A Little Message on Perspective - Emily's Words of Wisdom

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I have known my friend Emily since we were three-year-olds in preschool. We used to dream up vivacious new worlds with coloring books, dress up as Tinkerbell fairies, and play with our American Girl Dolls. Now, we pretty much fangirl over Harry Potter and sing harmonies in the school halls. If I could describe Emily in three words, they would be imaginative, ambitious, and driven; she can come up with a solution for almost anything, and tries her very best in every endeavour. Emily simply wants to make the world a better place; she inspires me daily to dream big. Everything is possible in her creative cranium. The only problem is - I would never define Emily in three words. Because, reader, to define is to limit, and Emily... well, one might just say that she is destined to scrape the stars.

 "Hi. My name is Emily.  I am IN LOVE with all things space.  I have stars all over my ceiling, and a poster of the SNC Dreamcatcher on my wall (it’s a new space shuttle type thing for low earth orbit).  I have a NASA app and love looking at pictures from Hubble. I am planning on being an aerospace engineer. Space makes me happy. It really gives me a sense of perspective.  When I look at pictures broadcasted from telescopes miles and miles away, I look and see how lucky I am to even exist. I see how lucky I am to have my problems, since they remind me that I am here.  I exist, and that is a miracle. I am the product of stars that exploded billions of years ago, living on a planet that probably has no other like it in the galaxy. It gives me a sense of purpose, to make the world better for the relatively small time that I will be able to.  Maybe I can find another planet for humanity to live on, when they can’t live here anymore. Maybe I will find a way to help global warming. Or maybe I’ll just make one person’s day better, and the world will smile just a little bit more."

 In that, I agree with Emily one-hundred percent. In a world that spins so quickly, with time that passes faster than Usain Bolt, it is absolutely crucial to be grateful for what we have. Sometimes, we need to slow down. We need to take a deep breathe. We need to discover our purposes and ponder our paths. Perspective changes a rainy day into an atmospheric wonder. It transforms water into tea, and dandelions into daffodils. Attitude opens our eyes to the beauty that can be found in the most ordinary things and experiences. I actually struggle with this. On occasion, I become so wrapped up in my busy schedule and overwhelming volumes of homework. My focus is solely on the stressful elements of my day. I forget to stop, even for a moment. To take it all in. By 'it all,' I of course mean the things that make life worthwhile. Love. Friendship. Wellness. Nature. Adventure. I am so thankful to Emily and inspiring people like her for reminding me that we are tiny specks in the great celestial waltz; therefore, we must appreciate every moment of every day.

 What motivates you and makes you grateful for your life on this exquisite Earth?

Aspire to Inspire!
-Maya and Emily

 Photo by Julian Paul on Unsplash, Photo by Ellyot on Unsplash

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