An act of service I perform in my life to help others is to listen to them. I will listen when others feel compelled to reach out. Reaching out to others is difficult, therefore the best thing to do is to be able to listen. When you listen to someone, you're assuming they're entrusting you with their words. Others may feel more comfortable confiding in you if you have the ability to listen. I know how hard it is to want to talk to someone about something that's bothering you. To listen to someone in their time of need is to be there for them when they need help the most. Another act of service I will do to help others is to tutor them in academics. As a high school senior, I understand how hard it can be to understand certain concepts taught in school. It's never fun to struggle with lessons taught in class, so the least I can do is help someone if they don't understand something.

The meaning of life is very unclear. The word “life” can only mean so much to us. There are new possibilities open to us every day. Countless people go about their daily lives, unsure of what may come next. Being able to live is an amazing experience, but not everyone might agree with that statement. Life isn't easy and there are obstacles along the way that we may face. However, this shouldn't stop us from continuing to do what we want. Throughout human history, we've never stopped evolving. With each and every coming day we continue to grow, going past boundaries of which we thought impossible years ago. To have a growth mindset is to understand that we can all develop into something more. I keep a growth mindset by understanding that everyone learns new things every day and it is through that, that I understand that we continue to develop.

I will listen when others feel compelled to reach out. Reaching out to others is difficult, therefore the best thing to do is to be able to listen. When you listen to someone, you're assuming they're entrusting you with their words. Listening is a crucial life skill to possess. Others may feel more comfortable confiding in you if you have the ability to listen. Listening to others can also lead to better communication and help build respect with others. Listening to someone shows that you care about their opinions. When in class, listening to my teacher and classmates helps me better understand how to interact with others. It's also easier to understand the material taught if I can ask for help from those around me. Listening and communication go hand in hand, both are dependent on the other. Without good listening skills, you cannot interpret information well enough to communicate with others.

The meaning of life is very unclear. The word “life” can only mean so much to us. There are new possibilities open to us every day. Countless people go about their daily lives, unsure of what may come next. Many people spend their lives trying to live it to the fullest, while others are more cautious about what they do. Religion also has an impact on people's perceptions of life. In religions like Catholicism and Christianity, people believe that your actions in this life will impact where you go after death. While people who follow other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism, believe in reincarnation. In reincarnation, they believe that the more good you do in this life can make you reincarnate into a better life. Being able to live is an amazing experience, but not everyone might agree with that statement. Life isn't easy and there are obstacles along the way that we may face. However, this shouldn't stop us from continuing to do what we want. Throughout human history, we've never stopped evolving. With each and every coming day we continue to grow, going past boundaries of which we thought impossible years ago. The meaning of life, in my opinion, is a means of discovering one's purpose. Whether it's committing your life to help others or discovering what makes you happy, there's something for everyone. I continue to strive in pursuit of what I believe is the meaning of life, believing that one day I will discover what my purpose is.

Not everyone goes through the same processes throughout life. To me, it's important to be patient with others because we're all going at different paces in life. We change and grow throughout our lives, so it's understandable to be patient with others. Especially for someone who's struggled with understanding academics, it's super important to be patient with others when they need help. When you're helping someone out, it's best to be patient with them so they don't feel scared to ask for help in the future. We were always told to be patient when we were little. Having and practicing patience with others helps build better understanding and perseverance. Patience allows us to persevere in achieving our goals. Without it, working towards our goals would be harder since we would quit easily. To be patient is to build tolerance with others. At times it may be difficult to deal with others, but building patience helps with that.

