I am only sixteen years old. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do in life; I barely know what I want to do. Through my experiences, I've learned things that inspire me, things that have helped me, things that have hurt me, and others.
One three-day-long experience that I think of everyday is a leadership seminar called HOBY. In my life as my "pre-HOBY" self, I knew right from wrong, I had done some community service, valued my family and friends, and knew exactly what I wanted to do in life to make sure that I was happy. During HOBY, though, I learned to open my eyes, mind, and heart. I was taught not only to do community service, but how to. I was given so many opportunities to make other people smile, whether it was delivering gifts to the elderly at a nursing home, or cheering extra loud to show your appreciation for someone. My groups that I spent the whole three days with became my family. After the last meeting, my dad walked with me back to my dorm as tears rolled down my face because of the realization that I would not see my HOBY family the next morning and that the best weekend of my life was ending.
I cried all the way home and again when I got home, knowing that it was over. These intense emotions, though, inspired me. I stopped stressing out about school and remembered how great I felt by making other people smile. I signed the HOBY commitment to doing 100 hours of community service by the next seminar, not because I had to, but because I wanted to.
I think my "pre-HOBY" self would answer the proposed question with something along the lines of "write for a fashion magazine," or "become a mom," but now I look at the question and actually think about it. What is the thing I want to accomplish most? My answer: I want everyone to feel at some point in their lives the way I felt that weekend. I want to be someone's cheerleader (another thing I learned at HOBY: you can't be sad when cheering as loud as possible!). I want to help someone remember love and happiness who has lost those feelings along the way.
So what is my purpose in life? I don't know exactly, but what I do know is that every time I see a glow stick, meet someone named Bob, eat a burrito, or hear "Don't Stop Believing," I will be reminded of my commitment and desire to make other people feel true happiness.
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