It is full of challenge for me from the first day I stepped into a classroom full of strangers speaking a different language from my mother tongue of Taiwanese. The surrounding eyes seemed with bizarre hostility. I was not sure about whether there would be a same terrible situation of barring I experienced earlier back in Taiwan. My parents and teachers back in Taiwan encouraged me to have an open heart and mind, to learn and to make friends in the new environment. Fortunately, I soon found the teachers and classmates in the school in U.S. were more than friendly and helpful, if you open your arms and mild bravely. The school days became delightful. The challenge for me, however, turned to be the difficult task of keeping high GPA sores to establish solid basis for further higher education, and engagement in the volunteer work in the community, school and hospitals. Now, although I still recognized the existence of bad people in the world, I am gratefully, full of faith in humanity, in altruism, and in God.

“Times is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. And once it’s lost, you can never get it back”—Harvey Mackay, an American businessman, book-writer, and columnist. Hence, the value of time is determined by how it is used. Time is usually exchanged for money; nevertheless, money can be invested to increase the value of time. For me, the $1,000 would be utilized to bring a brighter future to my friend who comes from a poor family but aspires a career in the medical field. Alongside some free online resources, I would buy some preparation books and pay the MCAT registration fee for him. Burdened with heavy student loan, he would have a rather exhaustive opportunity to prepare himself for the future. Helping him stride toward his dream career is an equivalent of helping more people in the future, for two primary reasons. First, he would be engaging in saving people’s lives and alleviating people’s pain. Second, he (with me) would assist others in learning like what I now plan to do for him. The future is the time whose value would be determined by what have been done by then. In other words, the present is the best moment when we can make the future appreciate or depreciate. I thus decided to invest $1,000 on the present for the priceless good of the future.

Legacy is the lasting result after the process. Against the dominating statement that the process is what truly matters, legacy represents the value of one’s life. The value of one’s life is determined by two results. The first result is the number of people he/she has helped before demise. The people having been helped are the summary—the result—of one’s life. The second result is legacy—what one has left in the world. Wisdom classically represents one form of legacy. For instance, Socrates once stated, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” This sentence is part of Socrates’s legacy, serving as a reminder of humility on Earth for over 2,400 years. The generation of wisdom is one process of an individual’s life while the resulting wisdom brightens countless people’s lives. Science serves as another example for how legacy denotes one’s value of life. Science is a field with incremental theories, discoveries, and inventions, to name a few. The perpetual progression of science stems from all predecessors’ legacies of efforts and achievements. A recent case is CRISPR-Cas9, a technology for gene editing leading to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry of 2020. Without the relevant discoveries or inventions, the research on CRISPR-Cas9 would be fruitless. Although admittedly, results must be preceded by processes so as to exist, results are what can last and initiate another process of benefiting the world. Having received the upbringing with all sorts of knowledge and wisdom, I failed to realize the meaning of life until recent years. Before coming to study in the US, I took liberties of the growing freedom from my parents’ upbringing but increasingly frustrated them. On a miraculous occasion, I was “allured” to the US in that someone in the US intended to save the brats like me. My parents’ upbringing for me was not implemented astray but overstepped by me. I now appreciate the white lie of a “perfect summer camp” but in actuality an education center with ambitious students, who had been similar to me. I am also thankful for the upbringing in which I became adequately brattish to be received by the education center. More importantly for the upbringing, I have realized my parents’ stupendous efforts and teachings within. Luke 9:25 in the Bible perfectly questions my situation then, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self” (NIV). The loss of my past very self leads to the opportunities of being reborn and rebuilding my new self. As a result, I have gained the whole world since I have gotten rid of the imprisoning self. Regret is a turning point enough to happen once in my life. Having regretted, I hope not to cycle back to another regret. My life shall move forward ceaselessly. Ecclesiastes 3:1 said, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” It holds absolutely true that I can do anything at any moment. Nevertheless, the season for regretting is over; the season for growth is occurring. (As for the photo below, 40-year-old Roger Federer [though does not succeed due to regret] has dedicated more than half of his life thus far to his enthusiasm with prodigious perseverance and undying self-motivation. )

Generosity is to share with others and myself, similar to the covalent bond in chemistry—donation and sharing forms a strong bond between two parties. Love and happiness best exemplifies what are shared through generosity. Those shall be appropriately likened to light—being shed on others but being reflected back onto us as well. As we exhibit our love for others, we feel that we are loving; as we spread happiness among people, we feel happy. The Prime Minister of New Zealand—Jacinda Ardern—once stated, “There are some things that make the world feel small and connected, let kindness be one of them.” In this boundless, dark Universe, generosity emanates love and happiness further and further, drawing people’s hearts closer and closer. The Golden Rule in the Bible summarizes the way we practice generosity— “So in everything, do to others what you want to have them to do to you…” (New International Version, Matthew 7:12). We like to be presented generosity, and we therefore present generosity to others. Others would be doing in the same manner. Love and happiness—generosity—are eternalized in the circulation among all individuals.

