountaineering, and how to respect the wilderness through Leave No Trace principles. I got a job supervising and setting routes at the indoor climbing gym on campus. I was blessed with the ability to travel to some truly amazing places through the college's outdoor recreation club, including many trips to the Adirondacks, Shawangunks, White Mountains, Sangre de Cristos, Joshua Tree, and even to the Nepali Himalayas. Climbing has truly transformed my life. I was heading down a dark path, and it was largely because of climbing that I was able to pull myself back into the light. I experienced incredible personal growth in confidence, physical strength, independence, and in mental well-being. I have come to want to help others experience this feeling of growth and well-being too. I am working on a Master's degree in Counseling. I have been able to pull myself out of some very dark times. Along with climbing, I have also learned some other techniques that have worked to improve my mental health. I aspire to be able to help other people get through dark times of their own. When I become fully certified as a Licensed Professional Counselor, I imagine myself employing the use of wilderness therapy and activities such as rock climbing to help other people develop self-confidence and improve their mental health. If I were to be awarded this scholarship, the funds would go towards my end goal of spreading the joy of climbing to other people who are struggling with the difficulties of life. Maybe I could introduce it to somebody who could be as transformed as I was. If there were a place for me to upload pictures in this scholarship application, I sure would. Climbing has given me one once-in-a-lifetime experience after another and I have been able to snap a few good shots along the way. I would be happy to share them if anyone were interested to see. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you to Sean. I am grateful for climbing too.

As the father of a four-year-old and the single income provider in a house of three people, taking on full-time graduate work might seem insane. Yet, I am so excited to finally be taking the initiative to pursue a meaningful career. I received my undergraduate degree in Philosophy, but have had a hard time since then finding a relevant career. Finally, I was able to identify a creative segue into the field of mental health counseling. I've always enjoyed having "deep," meaningful conversations with people. Returning to school for a graduate degree in counseling will allow me to use that aspect of myself to better the lives of other people. While that inspiration surely feels good, this college endeavor comes with some hurdles, particularly regarding my mental health. In short, I have a lot on my plate. My wife is a stay-at-home mother, so I am working full-time to provide a living for my family. My stress level is something that I must continually monitor so that I can not only maintain sound mental health but so that I can continue to foster positive relationships with my family and friends, maintain productivity at work, and still get the most out of my learning experience. I have had to combine a variety of ways to ensure that I am maintaining a healthy mind, body, and soul throughout and beyond my educational career. One routine that seems to combine this focus on all aspects of myself has been physical exercise. I have set a goal to walk at least 6500 steps each day, much of which is done during a long walk that I take during the middle of my work day. I have also been enjoying the experience of swimming and running. Each physical activity set aside in my day is an opportunity for me to mindfully check in with myself and reestablish communication between my mind and my body. Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins in my brain and helps to manage my body's cortisol levels. It allows my mind to integrate the experiences that I have throughout the day. Another practice that I have been employing to care for my mental health is to meet with a counselor when times get particularly hard. As an aspiring licensed professional counselor, going to counseling myself is not only a way to practice what I preach, but has the added benefit of learning first-hand what it is like to be on the other side of the therapist-client relationship. I am learning new skills to make it through both the hard times and the good, as well as new tools that I can pass along to my own clients one day. Time management has become yet another important priority for me. Before embarking on this graduate program, I set a very clear intention to not let my new responsibilities diminish the relationship that I have with my family. My son is four years old and I know that, as we both age, I will never get these years back with him. I can not allow myself to become so busy that I miss out on watching him grow. With that in mind, I have to structure my day in a way that allows for quality time to be spent with him, with my wife, and with the two of them together. I believe that this educational pursuit will contribute greatly to the meaning that I find in my life. Finally, I will be able to confidently know that I am doing what I can to make the world a better place.

I am passionate about the US Constitution because it provides a framework for protecting the rights of all citizens in this great country. Civil rights in our country have had a tumultuous past. Many great men and women have lost their lives to get us to where we are today. When our country realized that the original Bill of Rights was not enough to protect the rights of all people, we all came together for the passing of Amendments that serve to protect women and people of color. We are all created equally under God. Our Constitution affirms this reality and serves to protect the rights of all people. We have come a long way, but there is still so much room for improvement. Injustice continues to plague the nation. Recent events, such as the savage murder of Tyre Nichols by law officials continue to highlight the need for reformation and the fight for the equal treatment of all people. As we enter Black History Month, 2023, we are still seeing that civil rights are not being upheld. Organizations such as Black Lives Matter (founded in 2013 after the murder of Trayvon Martin) continue to fight for racial justice. The fact that the fight is still happening today goes to show that, 60 years and at least two generations after Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, civil rights are not being upheld equally for all citizens. I am an aspiring counselor. I am working on a graduate degree in counseling so that I can one day become a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas. Part of my ethical responsibility is to not only treat people equally but to advocate for social justice when I see that a person is being mistreated or misrepresented. After earning my degree, I plan to volunteer at a homeless shelter in our city at least once per week to provide mental health services to people who need them most. I imagine that when I do, I will discover that many of these people have had their civil rights violated in some way during their lives. I believe that much of our mental health can be improved by changing the way we think about the circumstances in our lives. However, there are still so many external forces in our society that make mental health much more of a struggle for some people than it is for others. Not only do all people deserve equal access to mental health care, but so do they deserve equal treatment in society so that the stressors in life that we are confronted with do not affect populations disproportionately. As an ethical practitioner, it is my responsibility to advocate for social justice.

I have a four-year-old son. When he grows up, the world is going to be a much different place. If he ever asks me, "What did you do to combat climate change," I want to be able to answer "Everything I could." I believe climate change and environmental/ecological conservation are the top issues that need to be addressed in the world. I cannot fathom how it could be denied or that people would actively fight against taking action. If there is even a slight chance that what we are doing is going to destroy or make inhabitable the very planet that we call home, wouldn't it be worth doing everything in our power to prevent it? To deny that there is a problem is incredibly myopic and self-centered. Yet, what a daunting task it is! What can the average person do to combat such a terrible force? I believe that we can make a difference if we all work together on changing the little things and advocating for the right big things. Recycle. Better, reduce. Stop consuming excessively. I have a couple of different strategies for reducing my shopping. One, I call the "24-hour rule." If I think that I want something non-essential, I make myself wait 24 hours. Usually, by that time, the impulse is gone and I realize that I don't really want what I thought I did. Another is to ask myself, "Do I need this to live and thrive?" Usually, the answer is "no." The production and transportation of disposable goods leads to excessive carbon emissions and waste that ends up polluting the earth's air and water. If we just stop buying so much stuff, we can make a huge difference. Another thing I do is advocate for environmental causes as frequently as I can. I try to not only walk the walk and talk the talk, but to also advocate for larger environmental issues, such as reforestation (and the cessation of deforestation), species conservation, regenerative agriculture, and social/environmental justice and accountability. In our small, individual ways, I believe that we are still able to cast votes toward what matters to us with every dollar that we spend. Conscious spending is a very impactful way to combat climate change. The money that we spend fuels the industries required to deliver us products. If we use public transportation or walk/bike to work, for example, we are giving less money to oil companies. If we boycott palm oil, for another example, we are also boycotting deforestation. I choose to use reusable shopping bags. Buying food and goods from local food co-ops, farmer's markets, and natural food stores allows me to buy food and goods that are not wrapped in excessive single-use packaging and that are produced using organic and sustainable methods. There is so much that we can do to combat climate change, but only if we start to take it seriously! It is going to take each one of us making changes to our own lives and advocating for the cause. There is still hope, but there isn't much more time.

