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Let it go - Michael Franti & The Spearhead

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WEEKEND - Ona Tańczy Dla Mnie - Official Video (2012)

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Mental Illness- Depression is genetic in my family on my mom's side. I have seen the direct effects of depression has had on family members, and friends as well. To have people in your life experience something so difficult to battle, is not easy to watch. I think the hardest thing about it is the fact that they feel helpless, and there is so little you as a person can actually do to help. I hate not being able to help. Nobody wants to see those you love most struggle with being happy, especially when being happy is the most important aspect of life(at least to me). I have seen various forms of depression impact many lives, mine included, and it has been one of the hardest things I have witnessed. It makes me a stronger person, she others overcome what they thought they never could. But that does not make it any easier to sleep at night, knowing the amount of pain that person goes through in order to go through each and every day.

Immigration- My parents immigrated here when my mom was 18, and my dad was 24. My dad came here with $200 in his pocket, and now owns a successful business. Immigration is something that I have had to see consistently growing up. Families have a tendency of wanting to stay together. So naturally, when my parents migrated here, everyone else wanted to come with too. I have heard countless stories of their immigration processes and what they have gone through. I have always been updated on all the new laws about it and everything there is to it. My mom comes from a family of 5 kids, the only one left in Poland is my aunt. She has such a hard time getting her VISA, and because of this she cannot join the rest of her family here, because of the immagracion laws. It's so difficult for her to be happy there knowing all her family is here. Yes sure we can visit but it's not the same as knowing they're only a car ride away.

9/11- This event really made me think, and the only way I can think it directly impacted my life is cheese. Yup, you heard me. Cheese. In Poland, the area where I am from, we are known for this special kind of cheese. Because of the high security at airports after this event, there was no way we could have the cheese in our bags anymore. So although I know, not anything serious. It still impacted my life horridly because now I can only eat it there.

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In 8th grade, I went through some of the most difficult times of my life. I was at the lowest point by far, not liking who I am, and not liking being here. I was so unhappy with life. I mention to you in this project all these things about how much I believe in the power of optimism and happiness. This is because I have experienced rock bottom. To me, the reason success is defined by being happy is because a long time ago that was an unattainable goal for me. I did not think it was possible. But here I am, more than happy with living and breathing every single day. Happiness is a choice, and if you consciously make that choice every single day, that is what will make you thrive in this life. There is only one human being that you are able to rely your happiness on in this lifetime, and that is yourself. Everybody else? They will never be fully responsible. They can make contributions, but they will never be responsible for your happiness. That is a decision that you yourself must make. Since I have made the choice to be happy, I smile a little wider, laugh a little louder, and the sun seems to shine a little brighter even. You have the power of choice, leading me to my next point. If you do not like something about who you are or what you do or whatever, CHANGE IT. You have that power. Don't wait around for someone to come around and fix it cause they won't. Always be responsible for your own actions and make the choice to create change.

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During the month of October, I did a social media cleanse, and it taught me a lot about myself. Towards the end of the month, I was realizing how many inside jokes that were social media based, I was not included it. I didn't understand them because I had not seen something on social media. It was most definitely an eye opener, to see how much of an influence just social media has on my life. I think media is a phenomenal way of sharing ideas, which I personally partake in. I think it's so cool that I can hear what some random guy has to say about a very big topic, and it's cool that he can share his ideas with the world, whether that's through a book, TED talks, podcasts, music, the list is endless. It is a beautiful thing to be able to hear the ideas of others. I think I have used media to allow me to become a more open-minded person. I get to see all these different perspectives, and formulate my own opinion on them. If media was not an active member in my life, I think that I would be much more caught up in my own life. I wouldn't have access to all these cool opinions that other people have, and I wouldn't get to see what goes on in other parts of the world. Although I have allowed media to positively impact me, it has not always been that way. I remember in middle school, media was my outlet for comparing myself to other people. Hair, body, health, luxuries, all of it! I have a friend to this day that compares herself to all these Instagram models and it makes her confidence so low. I think that she is not the only case either. Social media specifically, only tends to show the good. Nobody is going to post about their crappy day at work or the fight they just got into with their dad. They post only the good of their lives, so people compare their own lives, to the good that they see, without actually knowing what their life is like. Media has made a good impact on my life, but that is not the case for most people.

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Knowledge is power.