“The only thing I know is that I know nothing” It seems to be a rather extreme phrase. It, however, strongly reminds us that we are indeed infinitesimal relative to the Universe. In the boundless forest of the unknown, our knowledge is greatly limited to those several fields. It still holds true regardless of how hard we seek wider and wider spectrum of knowledge. Hence, what matters more than the knowledge we currently possess is the process of seeking knowledge. To grow and thrive in this vast Universe, we determine our altitude with the attitudes we gear up ourselves—curiosity and humility. Prior to any most seminal discovery or invention, curiosity and humility must have been well displayed. Albert Einstein once said, “The important thing is to never stop questioning. Never lose a holy curiosity.” Across all fields, the onset of the knowledge-seeking process is an unanswered question. Longing to fill the emptiness in heart, we are passionate for doing everything for the answer. Despite a great possibility of futility, the process is where and what we enjoy. Humility is highly linked with curiosity, for it serves as the precursor of curiosity—we know that we know nothing, thus questioning. As a social animal, to seek knowledge, we human beings collaborate with and thus get closer to one another. The endlessness of knowledge-seeking perpetuates the bond among people. To recapitulate the circulation, the cognizance of our own ignorance consolidates our society. Our daily lives are fueled with goals, filled with processes, and colored with ideas. Since we never reach the ultimate goal, we are together forever.

We are fed by nature, sheltered by nature, and amused by nature, thus appropriately entitling it “Mother Nature.” Owing to Mother Nature’s blessings on me, not only is loving her my responsibility, but it also is an enjoyment. My responsibility of loving he can be fulfilled with two ways of “appreciation.” One way to appreciate Mother Nature is to value her beauty. From tints of hydrangea to majestic alpenglow, from river’s burbles to lion’s roars, I have surely been astounded by her masterpieces. She is a slasher professional in architecture, painting, music, and beyond. From any perspective, the variability and irreproducibility of all natural artwork attest to the originality. Even an everyday theme “sunset” varies by each dusk and each second alongside the endless flow of time. With my highest regards, I appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature. The other way to appreciate Mother Nature is to give thanks and reciprocate to nature. Every bowl of rice, every bottle of water, or every slice of orange—to name an unnoticeable few—elicits my gratitude. The ultimate origin of all our daily supplies is nature. However, we have overexploited our Mother Nature to a degree that we consider her having a fever. Conservation and preservation have thus become the primary means by which human beings can reverse the illness. As a beneficiary of Mother Nature, I save any energy, plant trees, and waste no food. As a biology major, I plan to join and donate to a conservation organization. As the next generation of mainstays of society, I will invite more people to join and advocate the movement of recovering our cradle of life. With my highest regards, I appreciate the blessings of Mother Nature.

“Think before you act,” many people around me have reminded me. I was not reminded only to prevent a tragedy on me but to produce a comedy for others. My agreement to this caveat has been escalating since my first time receiving it. At the beginning, I thought before I acted so as to prevent myself from misbehaviors and thus from punishments. As time elapsed, my thoughts before action has become to be for others rather than for myself. As a Christian, I firmly hold John 15:12-13 in the Bible as my principle of empathy— “[God’s] command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (NIV). From a broader perspective, I treat everyone in the way I would love to be treated. The greatest motivation for me to continue practicing this principle is the reciprocity inherently existing among human beings. As I exhibit empathy on others, others would give back to me with empathy. Empathy would thus repeatedly occur on and within me and more, cycling ceaselessly through the eternity of human goodness.

I gain my confidence through achievements, losing it when I fail. From the mouths of many people around me, I have known that hesitation is the chink in my armor. Someone shared a philosophical paradox with me— “Buridan’s ass,” which served well as a mirror for me. Buridan’s ass hesitates between two equivalent heaps of hay and eventually dies of hunger. Hesitation between two equivalences readily leads to a loss of opportunity. Hence, I quote Albert Einstein as my reminder, “Even if you have to go through hell—go without hesitation.” In other words, even if hell is necessarily a part of the course towards my goals, I would not hesitate to stride into it. I do not hesitate because I believe before I see, believing that I would see what I have been striving for. Despite the uncertainty that exists in everything, I confidently believe I am always approaching the end to which I look forward.