I have a four-year-old son. When he grows up, the world is going to be a much different place. If he ever asks me, "What did you do to combat climate change," I want to be able to answer "Everything I could." I believe climate change and environmental/ecological conservation are the top issues that need to be addressed in the world. I cannot fathom how it could be denied or that people would actively fight against taking action. If there is even a slight chance that what we are doing is going to destroy or make inhabitable the very planet that we call home, wouldn't it be worth doing everything in our power to prevent it? To deny that there is a problem is incredibly myopic and self-centered. Yet, what a daunting task it is! What can the average person do to combat such a terrible force? I believe that we can make a difference if we all work together on changing the little things and advocating for the right big things. Recycle. Better, reduce. Stop consuming excessively. I have a couple of different strategies for reducing my shopping. One, I call the "24-hour rule." If I think that I want something non-essential, I make myself wait 24 hours. Usually, by that time, the impulse is gone and I realize that I don't really want what I thought I did. Another is to ask myself, "Do I need this to live and thrive?" Usually, the answer is "no." The production and transportation of disposable goods leads to excessive carbon emissions and waste that ends up polluting the earth's air and water. If we just stop buying so much stuff, we can make a huge difference. Another thing I do is to advocate for environmental causes as frequently as I can. I try to not only walk the walk and talk the talk, but to also advocate for larger environmental isues, such as reforestation (and the cessation of deforestation), species conservation, regenerative agriculture, and social/environmental justice and accountability. In our small, individual ways, I believe that we are still able to cast votes towards what matters to us with every dollar that we spend. Conscious spending is a very impactful way to combat climate change. The money that we spend fuels the industries required to deliver us products. If we use public transportation or walk/bike to work, for example, we are giving less money to oil companies. If we boycott palm oil, for another example, we are also boycotting deforestation. I believe that architecture has a lot of room for improvement. We currently use very unsustainable construction methods. For example, we clearcut forests and ship lumber all over the world and use construction materials that will inevitably end up in a landfill one day. Yet, construction methods such as cob, earthbag, and strawbale provide options that are not only more energy efficient but are made out of natural materials that will dissolve back into the earth when they are no longer being used. We can also use alternative energy sources to provide electricity to our homes for modern living. In most places in the country, solar energy is a viable option for providing electricity directly onsite. Large-scale wind and solar farms could provide local power to many other homes. There is so much that we can do to combat climate change, but only if we start to take it seriously! It is going to take each one of us making changes to our own lives and advocating for the cause. There is still hope, but there isn't much more time.

With so many books to choose from, it would be difficult to recommend just one book that would benefit everyone in the entire world, especially given the diverse worldviews found in a multicultural perspective! My mind first jumped to the Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo. However, I don't believe that this would be a good fit for everyone in the world. The basic premise of the book is the journey to finding life's treasure and true meaning requires that you have to begin looking exactly where you are. It reminds me of a poem by Rumi titled, "In Baghdad, Dreaming of Cairo; In Cairo, Dreaming of Baghdad." However, the reason why I don't think that this book would be good for everyone in the world to read is that it assumes a very individualist perspective. Yet, there are so many cultures in the world that place much more value on collectivism. Another book that comes to mind is Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse. I love this book so much that I've read through it at least three times. In this book, the protagonist begins by following the path of the Buddha, leaving a life of privilege to find spiritual fulfillment. However, his path diverges from the Buddha's after he becomes caught up in the world's desires. He falls into the pursuit of money and pleasure, spending much of his adult life in such a hedonistic lifestyle. Eventually, like the protagonist in the Alchemist, the lead character returns to a place that he had visited earlier on in life to discover true meaning. For this character, he discovered that he was meant to ferry people from one side of the river to the other, a metaphor for helping people to leave behind a life of suffering for a life of bliss. I think that this book would be a good one for everyone in the world to read. It highlights the importance of spirituality in life and lets us know that it is okay to struggle now and again. The story is told from a Buddhist perspective, but it isn't exclusive to practitioners of Buddhism. The story encourages self-forgiveness and can teach people that the pinnacle of life is found in helping other people, a lesson that I believe would benefit everyone in the world.

My experience with mental health had shaped my life perhaps more than any other force. I have always suffered from depression and have struggled to find meaning. This fact is what led me to study philosophy and religion during my undergraduate years. I was looking for answers to help me find meaning. I was unable to find them. I have come to believe that there is no universal meaning to our lives. Rather, we must create our own meaning. To do so, we must look deep within ourselves and listen to our instincts and conscience. I don't believe this to necessarily be a pessimistic worldview. In fact, it is much in line with spiritual practices such as Buddhism, which fundamentally accept the reality of suffering in life. I remember sitting on a bench one day, waiting for the bus that would take me up to campus for classes. I watched several different people cross the road in front of me. A homeless man was pushing a cart full of blankets and meager belongings. I watched a man in a business suit, carrying a briefcase, and talking on his phone while rushing to get to wherever he was going. I watched a group of college kids with scowls on their faces because of whatever it was that they were talking about. Over and over, I saw people who were suffering in some way. I came to realize at that moment that life is not easy for any of us We are all struggling with our own mental health. Some of us struggle more than others, but none of us are free. Years went by before I figured out what to do with this realization. I had recognized that life could not be taken for granted. If we were all meant to struggle, then we were all deserving of finding satisfaction too. I have never been able to accept a mediocre life. I don't want to miss a moment of it. After college, I did some traveling. However, my refusal to live a mediocre life made it hard for me to find enjoyable work. If I didn't believe that I was making a difference in the world, I wasn't interested in the work. Because of this stubborn view, I bounced around between many jobs. I met my wife and eventually had a child, a son who we named Robin. My life had changed forever. Now, I did have meaning. Now, I was Dad and my meaning was to be Dad, and to be the best Dad I could be. One of my first tasks as a new father was to get my depression under control. After a particularly dark series of weeks in which thoughts of suicide were becoming much too frequent for comfort, I finally sought professional help, which was obtained through counseling and with my doctor, who found a medication that worked for me. After all these years of suffering, I finally found some alleviation. I also realized that I had spent my entire life working through mental illness and the struggle to find meaning. I had come up with numerous tools and ideas that worked well for me. I also realized long ago that I wasn't the only one who struggled with it and that I could leverage my experiences to help others. For these reasons, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in counseling. I want to share some of what I've learned through experience over the years. So far, the counseling program that I am in has given me even more tools and a much broader perspective on mental health. I look forward to compassionately helping others through their struggles in life. I believe that mental health is becoming more and more of a priority in society, which is a huge step in the right direction. I look forward to the opportunity to join this movement as a helper.

My experience with mental health had shaped my life perhaps more than any other force. I have always suffered from depression and have struggled to find meaning. This fact is what led me to study philosophy and religion during my undergraduate years. I was looking for answers to help me find meaning. I was unable to find them. I have come to believe that there is no universal meaning to our lives. Rather, we must create our own meaning. To do so, we must look deep within ourselves and listen to our instincts and conscience. I don't believe this to necessarily be a pessimistic worldview. In fact, it is much in line with spiritual practices such as Buddhism, which fundamentally accept the reality of suffering in life. I remember sitting on a bench one day, waiting for the bus that would take me up to campus for classes. I watched several different people cross the road in front of me. A homeless man was pushing a cart full of blankets and meager belongings. I watched a man in a business suit, carrying a briefcase, and talking on his phone while rushing to get to wherever he was going. I watched a group of college kids with scowls on their faces because of whatever it was that they were talking about. Over and over, I saw people who were suffering in some way. I came to realize at that moment that life is not easy for any of us We are all struggling with our own mental health. Some of us struggle more than others, but none of us are free. Years went by before I figured out what to do with this realization. I had recognized that life could not be taken for granted. If we were all meant to struggle, then we were all deserving of finding satisfaction too. I have never been able to accept a mediocre life. I don't want to miss a moment of it. After college, I did some traveling. However, my refusal to live a mediocre life made it hard for me to find enjoyable work. If I didn't believe that I was making a difference in the world, I wasn't interested in the work. Because of this stubborn view, I bounced around between many jobs. I met my wife and eventually had a child, a son who we named Robin. My life had changed forever. Now, I did have meaning. Now, I was Dad and my meaning was to be Dad, and to be the best Dad I could be. One of my first tasks as a new father was to get my depression under control. After a particularly dark series of weeks in which thoughts of suicide were becoming much too frequent for comfort, I finally sought professional help, which was obtained through counseling and with my doctor, who found a medication that worked for me. After all these years of suffering, I finally found some alleviation. I also realized that I had spent my entire life working through mental illness and the struggle to find meaning. I had come up with numerous tools and ideas that worked well for me. I also realized long ago that I wasn't the only one who struggled with it. For these reasons, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in counseling. I want to share some of what I've learned through experience over the years. So far, the counseling program that I am in has given me even more tools and a much broader perspective on mental health. I look forward to compassionately helping others through their struggles in life. I believe that mental health is becoming more and more of a priority in society, which is a huge step in the right direction. I look forward to the opportunity to join this movement as a helper.

