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Self-Portrait:
My Keys to Life
A piano is a very complex instrument. It has 88 different keys, each of which plays a unique sound. The keys are all separated from each other, but they can be played at the same time. When two keys are played simultaneously, the original single sound is multiplied by two, and the ear hears a more pleasing sound. When three keys are played, known as a triad, a chord is formed. Chords are a fundamental part of playing a piano because you can create limitless music with simple chords. When you put many keys and chords together, you can create a musical melody and a rhythmically perfect tune. The collaboration of many keys working together produces the final product – the song. Each key is important in creating the song because, if one key isn’t played, the song sounds wrong. It’s clear when a key is missing because your ear is waiting for a certain sound. Each key plays a vital part in completing the song as a whole. Songs are magnificent because they have countless possibilities and meanings. Hearing a song on the piano can stir up emotions inside a person. It provides depth to your thoughts and gives a person a tangible reason to listen or play.
My life is like a piano.
Each key represents a value or belief that plays a vital role in my life and in forming the kind of person I am. My keys are leadership, risk-taking, faith, enthusiasm, character, respect, family, balance, integrity, relationships, music, appreciation, and love. Each one of these pieces directly correlates to a part of me. They are the individual keys that, when put together and played as a song, represent who I am as a whole. When I visit home for the weekend, I take great pride and excitement in seeing my family members. My little sisters are the lights of my world, and one of my favorite things is see them grow and thrive. My family is vitally important to me. But that’s just one of the keys of my life. Another key is “balance”, balance in my studies, my social life, my family, my spirituality, and my personal growth. In order for me to be successful, I know that I have to find the right balance in college, and if I fail to do that, I will struggle along the way. This key adds to my value when coupled with “family”. The most important key is love. Everything I do must be out of love, for others, and for myself. My mission on earth is to be a man for others and to give my gifts to other people. There is no greater fulfillment than seeing the efforts of your personal care benefit another person you love. “Love” is an essential part of my life, but it adds greater value when it’s coupled with the other keys. All of the piano keys are important, and I cannot live without even one of them. They must be played together in order to discover who I am as a person. My song is my life.
A piano is a very complex instrument. It has 88 different keys, each of which plays a unique sound. The keys are all separated from each other, but they can be played at the same time. When two keys are played simultaneously, the original single sound is multiplied by two, and the ear hears a more pleasing sound. When three keys are played, known as a triad, a chord is formed. Chords are a fundamental part of playing a piano because you can create limitless music with simple chords. When you put many keys and chords together, you can create a musical melody and a rhythmically perfect tune. The collaboration of many keys working together produces the final product – the song. Each key is important in creating the song because, if one key isn’t played, the song sounds wrong. It’s clear when a key is missing because your ear is waiting for a certain sound. Each key plays a vital part in completing the song as a whole. Songs are magnificent because they have countless possibilities and meanings. Hearing a song on the piano can stir up emotions inside a person. It provides depth to your thoughts and gives a person a tangible reason to listen or play.
My life is like a piano.
Each key represents a value or belief that plays a vital role in my life and in forming the kind of person I am. My keys are leadership, risk-taking, faith, enthusiasm, character, respect, family, balance, integrity, relationships, music, appreciation, and love. Each one of these pieces directly correlates to a part of me. They are the individual keys that, when put together and played as a song, represent who I am as a whole. When I visit home for the weekend, I take great pride and excitement in seeing my family members. My little sisters are the lights of my world, and one of my favorite things is see them grow and thrive. My family is vitally important to me. But that’s just one of the keys of my life. Another key is “balance”, balance in my studies, my social life, my family, my spirituality, and my personal growth. In order for me to be successful, I know that I have to find the right balance in college, and if I fail to do that, I will struggle along the way. This key adds to my value when coupled with “family”. The most important key is love. Everything I do must be out of love, for others, and for myself. My mission on earth is to be a man for others and to give my gifts to other people. There is no greater fulfillment than seeing the efforts of your personal care benefit another person you love. “Love” is an essential part of my life, but it adds greater value when it’s coupled with the other keys. All of the piano keys are important, and I cannot live without even one of them. They must be played together in order to discover who I am as a person. My song is my life.
This I Believe:
Opportunity Value
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” One of my favorite quotes of all time and a great goal to set, this quote from the hockey star Wayne Gretzky has developed a structure for how I want to approach the experiences throughout my life. Growing up, I had a lot of curiosity and an eagerness to always learn more, and I studied rigorously in school and listened to people when they talked. I continue those habits today, but I have seen the results of living out the motto above more. This slogan encourages me to try new things at every possible chance. If I don’t, I miss out on a rewarding experience and a learning opportunity. I have applied this quote many times, including my decisions to try-out for the golf team (I was eventually elected Team Captain); to branch out of my grade school friend group (I have best friends for life now); to try-out for the jazz band (I was cut, but learned something new); to pursue one of the best business school programs in the country (I was accepted and am thriving at UC); and even to jump out of a plane (I love telling people and can’t wait to go again).