The future fuels the present. When Martin Luther King Jr. decisively proclaimed, “I have a dream,” he was dedicating himself to a brighter future not only of racial equality but also of the universal peace among all individuals. Echoing in my heart, a future for the common good is fueling my life. I now study for a future surgeon career, aiming to save more lives requiring surgical operations. I now sing and dance with my cousins for our high school’s new science laboratory, aiming to improve the learning experience of future students in the school. I now do a research with my Physics professor, aiming to help investigate the Universe from the perspective of dark matter. Although some people hold that one should enjoy now due to the shortness and unpredictability of a life, I enjoy now for improving people’s future. Future is the most worth investing among all subjects throughout the course of life. Theodore Hook (1788-1841), an English man of letters, said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” Hence, we now invent our future as we desire.

Adjusting myself makes me happy. In most of the time, I do not expect the surroundings to bring happiness to me in that I can best control myself not the surroundings. In other words, I change myself to become happy instead of changing the surroundings to make me happy. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, one of the most influential pioneer in modern architecture, stated, “Less is more.” Therefore, I change only an individual’s heart—my heart—rather than other people, external objects, weather, geography, and so forth. That is the simplest and thus the most effective avenue toward happiness. Furthermore, nothing on Earth can be completely negative or disadvantageous. As a Christian, I firmly believe, “When God closes a door, He opens a window.” Every loss is not a sheer loss. Happiness can thus be found from an alternative aspect— an exceedingly tough professor would better prepare me for future challenges, for example. That changing one’s angle could change the result has been a common wisdom. The approach to happiness indubitably can be the result.

Lemon Tree has been lingering in my mind for more than a decade since the first time I heard this song and searched for its background. It was composed by Peter Freudenthaler, the vocalist of the Fools’ Garden, to express his sadness of losing his girlfriend whose demise occurred in a car accident of colliding with a lemon tree. It, however, sounds rather optimistic. Not only is the tempo played in a jaunty manner, but the timbre is softly created. Such a contrasting composition against the cruel reality reminds me of an aphorism of resilience from Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)— “What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” I am inspired and encouraged to remain striding forward in the face of challenges or even in times of depression. The developing story as lyrics particularly describes the transition from sadness to acceptance to open mind. The first “just a yellow lemon tree” denotes a waiting that becomes disappointing when there is only a lemon tree evoking the sadness. Centering on the thought against sadly isolating oneself from the world, the middle part of the song becomes encouragingly energetic. The ambience eventually turns positive when the meaning of “just a yellow lemon tree” is reshaped—it is just a yellow lemon tree and nothing more, let alone sadness. Lemon Tree is a song of instructions leading me through hardships to an elevating mind set.

Equality can be my approach to diversity, and vice versa. With equality, all kinds of individuals could thrive, and the community diversifies. With diversity, all kinds of individuals are equally respected, learning the significance of equality for themselves and thus for others. However, reconciliation along with love is my ultimate approach to both equality and diversity. Reconciliation can be accomplished by the control of my brain through speech, action, and so forth. Love, in comparison, requires my heart. I employ both my brain and my heart to embody equality and diversity. Andrew Percy Bennett (1866-1943), a former British politician, once said, “The longest journey you will ever take is the 18 inches from your head to your heart.” When studying in Taiwan, I engaged in volunteering since people said it is important. I did not understand the meaning within, however. It was not until several “revivals” from difficulties in my college life in the US that I realized what love is and how important and powerful it is. Everyone’s love to one another creates the ambience of my college, embodying our motto— “Christ Preeminent.” In John 15:12-13 (NIV), God said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” I believe in the power of universal love to everyone since I underwent cultural discrepancies owing to people’s loving reconciliation with my many differences from them. I do not have magnificent projects, but I love everyone in my daily lives through my cordial smiles and helping hands, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, etc. I believe in the warmth and beauty of a diverse community in which people are equal in rights, values, and beyond.

Technology has been evolving with its primary purpose of improving people’s quality of life. One important deciding factor of one’s quality of life is convenience. In the past hundreds to thousands of years, “bringing a more convenient life to the world” has been the ultimate goal for which people have long strived. Slaves were once an ideal solution. However, as morality, ethics, and humanitarianism become more accentuated, technology is adopted instead. In modern days, the Internet of Things—so-called IoT—has become an increasingly promising technology with a simultaneously increasing number of “things.” In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark once said, “J.A.R.V.I.S., do me a favor and blow Mark 42.” J.A.R.V.I.S. stands for “Just A Really Very Intelligent System,” which denotes an incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IoT—AIoT. One of the most important elements of modern IoT is AI. AI has been improved and proved to be more and more effective in various settings as different roles, such as Google Assistant and Siri. Nowadays, AI virtual assistants has been able to respond to clients’ questions and requests by dint of searching and interactions. Developers, however, have started combining IoT with AI in an attempt to embody AIoT. One exemplary effort is the network connecting a variety of Google smart home devices to Google Assistant. As a result, similar to Stark commanding J.A.R.V.I.S. in Iron Man, we could control those smart home devices through Google Assistant. Recently, edge computing and 5G Internet have also been incorporated into IoT. Edge computing allows more rapid cloud computing by decentralizing the processing terminals. 5G allows more rapid information transfer between two terminals. Combined with edge computing and 5G, IoT would further enable an individual to simultaneously work on different virtual tasks. The ultimately advanced IoT would nevertheless be the combination of all things discussed—AI, edge computing, 5G, and eventually IoT. One promising attempt is the growing Google Cloud Platform. 5G, here, plays a role in smoothening the connections between terminals while edging in data analysis. 5G and edge computing have become especially important in that Google Cloud Platform also emphasizes real-time processing. Consequently, a person simply needs to set command and wait while the IoT has done all analyses, predictions, investments, etc.