During the past few years, mental health is becoming more and more of a priority. I believe this to be a great relief for society. I don't believe that anyone is free from mental health struggles, though I do believe that some struggle more than others. My wife and I both have to manage mental illnesses. My wife was diagnosed with ADHD and generalized anxiety disorder as an adult. She struggled through school and never made it past obtaining her high school diploma. Education has always been very hard for her. She is fortunate that she was finally able to receive a diagnosis and to be able to receive treatment. However, neither one of us can imagine how her life would have been different had she been diagnosed when she was younger and still in school. Would she have been able to earn a college degree? She has been in the restaurant business for the past 10 years and has worked her way up to management in the restaurant world. It is only now, in her 30s, that her ADHD is under control and she can consider working towards her full potential. I have struggled with depression for my entire life. My mother suffers greatly from it too, so I imagine that it is genetic. I believe that some people have a lower baseline level of happiness than others by nature. I am unfortunately on the lower end of the happiness spectrum. I have had to work very hard to stay afloat for much of my life. It wasn't until less than a year ago that I finally decided to get help. I was terrified when I first walked into a counselor's office because I didn't know what to expect. I believed that there had to be something wrong with me if I went this far in obtaining help. I have come to realize that this view of mental health is distorted. There is nothing wrong with me. Rather, this is just a mental health struggle that I have to deal with, just like everybody else has their own mental health struggles. Eventually, I spoke with a medical doctor about my depression and was prescribed Welbutrin. At first, I hated that it worked so well! I didn't want to have to rely on medication. Eventually, I was presented with the analogy of a person suffering from diabetes who relies on insulin for their well-being. Medication serves a very important role in society. I am glad that, after all those years of suffering, I finally have my depression under control. Like my wife is free to realize her true potential, now so am I. I am more inspired than ever to help other people with their mental health issues. There is no telling what the future will bring for either one of us. Because we are both actively working towards the relief of our mental illness, we will be better parents and will be better members of society. Mental illness does not mean that there is anything wrong with us. We just have to approach our lives a little differently and find our own unique ways to contribute to the world.

One of the most sound investing tips that I've heard was from a mentor who differentiated between two different kinds of people. The first kind of person is one that receives their paycheck, buys what they need and/or want, and then invests the rest, if there is anything left to invest. The second kind of person automatically delegates a certain amount of their paycheck into some kind of investment. They plan to assume that they don't have any access to that money for anything other than investing. Once that money has been set aside, they are free to spend the rest of their paycheck on their wants and needs. Clearly, the second type of investor has a better chance of securing a positive financial future for themselves. Their approach is more orderly and disciplined, while the first type's strategy is more chaotic and less likely to be successful. My wife and I have both taken this investing tip to heart. She has a portion of her paycheck automatically deposited into an IRA that she has set up through her employer, who matches a certain percentage of her contributions. I have a portion of my paycheck heading into a Roth IRA. I believe that we are working with a sound plan for building our financial future.

I am currently working towards a Masters degree in Counseling. Part of my education so far has been learning about the importance of self-care. In order to be able to help other people, I need make sure that I am also taking care of myself. I view self-care as applying to different aspects in life. One of those aspects the physical self. I practice self-care in this way through regular exercise at the gym and outdoors, as well as a very healthy diet. Exercising gives me strength and energy and leaves me feeling invigorated. In addition, it is a way to burn off cortisol and other stress hormones. I also have very strict dietary standards, in which I focus on eating nutrient-dense, organic foods. Another aspect of self-care is mental. It is very easy to let the stresses and worries in life wear on you. I have various way of practicing mental self-care. I enjoy mediation and yoga as a way to clear my mind of the traffic jam of thoughts that so easily clogs my cognition. I have also sought conversations with counselors, myself. Even though I don't have any major problems in my life, it sometimes helps me to chat about the little issues. Often, counseling allows me new insights into dealing with my own personal mental health issues. Finally, I believe that is important to maintain positive hobbies. For me, I enjoy bike riding, especially with my wife and son. The exercise and fresh air is good for both mental and physical health. I enjoy cooking, especially fermenting foods and beverages. One of my favorite hobbies is the simple act of reading books daily. I do not underestimate the importance of self-care. As an aspiring counselor, I've never recognized it as more important than I do now.

I plan to use my education not just to further my career, but to change the course of it completely. I am currently employed in a sales position. While a career in sales may provide satisfaction to some people, it doesn't to me. I don't want to be remembered for how much I sold, but how much I was able to help people. I plan to use my education to transition into a career that is altruistic at its foundation. I am currently working towards a Masters degree in counseling, with the end goal of becoming a licensed professional counselor. I believe that the counseling field needs to have more males in it. I believe that we live in a time when it is more likely for a child in a single-parent household to have a better relationship with the mother figure than with the father figure. In many cases, even among two-parent households, the father figure is absent or all-but-absent. As a result, many young men are left without the guidance of a masculine figure. I believe that as a male counselor, I might be able to find ways to help these kinds of men. In addition to being a student, I am also the proud father of a three-year-old boy. I know that he will grow up and look to me for some kind of direction as a role model. I believe that I will be able to fulfill this role more authentically if I am engaged in a career that I find meaning in. Counseling will give me the chance to feel like I am making a positive difference in the world by helping people manage their mental health. My professional goal is to help young men find positive meaning in their lives, so that they can be better members of society, better husbands, and better fathers. I look forward to embarking on this path while simultaneously raising a child that will, himself, grow into a young man. I believe that my education will not only help me reach my professional goals, but will help me become a better father as well.

I am the proud father of a three-year old son. I remember that when I was during my more immature teenage years, I would judge the adults in my life harshly if I didn't believe that their actions and speech were active in them trying to make the world a better place. I realize now that speaking your mind and advocating for a cause isn't so black and white and that I was very presumptuous in my judgment. I've grown a lot since that time, but I realize now, as a father, how important it is for adults to speak their mind and advocate for positive change in the world. It is important for the younger generations to see that the battle for a better future is ongoing and that the people in their lives are doing the best they can to make the world a better place. To speak one's mind is to put forth intention for change into the world. Speaking my mind, to me, also means being a conscious consumer and spending money on things that I believe to be socially and environmentally responsible. I realize that the money that I spend goes directly to the producer of the products that I buy. I advocate for environmental and social responsibility with my words, so it is important to me to support companies that share the same values with my actions. Actions, to me, are an extension of speaking my mind.

My bucket list started when I was working on my undergraduate degree. I had the opportunity to travel to Nepal and spend three weeks trekking through the Himalayas with some of my other classmates. I developed a love of traveling that has never left me. After I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I was able to quickly get to work on some other items in my bucket list. I grew up in a small town in upstate New York and I wanted to see the United States and experience life somewhere else. After I graduated, I had six months before I had to begin paying back the $79,000 in student loans that I had accrued. I didn't waste any time during those six months. As soon as the weather was warm enough after graduating in December, I set out on a great adventure of a road trip. I packed up all of my earthly belongings into my Subaru Outback and drove from New York to Louisiana, then over to southern California, up to Washington, and back down to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I resided for a few years. I have a couple of big items that I still have on my bucket list. One of them is to take my son, when he gets old enough, to Nepal and to retrace the route that I took back when I was 20 years old. That experience was so meaningful to me that I feel the need to share it with him one day. Another thing on my bucket list is to move, with my family, abroad for an extended period of time. I would like to volunteer in another country, likely in the field of mental health. I believe that this would be meaningful for myself and my family.

I believe that the single most important way that I manage my studies is to set aside a particular time each day and a particular day each week in which I prioritize my studies. I live in a very small house with my wife, three-year-old son, two dogs, and two cats. When I'm home, it is very difficult to find quietude in which to study. It seems as if there is always somebody needing my attention. I certainly don't want to neglect my family to achieve academic success! On the contrary, I am pursuing my current academic path in part to make my family's lives better and to be able to spend more time with them. For me, I find waking up a couple of hours before my wife and son each day works very well. My golden time is 5:00am. I find that my mind is most crisp at that time, so my studying is most efficient. I have a little desk set up next to my woodstove. My dogs and cats curl up next to my feet. I make a nice cup of hot tea and get to work. I get most of my studies done during those hours. I also plan with my wife an evening each week that I can spend time at our local public library to do some studying. My wife takes care of our son on that evening and I am free to spend as much time as I need on my studies. Studying during routine times has worked well for me. In addition, making sure that I am studying during the time of day in which my mind is most crisp is important and provides the most efficient studying.

