If there’s one thing I have learned during my adolescence is forgiveness. Not only forgiving others, but forgiving yourself. High school wasn’t easy; I was on my own for quite some time. Moving from house to house, I lived with my friends’ families and with their generosity I was provided a place to stay so I could focus on school. With a lot of determination, drive, and a level head, I continued to excel in my studies as well as my passion for art. Forgiving my mother was one of the toughest things I’ve had to teach myself. The energy spent on hate and despise isn’t worth the stress and negativity. I was left out on my own to figure everything out and through trial and error, I grew a tremendous amount. Not only did I mature into an adult, but I turned my life around by making life-changing decisions and come to accept who I am as an individual. Although I grew up attending mass every sunday and attending a catholic elementary school for 7 years, I no longer claim myself to any religion nor practice any religious beliefs. However, due to many series of unfortunate events, I have come to find myself to be a very spiritual being. One of my sub-conscious goals in my lifetime is not to be a perfect person, but more realistically, to feel I have reached enlightenment. Some of the steps I have taken so far to reach this state of comprehension without ignorance is by neglecting my wants and solely focusing on my needs. I’ve also rid myself of all materialistic thoughts as well as consuming myself with image. I think in this decade especially, people are so consumed with the idea of outer beauty and how to define what is beautiful. Finding the beauty in myself as well as the universe, has helped reveal to me the truth behind human soceity and how ugly it really is. I think a healthy body, mind, and soul is important in granting yourself happiness, but you will never be truly happy if you try to strive for perfection. I’ve learned to love every little scar, curve, and imperfection to my body and ultimately, I feel as beautiful as ever. The earth has became growingly important to me. I hiked my first mountain in the Adirondacks only a couple months ago, and it was one of the most rewarding feelings I have ever felt. The walk was beautiful, but there is nothing like standing that tall and seeing as far as the horizon. The air was so crisp and clean. In that moment I couldn’t help but breath deep and feel so fortunate to live on such a beautiful earth. That beauty can be found in the most simple of the