One of those experiences stands out to me in a unique way because the story behind it tells a lot about character – my Golf Team Captain election. My high school team was the largest golf team in the country, comprised of 47 athletes. Captains were elected by the teammates. The other three captains were in the “top five” squad, also known as the top five best scorers. But I was elected captain on a different premise. My teammates believed that I would make a good leader in a different way than leading the team in scoring. They looked up to my ability to comfort those around me and share my gifts with them. They counted on me to be there for them always. I was elected Captain not because of my golf skills, but because I stood for values such as integrity, respect, friendship, honesty, and reliability.
This experience helped instill in me that the most important thing you can do with your life is use it to make someone else’s better. In other words, my mission is to be there for other people, to care for them and help them make their journeys successful. Helping another person gives me a lot of fulfillment, and it is the biggest reason I have dedicated so much time over the past five years to community service and campus ministry. My parents demonstrated how to be a good person for me growing up. They set an excellent example to live by and have proved to me that living that way is what will make you most successful in life. That definition of success is not defined by material possessions or money, but rather by warmth, love, fulfillment, and happiness.
In high school, I read a book written by Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychologist. The book focuses on decision-making and human value and worth. Frankl experienced the worst that our history has to offer – the terrible everyday life of living in a concentration camp. Fortunately, he was able to battle through the suffering and continue his life after. But the reasons he was successful were groundbreaking. He writes, and I love how he explains it, that everything can be taken from a man except the last of his human dignities – the ability to choose his attitude in any given set of circumstances. This life lesson can be applied to my life in countless ways. Every situation comes down to how you view it. If you live your life fully, by dedicating yourself to others and believing in what is right and just, you can find comfort and optimism in just about every circumstance you encounter. You choose your attitude, and it is that ability to choose the way we feel about something that makes our lives so valuable and rewarding, and ultimately, worth living. I wholeheartedly believe in this mindset and strive to embody it at all times.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” One of my favorite quotes of all time and a great goal to set, this quote from the hockey star Wayne Gretzky has developed a structure for how I want to approach the experiences throughout my life. Growing up, I had a lot of curiosity and an eagerness to always learn more, and I studied rigorously in school and listened to people when they talked. I continue those habits today, but I have seen the results of living out the motto above more. This slogan encourages me to try new things at every possible chance. If I don’t, I miss out on a rewarding experience and a learning opportunity. I have applied this quote many times, including my decisions to try-out for the golf team (I was eventually elected Team Captain); to branch out of my grade school friend group (I have best friends for life now); to try-out for the jazz band (I was cut, but learned something new); to pursue one of the best business school programs in the country (I was accepted and am thriving at UC); and even to jump out of a plane (I love telling people and can’t wait to go again).
One of those experiences stands out to me in a unique way because the story behind it tells a lot about character – my Golf Team Captain election. My high school team was the largest golf team in the country, comprised of 47 athletes. Captains were elected by the teammates. The other three captains were in the “top five” squad, also known as the top five best scorers. But I was elected captain on a different premise. My teammates believed that I would make a good leader in a different way than leading the team in scoring. They looked up to my ability to comfort those around me and share my gifts with them. They counted on me to be there for them always. I was elected Captain not because of my golf skills, but because I stood for values such as integrity, respect, friendship, honesty, and reliability.
This experience helped instill in me that the most important thing you can do with your life is use it to make someone else’s better. In other words, my mission is to be there for other people, to care for them and help them make their journeys successful. Helping another person gives me a lot of fulfillment, and it is the biggest reason I have dedicated so much time over the past five years to community service and campus ministry. My parents demonstrated how to be a good person for me growing up. They set an excellent example to live by and have proved to me that living that way is what will make you most successful in life. That definition of success is not defined by material possessions or money, but rather by warmth, love, fulfillment, and happiness.
In high school, I read a book written by Victor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychologist. The book focuses on decision-making and human value and worth. Frankl experienced the worst that our history has to offer – the terrible everyday life of living in a concentration camp. Fortunately, he was able to battle through the suffering and continue his life after. But the reasons he was successful were groundbreaking. He writes, and I love how he explains it, that everything can be taken from a man except the last of his human dignities – the ability to choose his attitude in any given set of circumstances. This life lesson can be applied to my life in countless ways. Every situation comes down to how you view it. If you live your life fully, by dedicating yourself to others and believing in what is right and just, you can find comfort and optimism in just about every circumstance you encounter. You choose your attitude, and it is that ability to choose the way we feel about something that makes our lives so valuable and rewarding, and ultimately, worth living. I wholeheartedly believe in this mindset and strive to embody it at all times.