To me, joy means to be able to feel gratitude for the blessings that I have in life. Joy is being able to smile and take a deep breath because there is so much good in the world, even amid all of the chaos and uncertainty in life. I meditate often about joy. I like to breath deeply and mindfully. After a few breaths, I am able to quiet my mind enough to smile and realize that I really am privileged and the I have a wonderful life. I have a wife and a son who love me. I have friends that I can lean on in times of distress. I have a good job and am receiving an inspiring education that will lead me to a profession in which I can help others find joy in their own lives. Life isn't always easy. I don't think its supposed to be. Joy is the feeling of seeing a rainbow on a cloudy day and remembering to hope and to appreciate the good things in life.

I love to ride my bicycle! I like to ride it on the road. I like to ride it in the dirt. I like to ride it to work, to get groceries, and just to get some fresh air! I've always loved to ride my bike. The passion really bloomed in me when I spent $250 on a brand new bike as a junior student working towards my undergraduate degree. I was 20 years old. When I bought that bike, it felt like I purchased a set of wings that I could spread and take off to wherever my heart desired. I was going to school at SUNY Plattsburgh in New York. During time between classes, I would ride my bike to the shore of Lake Champlain, where I would sit and read or do my homework. During the weekends, I would ride greater distances and feel gratitude for being able to stretch my lungs, exercise my heart and body, and forget about my worries. I loved that bike. After I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I set off on a road trip that took me from New York down to Louisiana, then over to southern California, up to Washington, and then back down to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I resided for several years. During that entire trip, I had my bike strapped to the back of my Subaru Outback. I was able to ride it in 19 different states. Unfortunately, that bike was stolen in Santa Fe, four years and thousands of miles later. Losing that bike did not diminish my passion for riding one bit. 14 years later, I still love to ride my bike! I purchased my latest bike two years ago and ride it several times per week, even in the winter! In addition to my age and my bike, I've had a lot of other things change in life since I first started riding. For instance, I am blessed to be the daddy of an adventurous three-year old boy. My relationship with my son reached a new level when I discovered this bike seat: https://kidsrideshotgun.com. It was a game changer! Now, my son is able to go on bike rides with me. With that bike seat, he sits in front of me and is able to hold the handlebars and feel what it's like to balance and turn. He can even balance on his own bike without using training wheels. I feel blessed to be able to include him in my adventures. Another fun thing that I've been doing with my bike lately is getting together with people in my community for Critical Mass bike rides. A bunch of us get together every last Friday of the month and ride all over the city. Riding my bike gets me outside to beautiful places, allows me a chance to exercise and relax my mind, spend time with my son, and meet new people. I really, truly, with all my heart, love riding my bike.

I love my home garden. I moved to Amarillo, TX in 2016 from Pagosa Springs, CO. I was excited to be moving from a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a to 7a. In my mind, I was excited for a longer growing season so that I could get the most out of my garden. Boy, did I underestimate the power of the summer sun! It turns out that there are more climatic differences to consider than mere Hardiness Zone. Amarillo and Pagosa Springs get similar amounts of precipitation, roughly 20-25 inches of rain per year. However, Amarillo gets much hotter and is much windier than Pagosa Springs was. Summer temperatures in Amarillo can reach over 110 degrees. I've seen Amarillo listed as #1 on several charts listing the windiest cities in the United States. To overcome this, I've had to pay very close attention to microclimates around my 2-acre property. Direct summer sun is extremely dangerous to uncovered plants. I'm in the process of nurturing several trees, which I hope will offer shade and increase the number of microclimates that I have to work with. In addition, I've relied heavily on a thick layer of mulch to keep the soil moist. Still, Amarillo's summertime heat is a force to be reckoned with! I started keeping bees in Pagosa Springs, when I had the opportunity to capture a swarm and remove another colony from a friend's wall. I attribute much of my early gardening success to my bees. I love going out to my garden and watching them buzzing around all of my flowers, knowing that we're in a mutually beneficial relationship. One of the things that I planted in my first garden in Amarillo was yellow squash. I used to see bees all the time on those flowers. Until that year, I've never had such a huge squash crop. I attribute a lot of that success to my bees. During the winter, I find myself chomping at the bit to get started on Spring garden preparations. This year is no different! For the past several years, my garden has struggled greatly because I'm still learning how to deal with the summer heat. I had have had lots of success with squash, basil, and tomatoes in previous years. This year, I'm going to try some new strategies. First of all, I'm in the process of building raised beds in my backyard. Previously, I've grown my plants directly in the ground, which has resulted in a chronic battle with Bermuda grass. Raised beds will at least be off the ground, so I'm hoping that my battle with Bermuda will be more easily won. Another change that I'm making is that I'm going to plant more trees. Tree crops, such as pecans, pears, and peaches seem to do well in neighborhoods around me. I look forward to not only hopefully being able to harvest tree crops, but also to benefit from extra shade and more intricate microclimates for home gardening. I love gardening! I look forward to continuing to learn different strategies and work with different cultivars over the years. I look forward to the successes that are to come. I also look forward to the failures so that I can learn to overcome.

I read a book recently called "A Tale for the Time Being" by Ruth Ozeki. In it, she wrote a beautiful metaphor about life. She was comparing human beings to waves in the ocean. Waves rise out of a body of water, travel for a short time, and then recede back into the larger body. Human beings aren't so different. We rise out of the Earth, travel for a short time, and then recede back into it when our bodies die. I love nature because I acknowledge that I am inherently a part of it. In a Zen kind of way, I am nature and nature is me. Caring for nature is caring for myself, which is a responsibility that I take incredibly seriously. I know that my actions, no matter how small, have a butterfly effect on the Earth as a whole. Because of that, I practice sustainability in all aspects of my life as much as I can. For example, I don't like to eat anything that is not organic because the soil is part of my larger body. I don't like to eat meat if I am unsure how the animal was treated in life. I try to avoid buying anything that is wrapped in plastic, because I fear what will happen to that garbage after it is disposed of. I like to buy things that are used, recycled, or recyclable. I also love to take time out of my busy life to simply appreciate nature. I walk outside daily, using the time to meditate and pay attention to what is going on around me. I stop to appreciate particular animals and plants. Sometimes, I like to wake up early and hike to a good spot to watch the sun rise. I love nature. I always have.

I received a text recently from my mother. It said, "I need help. I need somebody to talk to. Would you give me a call when you can?" My mother struggles immensely with a lack of self-love. Often, she feels that her voice is unheard. We live in a society that heavily promotes individuality and personal strength. Weakness is considered a flaw. Yet, who can honestly say that they don't suffer in some way? I believe that some of the wisest words a person can say are, "I need help." That humble statement, if spoken more often, would result in a society that is much more empathetic and compassionate than the dog-eat-dog social structure that we are a part of. Individuality run amok is a dangerous and lonely social state. We could all use somebody to lean on at some point in our lives. That is why I consider my mom's words to be wise. She has always suffered from depression. Part of her affliction has been passed down to me. It means a lot to me that my mom feels comfortable enough talking to me that she reached out to me in her state of weakness. I felt honored to be able to help her through a rough patch. My favorite way to let others know that they are loved is to simply listen to them and to be there for them when they need a shoulder to lean on. It may not seems like a big deal, but it is to me. I am working towards a graduate degree in Counseling. I hope to use my sense of compassion to help other people with some of life's difficult situations. I believe that doing so will help promote compassion for others and the self in other people.

I received a text recently from my mother. It said, "I need help. I need somebody to talk to. Would you give me a call when you can?" My mother struggles immensely with a lack of self-love. Often, she feels that her voice is unheard. We live in a society that heavily promotes individuality and personal strength. Weakness is considered a flaw. Yet, who can honestly say that they don't suffer in some way? I believe that some of the wisest words a person can say are, "I need help." That humble statement, if spoken more often, would result in a society that is much more empathetic and compassionate than the dog-eat-dog social structure that we are a part of. Individuality run amok is a dangerous and lonely social state. We could all use somebody to lean on at some point in our lives. That is why I consider my mom's words to be wise. She has always suffered from depression. Part of her affliction has been passed down to me. It means a lot to me that my mom feels comfortable enough talking to me that she reached out to me in her state of weakness. I felt honored to be able to help her through a rough patch. My favorite way to help others is to simply listen to them and to be there for them when they need a shoulder to lean on. It may not seems like a big deal, but it is to me. I am working towards a graduate degree in Counseling. I hope to use my sense of compassion to help other people with some of life's difficult situations, including a lack of self-love. I believe that doing so will help promote compassion for others and the self in other people.