The world of education has absolutely made me the person who I am today. For a very long time, I had difficulties accepting the idea that I spoke another language, and other kids didn't. My mom would beat herself up because she regretted teaching me Polish, because I wasn't as good as the other kids. To this day, my mom shies away from speaking to people, because she is scared they won't understand it. In third grade, after serving as a translator for parent-teacher conferences, my teacher explained to my mom the incredible power of my mind. That I was one of a kind, and to never let me think differently. Maybe at the time, I didn't understand it. So what I spoke Polish? It was cool. I got attention from it(which I adored by the way). I didn't think a whole lot of it. It wasn't till I started getting older and older than I begun resenting the fact that I missed out on so much of this language. I remember getting my ACT score back, and sobbing, seeing how poorly I scored on it. I was so frustrated with the fact that this thing I had been told was "cool" my whole life was going to ruin so much for me. I remember talking to my AP Lang teacher about it, and that women helped me breathe again. She reminded me of exactly what my third grade teacher had to explain to my mother. That score means nothing. Sure in the time being it may mean something, but it is just a number, and the fact that I know not one, but two, and learning a third language, is fascinating. For a long time, I hated that about myself. I hated not being raised speaking English. My mother could not help me understand why I hated it, because she was dealing with extremely similar emotions. Maybe it is not the education system, but rather the people in it that you learn from. Understanding my bilingualness was is by far my biggest weakness, but also my biggest strength. I thank the people in the world of education that helped me understand that; That it is not something that makes me weaker, but rather so much stronger.

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One thing my family wants for me is to find a career I can find joy in. Both my parents did not get to choose the career they went into, and because of that they are unhappy sometimes. The older you get, the more difficult it is to switch careers, especially while supporting a family. For a long time I debated between wanting to be a psychology or becoming a teacher. Both very different careers, one making a significantly higher income than the other. After talking it over with my parents, they told me to do what makes me happy. As of now I will be majoring in education, because from the experience I have with helping students, nothing replaces that feeling. I get a rush out of the fact that someone understands what I say, better than what the teacher says. I like that people understand me, and when that switch flips, I absolutely love seeing that in someone. Another thing my parents envision for me, is being an active member in the Catholic church. This is one area where my parents and I strongly disagree. I am at a point in my life where I am so content with everything in my life, and I believe I have gotten here without any higher power. Meanwhile, my parents are extremely religious, and hope that I am the same. Church on Sunday's is mandated, and God is the most important thing in their lives. I believe that you cannot rely your own fate on another person. Every action you take has a direct consequence, and a higher power does not exist between that step. I am still partially uncertain of my religion or the significance of it in my life, but I know my parents would find it unacceptable if they ever knew I had thoughts against the church. Because church is so important in Poland, they expect me to pass the importance of it down to my kids and for generations following that.

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Mark McMorris- Snowboarding is something I have gotten into within the past two years I have been skiing since 2nd grade, but decided to switch it up and try something new two years ago. I absolutely fell in love with the sport, and go as often as I possibly can. Mark McMorris, a famous snowboarder, suffered multiple very serious injuries in 2014, and doctor's questioned whether he would be able to board again. After a long recovery, he is doing what he loves, and is thriving in it. He has never failed to stay optimistic throughout this recovery, even though he suffered so much. Having such a strong passion for something you love so much is incredible, and it drives people to be the best people. Passion helps drives optimism, and the fact that he is someone who has been able to find a passion he can be happy in, is the reason I look up to him.

Mac Miller- Music is something that is huge in my life. I feel as if it is so important for me to learn as much about music as I can, and continue to add onto my knowledge of it. I have been playing the viola since 4th grade, piano since freshman year, and have recently been picking up guitar. Creating music is so inspiring, and it is the one shared language between every culture, which is so powerful. Mac Miler is a self taught musician, playing piano, guitar, drums, and bass. The fact that he was able to teach himself all these instruments, and end up being admired by millions, is so cool.

Tony Horton- I would never consider myself to have a difficult childhood, but I had my fair share of hardships. Tony came from a small town in Connecticut, having moved multiple times due to his father being in the army. He was known as the "98 pound weakling" with a speech impediment. He messed around his whole childhood, and in college realized his passion for fitness. He is now a well known athletic trainer, having have helped millions with his at home fitness program. It is incredible that someone that comes from so little can grown into someone who has taken their passion, and made it into something.

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As I have mentioned on multiple occasions, happiness is a big factor in my life. I believe that optimism is the key to a good life. So naturally, I surround myself with the most positive people I possibly can. This is why I run long distance, and choose to participate in cross country. Runners are people who consistently make the choice to put themselves into extreme discomfort through running. Because of this, they must learn to have some incredible mental strength, and put a smile on in the worst situations. Surrounding myself with runners almost automatically surrounds me with some of the most positive people, which for me is the most important trait I can see in a friend. I am someone who loves to be social, and talk to as many people as I possibly can. I have friends from such a variety of friend groups in school and in my life in general. There are very few circumstances a person needs in order to be my friend. I always see the best in people, so I will see the best in every person that enters into my life until they prove me otherwise. I don't have many qualities I look for in a friend, besides a good heart. Those who have good hearts- nothing else matters. Not the way they dress, look, who they talk to, if they have a good heart, they are more than welcome in my life.