I think, therefore I am while the manifestations of what I think—my bearing and deeds—determine the value of my life, on the spectrum from vanity to sanctity. To reach the desired end, I must be prepared with a certain level of abilities and determination. Education is deciding. I am currently a first-year biology major at Messiah University, starting a journey of exploring the marvels of nature. Nature, briefly speaking, is a magnificent and colorful world, amid which all lives interact with one another and with the environments. Among the diversity of lives, humankind serves only as a small portion of nature but plays a significant role in the development and the evolution of nature. As an even smaller portion of nature, a single determined individual can have a significant impact on the world. Needless to say, multiple such individuals can positively influence the world to an astonishing degree, even to an unimaginable extent through cooperation or unification. Nevertheless, activating such a mighty power of human beings requires an essence preparing a person for challenges—education. In recent decades, the frequency of natural disasters has been rocketing at an urgent pace. Despite the plausible irrelevance for many, extremities, sufferings, and eventually extinctions has become increasingly drastic and come closer to our lives. Something must have been done before Earth becomes incorrigible and before loses its function of nurturing and healing all lives on it. Something must have been done so as to restore and further the prosperity of life. Something must have been started to turn the tide and rekindle the hope. Education remains as the ultimate solution. Education enables me and many others to strive for restoring the harmony of nature. Nature continues playing a significant role in healing all lives and sustaining our daily lives. In addition, the mystery of nature has been so unfathomable that we has make tremendous efforts into discovering the pieces of our nurturer, our home. The maintenance of such relationships between nature, us, and all other lives requires human beings to display gratitude and practice reciprocity. In this case, education serves as the most effective approach to altering the degenerations worldwide. After I become educated and familiar with the vitality of nature, I would focus myself primarily on improving the interactions occurring in all parts of nature by creating an environment more suitable for healthy development. Biological remedies—more tolerant vegetables and more effective antibiotics, for example—can be invented. To no matter where on Earth or in the universe, I would ask, “How can human beings live with other parts of the world in harmony and maintain it?” Thus we should go on, strides over challenges and education ceaselessly over the unknown.

I strive for the best in academics in that as a student, I regard studying as my most basic responsibility. Forming a community of more than 8 billion people, every individual learns from others either intentionally or unintentionally. Any emotion or attitude can be contagious. I thus aspire to foster an atmosphere in which people make every effort at minimum to fulfill their responsibilities. Responsibility nonetheless serves solely as the most basic—the effort for the better is everlasting. Hence, I have fundraised with some of my cousins for our alma mater high school to build a new scientific laboratory. Gratitude is our primary principle. On an invitation from the high school, we promoted the fundraising event by performing as the halftime show in a varsity basketball game. Current cumulative funding has soon reached nearly $450,000 compared to less than $100,000 before the promotion in halftime show. Admittedly, the ability of myself remains relatively insignificant from the perspective of a whole institution, nation, or world. The power of a group, nevertheless, can be unimaginable. I strive for making a difference by drawing more people to make a difference.

My AP Biology textbook has inspired me the most among all books I have ever read. It opened for me the gate toward the expansive kingdom underneath the surface of knowledge. Before stepping into the kingdom, I believed in the lifelessness of studying and the material world. “Studying is purely memorizing” and “it is what it is and nothing more” were my solid commitments. For instance, from my former perspective, the subatomic world was too infinitesimal, and body movements were too ordinary, to become noteworthy. The book nonetheless astounded me by revealing the interconnection between electrons and every movement we made. The mechanism in which electrons drive ATP synthesis and thus allow muscle relaxation serves solely as the beginning of my investigation into knowledge. The exemplary research and experiments in the textbook further enhanced my understanding of the solid network among all concepts. Extensive lines of different research share a common characteristic—generating a new idea from known concepts. I was reminded of what Steve Jobs said, “Creativity is just connecting things.” Creativity can be beneficial (e.g., theories of relativity) or detrimental (e.g., nuclear weapons), however. The textbook thus provides me with the way to live with nature—revealing the beauty and eliminating the contaminations. By Rumi, “The only lasting beauty is the beauty of heart,” the heart of humankind, of nature, and of knowledge everywhere.