I have thought hard about what I should be doing with my life. I'm not the kind of person who will be satisfied working a job that will leave no legacy. It is important to me to know that I am contributing towards positive change. I had a transformative experience one day while I was working towards my undergraduate degree. I remember sitting at a bus stop, waiting for the bus that would take me to campus. I was having a particularly bad day. All of a sudden, time slowed down and I could see all of the other people around me in their own light. I saw a homeless man crossing the road and pushing a shopping cart. I saw a business man rushing to get somewhere. I saw another homeless man, drunk, leaning against a building. I saw a group of students with furrowed brows, spreading meaningless gossip about another person. I realized that every person that I saw was suffering in some way. Not one of us is immune. I also realized that to each person, life's difficulties probably feel as heavy as any other person's, despite their actual severity. This realization put my own suffering in perspective. I was having a bad day, but I was one person among many having one. I have decided to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling, with a goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I have spent most of my adult life learning about mindfulness practices that help me deal with negative emotions. I look forward to learning from licensed and experienced professionals, so that I can be equipped to help other people deal with hard times in their own lives. I believe that this career choice will leave me satisfied that I am leaving behind a positive legacy.

I received a text recently from my mother. It said, "I need help. I need somebody to talk to. Would you give me a call when you can?" At first glace, these don't appear to be wise words at all! Yet, I believe that there is a deeper significance to her statement, "I need help." We live in a society that heavily promotes individuality and personal strength. Weakness is considered a flaw. Yet, who can honestly say that they don't suffer in some way? I believe that some of the wisest words a person can say are, "I need help." That humble statement, if spoken more often, would result in a society that is much more empathetic and compassionate than the dog-eat-dog reality that we are a part of. Individuality run amok is a dangerous social state. We could all use somebody to lean on at some point in our lives. That is why I consider my mom's words to be wise. I am doing the best that I can to promote my sentiments towards that statement by working towards a graduate degree in Counseling, with the goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I hope that more people can one day recognize the wisdom in asking for help. When they do, I plan to be in a position in life to be able to be there for them to lean on.

Art can take many forms. I discovered one of my favorite artists through a book called "A Tale for the Time Being" by Ruth Ozeki. There is a character in the book who is based on a real-world artist named Oliver Kellhammer. The character in the book, as well as the real-world Kellhammer created a project called the "Neo Eocene." Kellhammer's art is very non-traditional. His uses plants, ecology, and landscapes as his medium and is inspired by such things as climate change and life in the Anthropocene. He has art projects that focus on using plants to remove lead from the soil, that showcase weeds as natural pioneers, and that focus on ecological regeneration. One of his projects, which he called the "Neo Eocene" is especially inspiring to me. During the Ecocene, 55 million years ago, the Earth experienced a peak in global temperature. At that time, alligators and palm trees could be found in the arctic. Kellhammer is very much aware of the threats posed by global warming. He postulated the consequences of unchecked climate change and arrived at the conclusion that we may be heading towards another peak in global temperature. Rather than shy away from, deny, or fret about the devastating consequences of global warming, he decided instead to work with existing plants to help prepare for that warm future. On his land in British Columbia, Kellhammer has been planting tree species that once thrived in the area during the Eocene. To him, this project is another kind of ecological art. Sometimes, art seems to portray the problems of the times in a negative light. What inspires me about Kellhammer's work is that it offers hope. Our world is changing. Rather than dread this change, we can trust in the Earth's resiliency and move forward. http://www.oliverk.org/

I absolutely love books. I can't imagine life without them. My local librarians know me by name. If asked what my favorite food is, my favorite answer is "books" because I devour them. I read paper books, listen to audiobooks, and read publications such as National Geographic and Mother Earth News. Of all the books that I've read, the one that has had the most inspiring effect on me has been the novel, Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse. The story is based on the early life of the Buddha. The fact that the protagonist is not himself the Buddha doesn't become clear until partway through the book when he meets the Buddha himself. One of the major themes in Buddhism is that all beings experience suffering. Given the right conditions, a person can be liberated from the "wheel" of suffering. The protagonist in this book leaves a life of luxury to become an ascetic as a means to free himself from the desires that lead him to suffer. He gains immense peace and understanding about the nature of suffering. Over the course of the book, however, his intentions become diluted by life's events, such as experiencing love, gaining wealth, and settling into village life. The story comes back around full circle at the end, when he settles down as a ferryman, metaphorically shuttling people from the world of suffering (Samsara) to the world of enlightenment (Nirvana). This book is incredibly moving. Every time I reread it, I am left feeling at peace and inspired to be a beacon of light for those around me. I think Buddhism is right in that we all suffer in our own ways, big or small. We can all get lost in our desires, but this book reminds me that inner peace can be possible.

Preparing my body and mind to live a long, healthy life is the number one priority in my life. I believe that taking care of my body and mind has the ancillary effect of caring for the Earth as well. My care for my body and the body of the Earth dictates many of the decisions that I make in everyday life. I don't mess around when it comes to the food that I consume. There is too much information out there about the detrimental effects of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc. for me to consume anything that is not organic or foraged. I have taken this incredibly seriously for over 10 years and I feel way better off for it. In addition, supporting responsible agriculture is important for me. When I eat, I am consuming not only the food itself, but the spirit of the food as well. I need to know that the meat that I am eating came from animals that were treated well and that the plants that I am eating come from healthy plants grown in healthy soil. I grow and ferment much of my own food and do my best to avoid any food that comes wrapped in plastic. I am confident that my body thanks me for the mindful diet that I provide it, and that the Earth thanks me for mindfully consuming the food that it provides me. Mental health is also important to me. I exercise daily, enjoying mountain biking and spending time at the gym. I believe this to be important for both my body and mind. I also practice mindful breathing daily. Consciously counting deep breaths helps me calm difficult emotions and brings me back to the present moment. Reducing and relieving stress is important for mental health and longevity.

One of the wisest investing tips that I've ever heard distinguished between two different kinds of people who invest: First, there is the person who gets their paycheck, hopefully pays their monthly bills, buys what they think that they want or need, and then invests the rest. Second, there is the person who prioritizes investing in their future above all other monetary demands. This kind of person invests first, and then pays their bills and buys what they want or need. The first type of person inevitably has a hard time investing. It's hard not to spend all the money that you earn. The desire to buy stuff is built into our culture, and perhaps into our biological impulses. The second type of person is setting themselves up for success. Most, if not all, investing platforms have the option to make automatic contributions, either out of a bank account or out of an employee's payroll account (ex: 401(k), 403(b)). By budgeting these contributions into an investment account, a person takes responsibility for their financial future. Once the money is invested, the rest of that person's wages can be divided up according to the remainder of their budget. My wife and I take investing seriously. Her employer allows her to contribute to a SEP IRA each paycheck. Before she even sees the money, it is put aside into her investment account. My employer doesn't have a sponsored retirement plan, so my investing is done through automatic contributions into an IRA and Roth IRA. After bills are paid and the rest of my budget is met, the remainder of my paycheck is set aside into an unqualified investment account.

I have spent my entire adult life trying to figure out what the meaning of life is. My reason for choosing to earn my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies was because I was looking for to answer that very question. To me, finding meaning in life was more important than anything else, and still is. Without meaning, the only thing left is an empty, nihilistic existence. It turns out that finding the meaning of life can be incredibly difficult! In Douglas Adams' "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy," Adams sarcastically answers the "ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything" as "42." What else could he say? Earning my undergraduate in Philosophy and Religious Studies brought me closer to the meaning of life, but didn't give me any firm answers. Since then, I've decided that to even come close to being able to figure it out will require me to maintain a mindful presence and to practice gratitude. I think that it might be the case that the meaning of life is different for everyone. For me, cultivating the feelings of compassion and gratitude make me feel like I have meaning in life. If I can help others do the same, thus helping them cope with and eliminate some of life's suffering, than I feel like I am making the world a better place. It is with this intention that I am in the process of earning a graduate degree in counseling. For me, the meaning of life is helping others.

