Throughout very late middle school to present day, I have become a goal oriented person.

The action of developing and achieving a goal motivated me and failing at those goals depressed me. The goals I set during this time period included everything from academics and sports to my social life. One example of these goals was to reach a certain G.P.A before grading after every year. Some of these goals I set were achieved. But unfortunately, some of the goals were not achieved. This quickly depressed me and I was agitated for not living up to my expectations. But one thing I did not do was quit. Through these situations, I learnt that quitting was not an option. The best way to describe the lesson I have learned is with a help of a quote from Jawaharlal Nehru. He was a famous politician, historian and a philosopher. He said, Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt to you is your determinism; the way you play it is your free will. The lesson I learnt was this: play your cards right, because a regrettable past in which one quits is not always a blueprint for a desirable future. Throughout my life I have been surrounded by many people whom I look up to. Some of the people whom I look up to are a part of my family and extended family but a few of them are my friends and teachers. Their stories about their past which I have heard from different people and viewed through the past eighteen years have shaped my admiring views of them. One of these influential people is my uncle. There are many stories in which I can share from the things I learnt from him. But, one of these stories occurred a few months ago. He was leading an event for a week which composed of 1750- 3500 members each day. Those seven days were very tiresome, hectic, and sleepless for many people there, including him and me. But never did I hear I remark about his physical state or see a change in calmness in that week. He really enjoyed what he was doing and positive effects of his work and therefore did not have a negative attitude toward it. Just as in this example, being acquainted with him and other influential people, I learnt one important lesson. In my words, I describe it as You got to do, what you got to do, to become who you want to be. This quote may be quite simple, but it is reminder and motivational tool for

me in times of despair.