FYE: Last Lecture
By Briana, age 18, Pennsylvania
In my eighteen short years, I feel that I can honestly say what is important to me and what kind of life I want to lead. Although my life may not have been hard so far, I have definitely had to overcome many obstacles, each one I can say I've learned from. Until now, I'd never really thought about what kind of legacy I wanted to leave behind. But now I know exactly what I want to be remembered by.
It all started on June 5th, 1991, the day I was born. At that time I obviously didn't know who I wanted to be. I was only worried about being entertained and happy. But I believe that each and every day of my life has molded me into the person I am today - my experiences, the way my parents raised me, the people who surrounded me, the places I went, pretty much everything. Without these critical life points, I probably wouldn't be as knowledgeable or experienced as I am.
There are a few things that are of the utmost importance to me. Without them, my life would be incomplete. First off would be my family and friends. If I had to pick one thing to live with and nothing else it would be them. My entire life I've been surrounded by these people. They've each contributed to the creation of my personality. They are my backbone and they each hold a special place in my heart. I could never stand to lose any of them. The second most important thing to me is performing. It is such a huge part of my life. If I had never discovered music, theatre, and dance, my life would have taken a completely different course.
Throughout my life, I've collected certain things that I now live by. These include morals, quotes, views, beliefs, etcetera. The biggest thing I live by is love. My belief is that without love, true happiness is unattainable. Everything I say and do is out of love. I factor it into my every decision. I love in every form of the word. I love my friends and family. I love my craft. I love my hobbies. Rarely do I have any anger in my heart. People today are too afraid to love one another, emotionally and physically. They're so worried about what other people think. Then there are people who are just afraid to let people in. It's a vicious circle. If there wasn't so much hate in the world, people would be happier, so I live my life in love. I love deeply and truly. If I tell someone I love them, I mean it with all of my heart. And to quote one of my favorite musicals and something I live by, "Measure your life in love."
Going along with this, I'm all about being happy and smiling. People tell me I smile too much, but is that even possible? I'm a very happy person and I enjoy that. Of course, I do get upset sometimes, but I don't really show it. I believe that moping around all day will only make you feel worse. If you're not happy, do things that make you happy. If you concentrate on those things, you'll realize you have more reason to be happy than sad.
Another thing I strongly believe in is confidence and being yourself. I feel that people shouldn't have to conform or feel badly about themselves because they are different. I'm unique and I'm proud of it! I believe that everyone should believe in themselves and create themselves based on their beliefs and things that make them happy. Personality shouldn't be based on how other people want you to be. As Dr. Seuss once said, "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
In the end, I'd like to be remembered for several things: how much my family means to me, my love for my craft, my love of love, my happiness, my smile, my uniqueness, and my confidence. These are the main things that make me me. I want to be remembered for my eagerness to help people and to make the world a better, happier, more loving place. I want people to remember me for my perseverance. My constant push to find myself, create myself, create my future. For my belief is that today is only the beginning; it is not the end.