Life without gratitude would be a lonely state of being! It would be a decent into darkness and selfishness. Practicing gratitude is not only a humbling experience, but it also strengthens relationships. Upon waking up in the morning, I find that if I consciously remember to smile before I even open my eyes, my mind automatically begins to name some of the things in life that I am blessed with. This morning, I was blessed with a gentle tug from my three-year old, who was ready for me to make him breakfast. I was blessed with the soft caress of my wife's foot as I got out of bed to tend our little man-cub. I was blessed with a warm cup of coffee and an excited, healthy, intelligent, playful toddler. I was blessed with a reliable vehicle to take me to a reliable job. Today has been a good day so far, but it's not always that easy. Some days don't start off as bright. Mental struggles, stresses, and negative emotion happen all the time, which I believe to be a normal experience for everybody. Arguments sometimes happen with loved ones. Some days, work is either a drag or especially stressful. Sometimes, that beautiful three-year old toddler is a mess and does an impressive job of raising tensions in his immediate surroundings. It is during these hard times that living with gratitude become especially important. Mindful breathing is a coping strategy that I frequently employ. When stress levels rise, three consecutive mindful breaths help to bring me back down. From there, it is easier to remember how blessed I truly am, and the gratitude returns.

More than anything else, the thing that gives me hope that the future will be better is my three-year old son, Robin. I can't help but be optimistic as I watch him grow. I'm sure that he will have a very interesting life! I remember getting my first smartphone 10 years ago. Now, its an essential daily carry by not only me, but almost every single person older than 10 years of age! It blows my mind to imagine how much more technology will advance in his lifetime. I understand that he will have a hard road ahead of him. We are alive during very uncertain times, with a global pandemic, high global tension, environmental degradation, and materialist culture run rampant. Being able to raise Robin has become the single most important blessing in my life. I understand that he will grow to become his own person, but I want to make sure that I do my best to instill values in him that will empower him to make the future better for not only himself and his peers, but for the Earth itself. One of the virtues that I'd like to help him develop is compassion. He is growing up during a time when the ego dominates more than ever, and individuality is praised as a high virtue. However, I believe that this can be dangerous for social well-being. I plan to participate in volunteer activities with him throughout his upbringing. I think that it would be especially profound if I were able to take him to an underprivileged country at some point for a volunteer endeavor. It would be good for him to see that not everyone has it as good as he does. Another virtue that I'd like to help him develop is ecological consciousness. We are living during a time of unprecedented loss to biodiversity and natural spaces. This fact breaks my heart more than most things that are not right in the world. I plan to teach him where his food comes from, to appreciate the beauty in nature, and to respect all life, not only human. By consciously deciding to have children, I can't help but have hope for a better future. Believing otherwise would be nihilistic and detrimental to my devotion to be a good father. I love my son with all my heart. The future is his, and I can't help but imagine it being bright.

I had a transformative experience one day while I was a senior at SUNY Albany, working towards my undergraduate degree in Philosophy/Religious Studies. I remember sitting at a bus stop in the rain, waiting for the bus that would take me to campus for class. I was having a string of particularly bad days, for no reason other than a lingering sense of depression. Then, all of a sudden, it was like time slowed down and I could see all of the other people around me in their own light. I saw a homeless man with a limp crossing the road and pushing a shopping cart full of stuff. I saw a business man urgently speaking on the phone and rushing to get somewhere. I saw another homeless man who was asleep, drunk, leaning against a building. I saw a group of students sitting in a clique, all with furrowed brows because they were spreading meaningless gossip about another person. I realized that every single person that I saw was suffering in some way from life's stresses. Not one of us is immune. I also realized that to each individual person, worries and stresses probably feel as heavy as any other person's, despite their actual severity. A person suffering from grief after losing a loved one is suffering, but so is the student worrying about passing their next test. I realized that I was having a bad day, but I was one person among many having a bad day. This experience was one of several that have led me to decide to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling, with a goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I believe that this career choice will leave me satisfied that I am doing what I can to impact the world positively.

My experience with a depression that runs in the family has shaped my life into what it is now. My reason for choosing to earn my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies was because I was looking for my own answers to life's challenges. I figured that if I studied subjects such as these, I might gain some insight into belief systems and perspectives that would make coping with everyday life easier. I earned my undergraduate degree in 2009, but continue to this day to continually try to improve my perspective and coping mechanisms for life's hard times. It is from this academic and personal past that I have decided to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling, with a goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I have spent most of my adult life honing my mind and learning about mindfulness practices that help me deal with negative feelings and emotions. I believe I've done a great job so far, as I have a pretty good life! I look forward to learning even more, from the perspective of licensed and experience professionals, so that I can be equipped to help other people deal with the hard times in their own lives. I believe that this career choice will leave me satisfied that I am doing what I can to impact the world positively. To me, the more people I am able to help through rough patches, the more successful I'll feel.

I received a text recently from my mother. It said, "I need help. I need somebody to talk to. Would you give me a call when you can?" My mother struggles immensely with a lack of self-love. We live in a society that heavily promotes individuality and personal strength. Weakness is considered a flaw. Yet, who can honestly say that they don't suffer in some way? I believe that some of the wisest words a person can say are, "I need help." That humble statement, if spoken more often, would result in a society that is much more empathetic and compassionate than the dog-eat-dog social structure that we are a part of. Individuality run amok is a dangerous and lonely social state. We could all use somebody to lean on at some point in our lives. That is why I consider my mom's words to be wise. She has always suffered from depression. Part of her affliction has been passed down to me. It means a lot to me that my mom feels comfortable enough talking to me that she reached out to me in her state of weakness. I felt honored to be able to help her through a rough patch. Something that I love about myself is that my mother knows that she can come to me for help when she needs it. It may not seems like a big deal, but it is to me. I am working towards a graduate degree in Counseling. I hope to use my sense of compassion to help other people with some of life's difficult situations, including a lack of self-love. I believe that doing so will help promote compassion for others and the self in other people.

I received a text recently from my mother. It said, "I need help. I need somebody to talk to. Would you give me a call when you can?" We live in a society that heavily promotes individuality and personal strength. Weakness is considered a flaw. Yet, who can honestly say that they don't suffer in some way? I believe that some of the wisest words a person can say are, "I need help." That humble statement, if spoken more often, would result in a society that is much more empathetic and compassionate than the dog-eat-dog social structure that we are a part of. Individuality run amok is a dangerous and lonely social state. We could all use somebody to lean on at some point in our lives. That is why I consider my mom's words to be wise. She has always suffered from depression. Part of her affliction has been passed down to me. It means a lot to me that my mom feels comfortable enough talking to me that she reached out to me in her state of weakness. I felt honored to be able to help her through a rough patch. If I were a highly influential figure, I would stand for mental health awareness. I would want people to know that it is okay to seek help if you need it. In a world that seems to be teetering on the edge of chaos, we all need somebody to lean on.

I absolutely love books. I can't imagine life without them. My local librarians know me by name. If asked what my favorite food is, my favorite answer is "books" because I devour them. I read paper books, listen to audiobooks, and read publications such as National Geographic and Mother Earth News. Of all the books that I've read, the one that has had the most significant effect on me has been the novel, Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse. The story is based on the early life of the Buddha. The fact that the protagonist is not himself the Buddha doesn't become clear until partway through the book when he meets the Buddha himself. One of the major themes in Buddhism is that all beings experience suffering. Given the right conditions, a person can be liberated from the "wheel" of suffering. The protagonist in this book leaves a life of luxury to become an ascetic as a means to free himself from the desires that lead him to suffer. He gains immense peace and understanding about the nature of suffering. Over the course of the book, however, his intentions become diluted by life's events, such as experiencing love, gaining wealth, and settling into village life. The story comes back around full circle at the end, when he settles down as a ferryman, metaphorically shuttling people from the world of suffering (Samsara) to the world of enlightenment (Nirvana). This book is incredibly moving. Every time I reread it, I am left feeling at peace and inspired to be a beacon of light for those around me. I think Buddhism is right in that we all suffer in our own ways, big or small. We can all get lost in our desires, but this book reminds me that inner peace can be possible.