Joy is something we are able to experience alone or with others. There are many ways I seek out joy in my life. Sometimes it's when the sky turns into a sunrise or a sunset. The sunrise brings a new day we're able to live in, and the night lights up the sky with stars. Other times it's when I'm able to make a friend laugh. Looking at their faces light up and hearing their laugh, knowing that they're smiling because of something I did. When it rains is another simple pleasure many can relate to. The sound of raindrops pattering across the window can be peaceful. Being able to cook something and it comes out good. Getting to taste something delicious that you made with your own hands. Listening to music and feeling the sensation of happiness. Music is a universal pleasure, for many, it has saved their lives. One of the best things that makes me happy is when you listen to music when you drive with the windows down with your friends. Being able to call the person you've missed so you can hear their voice again. Reaching out to others isn't new in our society, it helps us meet new people. There are so many simple pleasures that one can go through throughout the day, whether it be a simple act or a big one. Simple pleasures can be anything we want them to be, whether we have them once a day or over a hundred times a day. Grab hold of what makes you happy and never let go, life is too short to not find beautiful things in everyday life.

There are many things that make me happy. It comes when I hang out with my friends, it can even be when I'm alone. There are too many things in my life that can make me happy, too many to be able to count. Sometimes it's when the sky turns into a sunrise or a sunset. The sunrise brings a new day we're able to live in, and the night lights up the sky with stars. Other times it's when I'm able to make a friend laugh. Looking at their faces light up and hearing their laugh, knowing that they're smiling because of something I did. When it rains is another simple pleasure many can relate to. The sound of raindrops pattering across the window can be peaceful. Being able to cook something and it comes out good. Getting to taste something delicious that you made with your own hands. Listening to music and feeling the sensation of happiness. Music is a universal pleasure, for many, it has saved their lives. One of the best things that makes me happy is when you listen to music when you drive with the windows down with your friends. Being able to call the person you've missed so you can hear their voice again. Reaching out to others isn't new in our society, it helps us meet new people. There are so many simple pleasures that one can go through throughout the day, whether it be a simple act or a big one. Simple pleasures can be anything we want them to be, whether we have them once a day or over a hundred times a day. Grab hold of what makes you happy and never let go, life is too short to not find beautiful things in everyday life.

Simple pleasures can be anything you want. It can be when you hang out with your friends, it can even be when you're alone. There are too many simple pleasures in my life, too many to be able to count. Sometimes it's when the sky turns into a sunrise or a sunset. The sunrise brings a new day we're able to live in, and the night lights up the sky with stars. Other times it's when I'm able to make a friend laugh. Looking at their faces light up and hearing their laugh, knowing that they're smiling because of something I did. When it rains is another simple pleasure many can relate to. The sound of raindrops pattering across the window can be peaceful. Being able to cook something and it comes out good. Getting to taste something delicious that you made with your own hands. Listening to music and feeling the sensation of happiness. Music is a universal pleasure, for many, it has saved their lives. One of the best pleasures is when you listen to music when you drive with the windows down with your friends. Being able to call the person you've missed so you can hear their voice again. Reaching out to others isn't new in our society, it helps us meet new people. There are so many simple pleasures that one can go through throughout the day, whether it be a simple act or a big one. Simple pleasures can be anything we want them to be, whether we have them once a day or over a hundred times a day. Grab hold of what makes you happy and never let go, life is too short to not find beautiful things in everyday life.

The world and society along with it can be harsh. Many times it's hard to find a person that'll be empathetic towards you. It's hard to confide in some people because you never truly know what others think of you. So whenever I see someone I know sad, I always try to show empathy towards them. If they don't want to tell me what happened or what's wrong, that's ok. Not everyone is going to feel comfortable opening up to those around them. However, I will try my best to be there for them, whether it's giving them a pep talk, or telling them that it's ok to be upset over something. In our society, we sometimes tend to say that others are "too sensitive" or "too insensitive". We need to remind ourselves that no one person is going to be the same as another. We all handle emotions differently and it shouldn't mean that only certain people get empathy while others get none. Being empathetic towards another person can show them that it's ok to talk to someone whenever they're having a hard time. For me, if I can help a single person feel better just by being empathetic, then it's worth all the time and effort I put towards them.

