Each one of our past actions have defined who we are today. By making educated decisions now we properly prepare ourselves for what is to come later. These decisions should all work together to attain one main goal. To understand this goal, this purpose, one must truly understand what motivates them and what is truly important in not only their life, but other people's lives as well. I have struggled to find this my whole life and I am only beginning to get a clear picture of what I want to accomplish in my lifetime. Of course I will say that I want to look back upon my life and feel that I have made a difference, but what is difficult about that is finding how I will make a difference and deciding what steps I need to take to achieve that goal.
Before I could truly define my goal in life, I believe it is necessary for me to experience more than just Ohio, more than just the United States, and more than just living in a cozy lifestyle that so many of us take for granted. There are so many people in this world who have much worse experiences than we do and we are constantly too consumed by our own lives to realize it. I have not experienced anything even similar to their lifestyles and I would need to expand my views before really deciding how I can make a difference.
Currently, I'm simply trying to finish my mechanical engineering degree at Ohio State, while bettering my fraternity. However, I do not really want to continue pursuing my degree. It just seems like what is expected of me by my parents and today's society in the United States. I will probably use my degree to find a good job to be financially stable, but what I really want to define my life is what I have learned about leadership and the relationships I have made with others. I do not want to look back from an office job when I am older and realized that I have done nothing to help others. Realistically, I would like to find a job in mechanical engineering that actually helps those in need, but still I don't believe this is really what is necessary to make a difference.
There are many people who make a difference in today's world. Whether it be giving to charity or doing community service activities, these people are helping improve the lives of others. These sometimes small actions can add up and make a huge difference. However, this might be my ego talking, but I want to make a strong, impactful difference that everyone could set apart from these smaller actions. To do this, I would need to step outside of the norms and honestly I am not sure I am ready yet. I look forward to gaining a better understanding of myself and the world as time passes on. For now, I will keep my mind open to new ideas and new experiences.