As long as I can remember, my dream has been to travel to Australia. More specifically, to go to the Australia Zoo in Queensland. If I could only do one thing before I die, this would be it. In my opinion, it’s important to hold on to your dreams, no matter how small or big they are. If they’re important to you, don’t let them go. Because if you give up on what you love, then you could forget what its like to have hope. And hope, well, it’s the most important thing in the world. Because without hope, we lose happiness, and everything snowballs from there. So keep dreaming, and never lose hope.

Pick a goal. Focus on it. Make it happen. Life is better when you’re doing what you love and love what you’re doing. The problem is, we don’t always choose the path in life that leads us to what we love. Well, life is short. Live your life to the fullest, don’t waste time doing what doesn’t makes you happy. Choose the second path in life, the one that leads you to what you’re passionate about. Unless your goal in life is to be a terrorist, you should always be working towards finding happiness.

Teachers have a tenancy to lose themselves in the mounds of textbooks and worksheets. This is fine every once in a while, but if all we ever do in class is read textbooks and take notes, our brains tend to power off, causing us to fall behind in class. I know that the classes I’m not doing well in are the classes that read word for word off of worksheets and textbooks. There’s no variety. If these teachers would put some energy into the class and find other ways to teach us, the chance of us learning something is far greater. For instance, make it into a game, a song, a video. Any way to take what the school board requires us to learn and make it fun.

Stay hungry. Be foolish. These are the words Steve Jobs leaves us with. He’s right. Until we put aside everyone else’s expectations of what we should be and focus on what we want, we will never be happy with our lives. There are so many people I look up to who have ignored society’s expectations to discover their passion. For instance, Jack Hanna, executive director of the Columbus Zoo, author, TV host, and wildlife conversationalist, was born in the back roads of Tennessee. He grew up surrounded by wildlife, refusing to care what other people thought of him because he knew he was doing what he loved. It’s a good thing he did too, because he is now one of the most well known zoologists in America. If he had listened to what society was telling him instead of continuing with what he wanted to do with his life. We should all follow in his footsteps and listen to our hearts instead of the words other people say.

My life is one big blooper. I love to goof off, and the idea of doing something stupid like the scenes the TED Talk guy did really appeals to me. A show I love is Impractical Jokers. It’s a reality show about four middle aged men who pretty much dare each other to do random things in public places. I love the absurdity of the show, you never know what’s going to happen next. I can relate to she show because they never pretend to be someone their not, they are literally forty year old men acting like children. What’s not to love? The show reminds me that it’s okay to have fun and act childish sometimes. Growing up doesn’t mean you can’t goof off.

Schools put far too much pressure on kids to learn to write and solve math problems. As children, everyone has an idea of what they want to do with their life, even if it’s something silly like a princess or a knight. The thing is, kids are smarter than they look. Their imagination takes them on adventures far more exciting than going to school, sitting at a desk, and filling out work sheets. While these kids might not end up where they thought they were going to go, they will lead far happier lives when encouraged to embrace their creativity instead of squashing it. For example, that little girl who wanted to be a princess could become a famous actress. And that little boy who wanted to be a knight could be a successful policeman. But if they are forced to sit and stare at math problems for hours on end, they will end up in a job they don’t like because they felt there was no other option for them. There is a simple solution to all this: schools can embrace the creative side of learning. Worksheets are fine every once in a while, but studies have shown that kids react better to tasks that help them use the right side of their brain rather than the left.

Honestly, I don’t know what to say. No one I know has had a stroke, so I don’t really have any experience on the matter. I’ve heard having a stroke is like an “out of body experience”, but I don’t really know what that means. I get what they’re trying to say, that it’s like you’re watching a movie of your life instead of experiencing it, but I just don’t see how that could happen. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see a movie of my life, but I think it’s unrealistic. And it’s sad that you have to undergo a stroke in order to experience that. I’m sorry to all that have had strokes, you’re pain is real.

Maturity is a complicated thing. By definition, it means acting mature, or like an adult. But not all adults act mature. In fact, children can be known to act more mature than adults. As we all know, children are the future. But if this is true, then why don’t adults listen to them? We will be the ones taking over this world, don’t we deserve to have our ideas heard? Children all over the world are inventing incredible things and sharing innovative ideas. Adults aren’t superior to kids.

Have you ever heard a story and formed an opinion on it immediately? Let’s face it, we all have. The problem is, we rarely stop and consider the other side of the story. We key in on one person’s opinion before we have all the facts. I am guilty of this as well. Last year, my family and I went on a cruise to Jamaica. I had heard many stories about the corrupted government and kidnapped tourists, so I was slightly terrified to go. What I forgot to consider was the other side of the story. Jamaica is a beautiful country, full of kind people and unique flora and fauna. I wish I had done my research beforehand instead of waiting until I stepped foot in the country. This is just like so many other stories people are told and believe without learning about the subject first. Take the time to learn the entire story before forming an opinion.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton