You Are Loved
My foundation in life is building relationships with others. I thrive when I am surrounded by the people I love the most, and I rely on those relationships through both my darkest and my happiest times. I take so much joy from making these people happy and seeing them happy and being able to help them when they need it. I love the idea of love more than anything in my life, and sharing it with others is the only reason my life has any substance. For this reason, I chose to photograph some people I love showing the meaning they derive from life and the ways in which they experience it. Because I am impacted by my friendships with these special people, I am able to find my meaning in life by discovering and understanding how they see the world and how they find meaning in it. Not only does this help me learn more about them, but it also helps me discover more about myself. I have realized that my meaning in the world, simply, is to love. Whether this love is being shown through being kind to a cashier or donating a kidney to someone in need, it is so essential to the survival of the human race. Even if you don’t realize it, one kind word could change someone’s day, or someone’s life. Ellen DeGeneres, at the end of every episode of her afternoon talk show, says, “Be kind to one another,” and I just can’t emphasize enough the importance of this. We live in a world that can be so hateful sometimes, and it’s so crucial to spread the love that is out there, to remind others that this life is worth living. I think in general, everyone wants to lead a happy life, and being kind to others and showing love in every way possible allows me to bring happiness to others’ lives. After all, in the words of the Beatles, “there’s nothing you can make that can’t be made, no one you can save who can’t be saved, nothing you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time, it’s easy: all you need is love.” I believe strongly that almost anything in life can be achieved: love is all you need.
“Traveling is a way to unlock the world and explore. Exploring and understanding other cultures is such an enriching experience that brings meaning to my life.”
“I don’t want to do well; I want to do good. I will never measure my success in material goods or income, but rather my success will be measured in the goodness I create in this world.”
“We are all a work in progress. I find the most meaning in life not in falling into my common routine, but rather when I stretch out of the norm to learn and grow as a human being working toward the best possible version of myself.”
“Entertaining provides an escape from reality for me, as well as an amazing way to express myself. There is no greater joy than knowing you have moved another person with your performance.”
“I want to make a difference in a lot of ways – at school, at math camp, as a teacher, a friend, a daughter. If I’m not making a difference in the world, then what the hell am I doing?”
“I think writing your story gives you a sense of yourself, and a sense of accomplishment.”
“Performing gives my life purpose and a sense of accomplishment. When I get lost in the music, it allows me to communicate emotion in a way that words can’t.”
“In the end, I just want everyone to be the best possible version of themselves they can be – and if that means doing things like staying up to help with an essay, showing up to performances, and dedicating my future to activism, then that’s what I want to do.”
“Especially through my fraternity, a lot of my friendships are built through serving my campus, community, country, and world.”
“I chose good morals and justice as the meaning of my life because it’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.”
“I experience life through literature because words are a beautiful thing, and it is through words and the power they hold that I am able to make meaning.”
“In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” –The Beatles