Friendship is something that'll impact you in every way you grow. Though some may stay and some may go, you will meet new people along the way. For most people, friendship is just an extension of their family. While for others, friendship is just a game that can boost your popularity. To me, friendship is when I'm able to rely on another person and they accept me for who I am. It's being there for them when they need someone to talk to, whenever they cry you can be their shoulder to cry on. A friendship is something that can either get stronger or weaker over time. However, in some cases, you can reconnect with an old friend and perhaps your friendship will be stronger. There's always a sense of familiarity whenever you see a friend, they can bring a sense of safety with them. Each person you meet can leave an impact on your life. One person can completely change who you are. There's a saying that you become who you're closest to. This actually makes sense because we can adopt certain mannerisms our friends have. Friends are something everyone experiences and for a good reason, to make each other happy.

I'm just a kid in high school who thought that they couldn't make a difference. I was just one person, a small fish in a big pond. There were always other people who seemed better at helping others or just better at things in general. It wasn't until senior year that I found out I could make a difference, no matter how small it was. I haven't always understood math easily and it was always hard for me, however this year, things just clicked. Then there was this day where we had a quiz, a small quiz on graphing constructions. A couple of people were having a hard time and they weren't quiet about it. So they did what most people who didn't study before a test would do, ask for help. They eventually came to me for help. There were about 10 people surrounding my table listening to me explain each step. After I was done, they thanked me and joked that I should teach the class. I laughed along with them as we all received our quiz papers. I didn't think much of it then, but we received our scores two weeks later. As the quiz scores got handed out, I heard sighs of relief. One by one, the people I had helped came up to the table I was sitting at to thank me, saying I brought out "potential" in them. More people started asking me to help them whenever they were in need and not only just for help with math. So, my favorite way to help others? It's to be there for them whenever they need help.

Earlier in the day, I was cleaning through boxes in my closet. I found the old portable Panasonic DVD player that I would use as a child. It brought back memories of how I used to take it with me when my family and I went on long road trips. After thinking about the joy it brought me, I decided to find the box of DVDs and watch it on the Panasonic DVD player at night. As I watched a movie on the DVD player, rain started pouring outside. It was calming, it took away all of my stress.

When you’re a child, you rarely worry about life and what’ll become of it later on. There are various paths open to you, but you may be swayed due to pressure from others. As the only child in the family and one of the oldest cousins, expectations got pushed onto me. For me, it was to always receive good grades, always be a model student, always obey others, etc. Going to school wasn’t any different. The students and teachers judged you based on how you looked and how you acted at school. Based on how they perceived you, you were categorized into a certain clique. School then also became a place I was shackled to through facades of who I was. I was able to create different personalities, one for school and one for when I was at home. However, one day in middle school, we were asked a question: “What makes you happy ?” I was never asked that question before and all at once, who I was flooded out. When I talked about what I was interested in, other people were interested in the same things. When I try to recall what happened, I don’t remember much at that moment because for once I felt ecstatic. The emotion of being happy felt foreign and I knew that it was a feeling I didn't want to lose. Soon after, I became more social and began to speak up more. Realizing that I no longer wanted to sacrifice my happiness for the sake of others. This experience has shown me to never judge another person. Ever since that day, it's always been my belief to stay true to yourself and to be nice towards others. I'd like to think that if I'm able to be nice to someone, when they see someone in need, they'll help them out. Being nice to them might help them out in some way. Besides, it's easier to just be nice than to waste time and effort on being rude. Just like me, I know other people struggle from the desire to please others. If you were to conform yourself based on what other people like, they wouldn't be truly liking you. They'd be liking the facade you created to please them. Remember that it's much easy to be yourself than to be swayed by what others think. You never know what a person is going through and I think that we should all choose to be kind.