I received a text recently from my mother. It said, "I need help. I need somebody to talk to." We live in a society that heavily promotes individuality and personal strength. Weakness is a flaw. Yet, who can say that they don't ever suffer? I believe that some of the wisest words a person can say are, "I need help." That humble statement, if spoken more often, would result in a society that is more compassionate than the dog-eat-dog social structure that we are a part of. Individuality run amok is a dangerous and lonely social state. We could all use somebody to lean on at some point in our lives. That is why I consider my mom's words to be wise. She has always suffered from depression. Part of her affliction has been passed down to me. It means a lot to me that my mom feels comfortable enough talking to me that she reached out to me in her state of weakness. I felt honored to be able to help her through a rough patch. I had a transformative experience one day while I was a senior at SUNY Albany, working towards my undergraduate degree in Philosophy/Religious Studies. I remember sitting at a bus stop in the rain, waiting for the bus that would take me to campus. I was having a string of particularly bad days, for no reason other than a lingering sense of depression. Then, all of a sudden, it was like time slowed down. I could see all the other people around me in their own light. I saw a homeless man with a limp pushing a shopping cart full of stuff. I saw a business man urgently speaking on the phone, rushing to get somewhere. I saw another homeless man asleep, drunk, leaning against a building. I saw a group of students sitting in a clique, with furrowed brows because they were spreading meaningless gossip about another person. The point it, I realized that every single person that I saw was suffering in some way from life's stresses. Not one of us is immune. I also realized that to each individual, worries and stresses probably feel as heavy as any other person's. A person suffering from grief after losing a loved one is suffering, but so is the student worrying about passing their next test. This realization put my own depression in perspective. I was having a bad day, but I was only one person having a bad day. My experience with depression has shaped my life into what it is now. My reason for choosing to earn my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies was because I was looking for answers to life's challenges. I figured that I might gain some insight into belief systems and perspectives that would make coping with life easier. I earned my undergraduate degree in 2009, but continue to this day to try to improve my perspective and coping mechanisms for life's hard times. I have decided to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling, with a goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I have spent most of my adult life honing my mind and learning about mindfulness practices that help me deal with negative feelings and emotions. I believe I've done a great job so far. I look forward to learning even more, from the perspective of experienced professionals, so that I can be equipped to help other people deal with hard times. I believe that this career choice will leave me satisfied that I am doing what I can to impact the world positively.

I grew up in New York State. After receiving my undergraduate degree, I set off on a road trip that carried me all the way down to Florida, across to California, up to Washington, and then back down to New Mexico, where I settled in Santa Fe for a few years. I first met my wife in Santa Fe. After spending time living in New Mexico, Washington, and Colorado, we eventually decided to move to her home state of Texas. I've never lived in another place so eager to accept my growing roots. Texas adopted me like one of their own. Since moving here in 2016, I've met some of the best people and have developed some of the deepest and most meaningful relationships of my life. I'm proud to be a Texan, and proud to be raising my son as a Texan as well.

I received a text recently from my mother. It said, "I need help. I need somebody to talk to. Would you give me a call when you can?" We live in a society that heavily promotes individuality and personal strength. Weakness is considered a flaw. Yet, who can honestly say that they don't suffer in some way? I believe that some of the wisest words a person can say are, "I need help." That humble statement, if spoken more often, would result in a society that is much more empathetic and compassionate than the dog-eat-dog social structure that we are a part of. Individuality run amok is a dangerous and lonely social state. We could all use somebody to lean on at some point in our lives. That is why I consider my mom's words to be wise. She has always suffered from depression. Part of her affliction has been passed down to me. It means a lot to me that my mom feels comfortable enough talking to me that she reached out to me in her state of weakness. I felt honored to be able to help her through a rough patch. I had a transformative experience one day while I was a senior at SUNY Albany, working towards my undergraduate degree in Philosophy/Religious Studies. I remember sitting at a bus stop in the rain, waiting for the bus that would take me to campus for class. I was having a string of particularly bad days, for no reason other than a lingering sense of depression. Then, all of a sudden, it was like time slowed down and I could see all of the other people around me in their own light. I saw a homeless man with a limp crossing the road and pushing a shopping cart full of stuff. I saw a business man urgently speaking on the phone and rushing to get somewhere. I saw another homeless man who was asleep, drunk, leaning against a building. I saw a group of students sitting in a clique, all with furrowed brows because they were spreading meaningless gossip about another person. The point it, I realized that every single person that I saw was suffering in some way from life's stresses. Not one of us is immune from stress, negativity, and physical pain. I also realized that to each individual person, worries and stresses probably feel as heavy as any other person's, despite their actual severity. A person suffering from grief after losing a loved one is suffering, but so is the student worrying about passing their next test. This realization put my own depression in perspective. I was having a bad day, but I was one person having a bad day among many. My experience with a depression that runs in the family has shaped my life into what it is now. My reason for choosing to earn my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies was because I was looking for my own answers to life's challenges. I figured that if I studied subjects such as these, I might gain some insight into belief systems and perspectives that would make coping with everyday life easier. I earned my undergraduate degree in 2009, but continue to this day to continually try to improve my perspective and coping mechanisms for life's hard times. It is from this academic and personal past that I have decided to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling, with a goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I have spent most of my adult life honing my mind and learning about mindfulness practices that help me deal with negative feelings and emotions. I believe I've done a great job so far, as I have a pretty good life! I look forward to learning even more, from the perspective of licensed and experience professionals, so that I can be equipped to help other people deal with the hard times in their own lives. I believe that this career choice will leave me satisfied that I am doing what I can to impact the world positively.

I have thought long and hard about what I should be doing with my life. I am not the kind of person who will be satisfied getting by with a job or career that I feel will leave no legacy, nor make the world a better place. It is important to me to know that I am contributing towards positive change. I had a transformative experience one day while I was a senior at SUNY Albany, working towards my undergraduate degree in Philosophy/Religious Studies. I remember sitting at a bus stop in the rain, waiting for the bus that would take me to campus for class. I was having a particularly bad day, though the reason for that eludes my memory. Then, all of a sudden, it was like time slowed down and I could see all of the other people around me in their own light. I saw a homeless man with a limp crossing the road and pushing a shopping cart full of stuff. I saw a business man urgently speaking on the phone and rushing to get somewhere. I saw another homeless man who was asleep, drunk, leaning against a building. I saw a group of students sitting in a clique, all with furrowed brows because they were spreading meaningless gossip about another person. The point it, I realized that every single person that I saw was suffering in some way from life's stresses. Not one of us is immune from stress, negativity, and physical pain. I also realized that to each individual person, worries and stresses probably feel as heavy as any other person's, despite their actual severity. A person suffering from grief after losing a loved one is suffering, but so is the person worrying about passing their next test. This realization put my own stress and suffering in perspective. I was having a bad day, but I was one person having a bad day among many. My reason for choosing to earn my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies was because I was looking for my own answers to life's challenges. I figured that if I studied subjects such as these, I might gain some insight into belief systems and perspectives that would make coping with everyday life easier. I earned my undergraduate degree in 2009, but continue to this day to continually try to improve my perspective and coping mechanisms for life's hard times. It is from this academic and personal past that I have decided to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling, with a goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. It has been 12 years since I've earned my undergraduate degree. I have spent most of my adult like honing my mind and learning about mindfulness practices that help me deal with negative feelings and emotions. I believe I've done a great job so far, as I have a pretty good life! I look forward to learning even more, from the perspective of licensed and experience professionals, so that I can be equipped to help other people deal with the hard times in their own lives. I believe that this career choice will leave me satisfied that I am doing what I can to impact the world positively.