As a freshman in high school, it took me a long time to understand what it meant to cut toxic people out of my life. I didn't understand what that meant, until I realized I was in a very unhealthy friendship. This friend consistently made me feel bad about myself, and I felt as if I would compare myself to her, at all times. Friends are supposed to build you up, always. If they don't, they are not considered a friend.

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My family has been a huge factor in developing who I am as a person today. A lot of my extended family lives in Poland. Every few years, we go there for a few weeks in the summer. This has taught me to value and cherish the time I have with people who are important to me, because they can be so easily taken away from you. When I go to Poland, having a few weeks with all the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc, seems like plenty. But when you don’t get to see them for years at a time, you realize how valuable every second is with those given people. This has been implemented in me now, cause I cherish the time I get to spend with people, and will also let them know I appreciate them giving me their time and choosing to share it with me. Another thing that has made me the person I am is my dad. Him and I do not have the greatest relationship, but throughout my childhood I have seen him stand up to his parents so much(my grandparents), and he will not bite his tongue if he sees something wrong. This has transgressed into the person I am today, because I will always stand up for what I believe in, regardless of who the person or group of people are.

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I have never been the type to value one friend over the other, and have never really thought of a person as being the singular most important “thing” in my life, due to the fact that I tend to be so independent. I value the friendships/relationships I have, and I try my hardest to keep all of them. But recently, I have developed a relationship with someone who has somehow managed to become THE most important person in my life. He has a kind of positivity about him that is so infrequent to find. His outlook on life is extremely similar to mine; Often, I find people who have similar opinions on one thing as me, but disagree on another. This boy not only sees eye to eye with me but lives by these morals and stays true to them. He values happiness, and has such a beautifully kind heart. I have never met someone who genuinely cares not only about my well-being, but the well-being of every person he comes in contact with. He loves to talk, and create relationships by social contact, which is so important, but often forgotten nowadays. I have only recently become very close with him, but in the past few weeks of getting to know him, it feels as if I have known him a lifetime. He shares my value of optimism, and seeing the light in every dark situation. When I am with him, there is no bad energy, and it’s all smiles. Because of this, he has in some way managed to become the single most important person in my life. The beauty of this friendship is that as short as it has been, I don’t see that it will ever end, regardless of the way it will go. It’s one of those friendships where it doesn't matter where you are or who you're with, you always keep a little piece of them with you.  He has made such an impact on my life thus far, I fully intend on keeping him around for a very long time.

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"Life Is Better With You" - Official Music Video, Michael Franti

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Success is defined differently by many people. The majority of people believe success is reached at an older age, when one has acquired a solidified career, a family, etc. I believe I have already reached success. Not by the defined terms of society, but rather by reaching the goal of happiness. Happiness is something that is not extremely easy to reach nowadays. With having so many influences around us at all times, it is hard to see the good in a world of much bad.Throughout middle school, I did not like the person I was, and I was so so so sad. Since then I’ve grown tremendously. I enjoy the person I am, and when I look in the mirror I actually don’t hate what I see. If someone told me that a few years ago, I would’ve laughed and said that there is absolutely no way. But I’ve achieved my goal of happiness and self confidence, and to me, that is what success means. I plan on carrying this happiness through the rest of my life by doing what I love, and choosing to share my time with the people that I love. The destination to me does not matter, as long as I am happy.

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This may be a bit of a broad category of people, but let me explain myself. I am someone who gives it my 120% in everything I truly care about. I will invest everything I have, and make sure it is my main priority. For example, when I told everybody I was going to be vegetarian in 6th grade, my family took bets on how long it would last. Here I am, 7 years later, still vegetarian. I invest what I have, and I take it, and do it. I believe free spirits are like this as well. In order to be classified as a free spirit, this is someone who sees the beauty of this life, but also does as minimal conforming as possible. These kinds of people have a mind of their own, and that is something so appreciated. For example, someone like Martin Luther King Jr. He is a free spirit. This man had an idea, he took it, and he ran. He did not conform to what every other person around him believed. But rather he was capable of seeing the light in a very dark situation. It is so incredible to me that someone inspired change among millions of people. All these people sat back, and waited for somebody else to inspire change. But MLK was the one person who stood, and by standing he allowed other people to realize that they were on his side. They did not even know until they saw better. It is so fascinating that we do not know how terribly we are being treated until somebody come along and show us better. MLK did exactly that, and he is someone I would consider a hero.