When you’re a child, you rarely worry about life and what’ll become of it later on. There are various paths open to you, but you may be swayed due to pressure from others. As the only child in the family and one of the oldest cousins, expectations got pushed onto me. For me, it was to always receive good grades, always be a model student, always obey others, etc. Going to school wasn’t any different. The students and teachers judged you based on how you looked and how you acted at school. Based on how they perceived you, you were categorized into a certain clique. School then also became a place I was shackled to through facades of who I was. I was able to create different personalities, one for school and one for when I was at home. However, one day in middle school, we were asked a question: “What makes you happy ?” I was never asked that question before and all at once, who I was flooded out. When I talked about what I was interested in, other people were interested in the same things. When I try to recall what happened, I don’t remember much at that moment because for once I felt ecstatic. The emotion of being happy felt foreign and I knew that it was a feeling I didn't want to lose. Soon after, I became more social and began to speak up more. Realizing that I no longer wanted to sacrifice my happiness for the sake of others.

What I love about myself is that I want to help others. I love being able to make people happy. The world just seems brighter when I'm able to help someone out. Even if it's just one person, I'd like to think that when they see someone in need, they'll help them out. It's my version of the butterfly effect, that if I do something good, it'll impact my community in a good way later on. Wanting to help others be happy has always been something I've liked to do since I was little. I like being nice because you never know what a person is going through in life. I think that if someone's being rude to you for no reason, you shouldn't take it personally because something in their life is making them act that way. Being nice to them might help them out in some way. Besides, it's easier to just be nice than to waste my time and effort on being rude.

If I were a highly influential figure, I'd want to advocate for prejudice against race. I want to influence others to become educated on the history of other races. A person starts to develop their morals and beliefs throughout their lives based on how they interact with their environment. Racial biases is a problem for the reason that it's important to be respectful of others. Having a racial bias unfairly categorizes people and it can affect their mental state. In order to decrease prejudice, we need to become more educated in other races, cultures, as well as religions. Though prejudice may be a difficult subject to talk about with others, the conversation is needed to create a better society. Our society suffers from the setbacks of prejudice, which includes: violence, oppression, and other forms of discrimination. Educating future generations to not discriminate against anyone based on race, will lead to the development of a better world.

When I first met my best friend, it was in second grade. In my elementary school, classrooms were connected by doors. So one day, my best friend came in running through the connecting door. She was crying and saying that she didn't like her teacher. My teacher tried to get her to leave, but she revolted by sitting in the empty chair next to me. When she sat down, she began to talk to me. Though she tried hard to stay, she had to go back to her classroom. When recess came, I saw her and she came up to me. We've been best friends for such a long time now. We're there for each other whenever the other needs help. Friendship to me is about supporting your friends in times of need. However, I don't necessarily think you have to know someone for a long time in order to be good friends. Purely being there for them when they need it is what being friends is about.

I stay true to myself in my daily life by always remembering to not conform to anyone's beliefs. It's important to remember this because you shouldn't have to change yourself to please others. If you were to conform yourself based on what other people like, they wouldn't be truly liking you. They'd be liking the facade you created in order to please them. Remember that it's much easy to be yourself than to be swayed by what others think. Whenever I'm feeling stressed out by people who try to sway me to not be true to myself, I like to listen to music. I understand it's hard to do this because society will categorize people, but you have to not care about that. Expectations from others are a heavy burden and even though you can't please everyone, at least be yourself instead of being fake. Over time you will find people who love and care about you for who you truly are.

When you’re a child, you rarely worry about life and what’ll become of it later on. There are various paths open to you, but you may be swayed due to pressure from others. As the only child in the family and one of the oldest cousins, expectations got pushed onto me. For me, it was to always receive good grades, always be a model student, always obey others, etc. Going to school wasn’t any different. Students and teachers judged you based on how you looked and how you acted at school. Based on how they perceived you, you were categorized into a certain clique. School then also became a place I was shackled to through facades of who I really was. I was able to create different personalities, one for school and one for when I was at home. However, one day in middle school, we were asked a question: “What makes you happy ?” I was never asked that question before and all at once, who I really was flooded out. When I talked about what I was interested in, other people were actually interested in the same things. When I try to recall what happened, I don’t remember much at that moment because for once I felt ecstatic. The emotion of being happy felt foreign and I knew that it was a feeling I didn't want to lose. Soon after, I became more social and began to speak up more. Realizing that I no longer wanted to sacrifice my happiness for the sake of others.

