Reason #1: My Mom
A Paragraph could not do justice to explaining how much my mother means to me. She's taught me to chase my dreams, to always be persistent, and to not take life so seriously all of the time. I am who I am because of the incredible person she is, and the lessons she continues to teach me each and every day.
Reason#2: This Incredible Man
Meet Bob. Bob is my step dad, and has been since I was 5 years old. But the amazing thing is, Bob has been in my life since the day i was born. It just so happened that Dr.Bob was the pediatrician on call that morning at John Muir Hospital, the day I was born. Fate would later have it that he and my mother would meet 4 years later. Bob is my second reason because he is responsible for teaching me some of life's most valuable lessons. He's the most generous, understanding, and caring person I have ever come to know and love. He brought a family and all the love and dynamics that come with that into my life. For that and so much more, I will forever be grateful for Bob and person I am because of him.
Reason #3: This Book
This book opened the biggest door I have ever come across in my life thus far. This door sparked my imagination and creativity. It inspired me to DO SOMETHING. A book doesn't have to be just a book. A book can be an adventure, with pockets and notes and an incredible journey. I credit this book for my creative drive and optimistic enthusiasm.
Reason #4: My Hands
They allow me to express myself in the greatest ways possible, but most importantly, they allow me to discover what I'm capable of doing. I like to think of life as an endless opportunity for gaining "hands-on experience".
Reason #5: Inspiring Messages from Inspiring People
These books are filled with stories that inspire me to create work that reflects their inspiring messages. The Last Lecture is one of my favorite books because Randy Pausch is someone I admire for his strength, wisdom, and honesty. I love illustrating some of the most memorable quotes from his journey.
- “A lot of people want a shortcut. I find the best shortcut is the long way, which is basically two words: work hard.”
- “The questions are always more important than the answers.”
-“You can always change you plan, but only if you have one.”
- “Don’t complain; just work harder.”
- “When we're connected to others, we become better people.”
- “The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”
- “Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.”
How could you not be inspired by these messages?! If you haven't read this book, you should look into it. It just might change the way you look at things.
Reason #6: The Fab Four
There's no better example than The Beatles when it comes to what can result from practice, practice, practice. Malcolm Gladwell made this point very clear in his book, Outliers. To me, The Beatles represent hard work, dedication, and creativity.