I received a text recently from my mother. It said, "I need help. I need somebody to talk to. Would you give me a call when you can?" We live in a society that heavily promotes individuality and personal strength. Weakness is considered a flaw. Yet, who can honestly say that they don't suffer in some way? I believe that some of the wisest words a person can say are, "I need help." That humble statement, if spoken more often, would result in a society that is much more empathetic and compassionate than the dog-eat-dog social structure that we are a part of. Individuality run amok is a dangerous and lonely social state. We could all use somebody to lean on at some point in our lives. That is why I consider my mom's words to be wise. She has always suffered from depression. Part of her affliction has been passed down to me. It means a lot to me that my mom feels comfortable enough talking to me that she reached out to me in her state of weakness. I felt honored to be able to help her through a rough patch. I had a transformative experience one day while I was a senior at SUNY Albany, working towards my undergraduate degree in Philosophy/Religious Studies. I remember sitting at a bus stop in the rain, waiting for the bus that would take me to campus for class. I was having a string of particularly bad days, for no reason other than a lingering sense of depression. Then, all of a sudden, it was like time slowed down and I could see all of the other people around me in their own light. I saw a homeless man with a limp crossing the road and pushing a shopping cart full of stuff. I saw a business man urgently speaking on the phone and rushing to get somewhere. I saw another homeless man who was asleep, drunk, leaning against a building. I saw a group of students sitting in a clique, all with furrowed brows because they were spreading meaningless gossip about another person. The point it, I realized that every single person that I saw was suffering in some way from life's stresses. Not one of us is immune from stress, negativity, and physical pain. I also realized that to each individual person, worries and stresses probably feel as heavy as any other person's, despite their actual severity. A person suffering from grief after losing a loved one is suffering, but so is the student worrying about passing their next test. This realization put my own depression in perspective. I was having a bad day, but I was one person having a bad day among many. My experience with a depression that runs in the family has shaped my life into what it is now. My reason for choosing to earn my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies was because I was looking for my own answers to life's challenges. I figured that if I studied subjects such as these, I might gain some insight into belief systems and perspectives that would make coping with everyday life easier. I earned my undergraduate degree in 2009, but continue to this day to continually try to improve my perspective and coping mechanisms for life's hard times. It is from this academic and personal past that I have decided to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling, with a goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I have spent most of my adult life honing my mind and learning about mindfulness practices that help me deal with negative feelings and emotions. I believe I've done a great job so far, as I have a pretty good life! I look forward to learning even more, from the perspective of licensed and experience professionals, so that I can be equipped to help other people deal with the hard times in their own lives. I believe that this career choice will leave me satisfied that I am doing what I can to impact the world positively.

I received a text recently from my mother. It said, "I need help. I need somebody to talk to. Would you give me a call when you can?" At first glace, these don't appear to be wise words at all! Yet, I believe that there is a deeper significance to her statement, "I need help." We live in a society that heavily promotes individuality and personal strength. Weakness is considered a flaw. Yet, who can honestly say that they don't suffer in some way? I believe that some of the wisest words a person can say are, "I need help." That humble statement, if spoken more often, would result in a society that is much more empathetic and compassionate than the dog-eat-dog reality that we are a part of. Individuality run amok is a dangerous social state. We could all use somebody to lean on at some point in our lives. That is why I consider my mom's words to be wise. I am doing the best that I can to promote my sentiments towards that statement by working towards a graduate degree in Counseling, with the goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I hope that more people can one day recognize the wisdom in asking for help. When they do, I plan to be in a position in life to be able to be there for them to lean on.

If I could make one change that would make education better for future generations, I would make it more affordable. I understand that this is probably a common answer, but I truly believe in it. Prohibitive tuition costs have multiple detrimental effects on education and future students. Most undergraduate students enter their college career immediately after high school. That is what I did. These 18-year-olds have almost no life experience, nor any real understanding of debt and personal finance. I sure didn't! Yet, these 18-year-olds are embarking on one of the most, if not THE most financially demanding endeavors of their young adult lives. The amount of financial preparation taught in high school is not sufficient to prepare students for this kind of commitment. At 22-years-old, when I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I was $75,000 in student debt and had no job lined up. Prohibitive tuition costs have another consequence, which might even be more sinister than the debt crisis experienced by young adults. Education becomes a commodity. As a result, certain fields of study become "more valuable" than others. For a student to get the most of their expensive tuition, they have to choose to major in fields that will eventually earn them money. For example, Business, Medicine, STEM subjects, Computer Science, etc. become more "valuable" than subjects such as Philosophy, Literature, and other liberal arts subjects. Yet, many of these liberal arts subjects have been evolving since the dawn of humanity. If a person wants to continue to study lines of thought that have been evolving for thousands of years, they must do so at a very high cost. Education for the sake of education becomes an unwise choice. This undermines the magic of education, transforming it into a utilitarian requirement for the mere sake of getting a job to pay off student debt and become a contributing member of the economy. I don't know what the right answer is to decrease tuition costs. I'm not sure about the repercussions that government subsidies towards education would have on society as a whole. Yet, I recognize that prohibitive tuition costs are a real problem. If education become more affordable, I believe that future generations would be much better off.

I have thought long and hard about what I should be doing with my life. I am not the kind of person who will be satisfied getting by with a job or career that I feel will leave no legacy, nor make the world a better place. It is important to me to know that I am contributing towards positive change. I had a transformative experience one day while I was a senior at SUNY Albany, working towards my undergraduate degree in Philosophy/Religious Studies. I remember sitting at a bus stop in the rain, waiting for the bus that would take me to campus for class. I was having a particularly bad day, though the reason for that eludes my memory. Then, all of a sudden, it was like time slowed down and I could see all of the other people around me in their own light. I saw a homeless man with a limp crossing the road and pushing a shopping cart full of stuff. I saw a business man urgently speaking on the phone and rushing to get somewhere. I saw another homeless man who was asleep, drunk, leaning against a building. I saw a group of students sitting in a clique, all with furrowed brows because they were spreading meaningless gossip about another person. The point it, I realized that every single person that I saw was suffering in some way from life's stresses. Not one of us is immune from stress, negativity, and physical pain. I also realized that to each individual person, worries and stresses probably feel as heavy as any other person's, despite their actual severity. A person suffering from grief after losing a loved one is suffering, but so is the person worrying about passing their next test. This realization put my own stress and suffering in perspective. I was having a bad day, but I was one person having a bad day among many. My reason for choosing to earn my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies was because I was looking for my own answers to life's challenges. I figured that if I studied subjects such as these, I might gain some insight into belief systems and perspectives that would make coping with everyday life easier. I earned my undergraduate degree in 2009, but continue to this day to continually try to improve my perspective and coping mechanisms for life's hard times. It is from this academic and personal past that I have decided to pursue a graduate degree in Counseling, with a goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I have spent most of my adult like honing my mind and learning about mindfulness practices that help me deal with negative feelings and emotions. I believe I've done a great job so far, as I have a pretty good life! I look forward to learning even more, from the perspective of licensed and experience professionals, so that I can be equipped to help other people deal with the hard times in their own lives. I believe that this career choice will leave me satisfied that I am doing what I can to impact the world positively.

My favorite scientific discovery is the wave-particle duality principle. The fact that observation itself is the deciding factor in whether an object exists as a wave or a particle blows my mind. However, as a layperson, I have to admit my understanding of the principle is somewhat limited. Yet, I can't help but feel that this principal adds a subjective significance to reality. In my opinion, its almost like science and magic are crossing paths. As a result, there is a certain dream-like wonder to the universe. It is certainly the case that our understanding of reality is on shaky ground. We are taught that the universe exists according to very objective rules and that the subjective observer has some kind of tangential existence in the grand scheme of things. The wave-particle duality principle flips that notion around, giving immense significance to the subjective observer. It will be interesting to see how this principle gets applied. As of yet, the theory exists in a very abstracted way, in that this is not a piece of science that we consciously observe every day. What kind of new technologies will be possible when we gain a better understanding of this phenomenon? I believe that the technology of the future may very well begin with this bit of scientific insight.

One of the most significant moments in my life came on a day when I was feeling particularly miserable over one thing or another. I was sitting at a bus stop in the rain as I was preparing to travel from my apartment in downtown Albany, NY to the university campus, where I was working towards my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies. I remember brooding about my negative feelings when I looked up and watched a homeless man limp across the road, followed by a man in a suit talking urgently into his cell phone and rushing to get someplace. I continued to look around and was startled by the revelation that every single person that I saw was suffering from something...worry, stress, heartbreak, physical pain, or any other manifestation of suffering. I believe that realizations like this are a good foundation for generosity. Being truly generous requires a person to continually strive to become more humble. By giving to others, a person is able to distance themselves from their own feelings of greed and malice. Sitting at the bus stop that day, I realized that I wasn't alone in how I was feeling and that other people are probably suffering way more than I am. Ever since then, I have strived to become a more generous person. Becoming truly selfless is something that may not be truly fully attainable, but practicing compassion and generosity, a person can make steps in the right direction.