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Throughout my life, I have come across many people who have made an impact on my life, but not all of them have inspired me to carry these things throughout the rest of my life like my mother and my grandmother have. These two strong, independent, and beautiful women have taught me several level life lessons. I have learned to see the brighter picture in all situations, to be thankful for what I have and am given in life, to never give up on something I love, to follow my heart and to be whoever I want to be in life. Without these two women, I wouldn't know what I would be passionate about, I wouldn't thank God everyday that I am healthy and alive, and I wouldn't strive to be a better person each and everyday. As I embark my own journey, I plan on carrying, two dog collars, a set of pearl earrings, a soccer ball, a mermaid, ambition, optimism, and gratitude.

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Growing up, soccer has always been apart of my life. I was taught a young age how to play, and from there on it had become my passion. All of my cousins played, my grandpa played, my mom played, and my dad played, and so I felt it was in my blood to play the sport, that I ended up loving. I love the sport, as it had brought me new skills, friends along the way, and something to take my mind off of school every now and then. As I embark on my journey into life, I will carry a soccer ball with me.

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As a kid, my parents told me that I could be anything I wanted to be. All my childhood, I strived to be a mermaid. I wished for a tale instead of two legs, I wished I could sing as beautifully as they did, and I wished I could swim with all the animals in the sea. In my house now, my family have five statues of mermaids. I believe they all represent imagination, that you can be whatever you set your mind to be, and so I intend to carry a mermaid, in any form, whether a statue or not, with me as I embark on my journey.

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A strong desire to do or to achieve something to happen is ambition. My mother has always been a women whom I have looked up to. She has taught me that if i want something, I should fight for it. My mom didn't grow up with everything handed to her, she had to work for things she wanted. She has inspired me to put 110% effort into everything I do, and to do it with a passion. Ambition is something that I will always carry with me through my journey.

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I strongly believe that all dogs deserve to live forever. As a kid, there was not once time in my life where I didn't have a dog. Anyone who is friends with me, knows for sure that I am a big dog lover. Having a dog is kind of like having a best friend who can't talk. My dogs mean more than anyone could imagine to me. My grandmother bought my dog, Nina, (on the right) for me when I was in second grade, and she brought my other dog, Sofie (on the left) for my family when I was in fourth grade. These dogs loved my grandmother, it was almost like they shared a special bond with her. And so, whenever I miss my grandma, I curl up next to my dogs, because it feels like she's there with them. I will never want to forget my two dogs, especially when the move on. Once I embark on my journey into life, I plan on saving my dogs collars as a remembrance of them.

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When I think about what my grandmother would look  like, I think about how her hair was always curled perfectly, how she always had her nails painted with red polish, and how she wore the most beautiful jewelry, especially her pearls. Before my grandma had passed away, she gave me her pearl necklace and a set of pearl earrings. . She always knew that I loved pearl earrings, so when she had given them to me, it was truly a special moment. Since the day she gave them to me, I have worn them everyday. When I wear them, I feel like there is still a piece of her with me, and so as I embark on my journey, I will carry pearl earrings from my grandmother.

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Optimism is hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something. When my grandmother became very sick, she taught me to be positive no matter what the circumstances were, and to always wish for the best outcome in any situation. From her advice, I have taught myself to be more open minded to new experiences, meeting new people, difficult situations, and to always see the brighter side of things. Optimism is a trait that I believe all people should have. It trains my mind to be positive, bringing myself to feel happier.

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The Greatest

The Greatest is all about perspective. Just when you think you are failing, when things seem to be going wrong a change of perspective shines a bright light of realization that you just might be succeeding in other ways.

It is a very simple concept but the key, of course was finding the right young actor to play the part. As you have seen, he is amazing. After countless takes throwing the ball up and missing—which is harder than you might think—he never lost his zeal. The last scene was as strong as the first. "Celebration" by Kool and The Gang fittingly takes us from despair at 'strike three" to euphoria and inspires us to embrace the value of Optimism as we face similar situations each day. After all, you might just be The Greatest.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Boy: I'm the greatest hitter in the world!
Strike One.
I'm the greatest hitter in the world!
Strike Two.
Hmmm.
I'm the greatest hitter in the world!
Strike Three.
Wow
I'm the greatest pitcher in the world! Yes!
Music: Celebrate good times, c'mon!
Super/VO: Optimism...Pass it On. A message from The Foundation for a Better Life

Optimism. Pass It On!

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See and share 'The Greatest' Pass it On commercial about optimism

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The Greatest The Greatest is all about perspective. Just when you think you are failing, when things seem to be going wrong a change of perspective shines a bright light of realization that you just might be succeeding in other ways.

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Nana

She was a stay at home grandma who enjoyed cooking meals for everyone

And who cleaned everything until it was spotless

She brightened up any room with her smile

And her jokes made you laugh until your stomach hurt and you couldn't breathe Saturday mornings she would make me blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs served with fresh orange juice

And in the summer she would scoop watermelon like ice cream and make the sweetest lemonade

I would pick tomatoes from her garden in the summer

And peaches from her tree in the spring

We would go out for ice cream on hot, humid nights

And watch the lightning strike on rainy ones

She loved to watch me dive into the pool

and climb the trees in her front yard

She would watch my sister and I build snowmen and igloos with her neighbors

And then warm us up next to the fire place with a cup of hot cocoa

Summers with her were my favorite time of the year

Nana had a house in Kissimmee, Florida

And every summer we stayed there for two weeks

But once school started, it wasn't the same

We wouldn't have time to see her during the week as much

And the weeks would drag on until we saw her again

As I began to grow up, time with Nana took a turn

I didn't see Nana as much as I should have

I began to hang out with new friends that I made at school

And I started to participate in sports over the weekend

I would call Nana everyday to see how she was doing and ask her how her day was

But I only visited her when I had the time to, which was not too often

Several summers flew by

But this summer was different

We didn't go to Florida for vacation

Or see Nana as much

I was a sophomore in high school

And I was struggling to fit into a new school with people I didn't know

I was told Nana had stage 3 cervical cancer

I thought the world was crashing down on me

And I didn't know what to believe

I felt as if I had been struck by lightning

Or as if someone ripped my heart out

The following months I would visit Nana everyday

One day, she asked me to cut her hair off because she said she would lose it anyways

Another time, she asked me to paint her nails and toes because she was too weak and shaky to do them herself

Anything she asked me to do, I did it

Eventually Nana wasn't able to do much

She would spend most of her time at U Mass Hospital

And the other time in her bed

Over time she kept up with her chemo treatment and got better

But a few weeks later she was diagnosed with brain cancer, having two golf ball sized tumors

It wasn’t long until she lost her memory

It killed me to see her like this

And not know who her granddaughters are

I knew her time was coming to an end

But I still  prayed to God each night for Nana to survive all of this torture

I knew she was a fighter and didn’t deserve any of this

But God knew that if she were to stay alive, she would only suffer more

My grandmother was a women whom I looked up to. She was a constant, always there whenever I needed something. She taught me how to become a responsible young lady, and loved me more than any grandma loved her first granddaughter. When she became sick, she taught me to enjoy my life to the fullest and to be grateful for everything that I have. As I embark on my journey, I intend to carry gratitude from my grandmother. With this quality, I am able to be more resilient, open to new relationships, achieve more, be more spiritual, and overall be a happier person.