What makes me happy can't be narrowed down to one specific thing, place, or person. Spending time with family and friends always makes me happy. Even seeing and hearing people smiling and laughing puts a smile on my face. The feeling of happiness can also come from the small mundane things in life. The feeling comes when I see my friend's eyes light up when they're passionately talking about something they love. It's when I get to see the movie I've waited to watch for a couple of months. When my friend group gets along, times like that also make me happy. Being able to sleep in longer than I usually would, getting no homework are things that everyone loves. The sound of the pattering rain as it hits the roof while I sleep. Walking with an umbrella in the rain with someone I like. Finding someone who has similar tastes I do and becoming good friends with them. Getting to read a book by the warm and cozy fireplace. Seeing how the fireworks light up the night sky and hearing the "oohs" and "ahs" that follow. The salty smell of the ocean breeze and the way the warm sand hugs my feet. Whenever my eyes meet with someone I know and the way they smile when they see me. How a friend's voice can sound so beautiful when they sing. To name all the things that make me happy would be impossible. The emotion I have of being happy has come so often that I can't begin to narrow down one single thing.

The biggest problem the world is facing right now is prejudice against race. To combat the ignorance of others, we must strive to incorporate the history of other races within the school curriculum. However, even if we push for the school curriculum to include the history of other races, it depends on a person's morals and beliefs. A person starts to develop their morals and beliefs throughout their lives based on how they interact with their environment. Currently, due to COVID-19, Asian hate crimes have significantly increased in the last two years. Many have blamed "Asians" for the pandemic, not even trying to specify what race may have started it. Even back in 2020, the BLM movement was massive, with over 26 million people protesting for the cause. The words I write will never justify the racism and discrimination people of color go through. Racial bias is a problem for the reason that it's important to be respectful of others. Racial bias' unfairly categorizes people and it can affect their mental state. In order to decrease prejudice, we need to become more educated in other races, cultures, as well as religions. Though prejudice may be a difficult subject to talk about with others, the conversation is needed to create a better society. Our society suffers from the setbacks of prejudice, which includes: violence, oppression, and other forms of discrimination. Educating the future generations to not discriminate against anyone based on race, will lead to the developement of a better world.

Currently, my dream life is one where I'm a pediatric doctor. I'd live in a single-family house and have a dog or two. My entire family would be proud of who I am and what I do. However, I also want to be happy with my decisions. I'd like to have no regrets and be able to speak my mind without having to worry about anyone's opinion of me. In the future, I'd like to help pay off the house I currently live in with my parents. It's a way to say "thank you" for all the things they've done for me. If I continue on my path to college, I'll be the first doctor in my family. They hold those who work in the medical field in high regard. Knowing that makes me want to strive even harder for my goals. Though I want to work as a doctor in the future, I'd also like to travel. Learning about other cultures and religions is interesting to me. There are many places I'd like to visit with friends and family. I've talked about going to Europe since I have relatives that live in that area. I'd also like to visit Japan because I find their religion, culture, and lifestyle interesting. Traveling to other countries can help me become more insightful of one's lifestyle. At present, I worry about what others think of me. It impacts how I act around others, but I don't want that to be an issue in the future. I'm able to grow through experiences, so I know I won’t be the same person I am now in the future. I do hope who I will become is a better version of myself. I'd like to be someone who's able to overcome any obstacle in their path.

I've stayed optimistic through tough times by being around those who support me. It's taught me that it's okay to rely on others when you're not okay. Through this, I've learned to be nice towards others because you don't know what they're going through. Even though the saying "fake it until you make it" is oversaid, there is some truth to it. If you keep focusing on the bad things, you'll never see what opportunities you can accomplish.