My Identity: Life, Dreams, and Character

I cannot say with certainty the culture from which I originate. Two sides of my life have constantly been molding my character, my family, and my social life. I have been taught essential morals, values, and principles from my family, while my education has taken care of expanding my knowledge. Although I will definitely not be able to recall each and every detail of the past, I will carry the important information away with me for life. One’s past affects the present, and the present affects the future. Several experiences, achievements, and failures have made me who I am, and, I hope to apply those in life to achieve my dreams.

In my life, I have found no one specific life-changing inspirational character. Instead, all my friends, family, and teachers have collectively molded me into who I am today, little by little. My father is a prominent figure in instilling lifelong traits into my personality, such as perseverance, as well as self-reliance. My optimistic mother is always there to help push me forward in times that I am stuck. I can always confide in her to advise me on matters I wish not to reveal to others. Even my autistic brother influences me by reminding me how fortunate I am to openly express my emotions. For example, if he is experiencing pain, or is just sad, the only thing he can do is cry. In addition, he has almost nothing to which he can look forward, which results in a boring life. These are just a small number of individuals who changed me, beside inspirational, supportive teachers, and loyal family friends. Partially because of my environment, and partly due to my family, I identify myself with the increasing population of American-born Indians.

My parents possess the unique traits that a child born in India naturally acquires. These include perseverance, self-reliance, resourcefulness, and modesty. In turn, my parents have passed these virtues down to me. I remember one such incident of them encouraging hard word from when I was in kindergarten. This took place on a weeknight around 10:00 P.M., which was exceptionally late to me back then. For a reason I cannot recall, I had not yet finished my homework. Though I was tired, I tried hard to finish it. When I paused to use the restroom, I returned to find what looked like an M&M on my clipboard. At first, I couldn’t believe my eyes, but after a few moments, I realized that it was indeed real and that one of my parents had placed it there. Although still slightly baffled, I picked it up and savored that single shell of sweet chocolate, which, as it would to any kindergartener, delighted me. The process repeated a few more times, after which I contentedly slept. Although I did not realize it at that point, my parents were only emphasizing the importance of esteemed values. Through many similar encounters, I was taught virtues that help make up my character. I aim to carry them out into my future years.

My dream is to become a doctor. I hold this goal for a few reasons. I experience a wonderful feeling when I help someone and succeed. This could mean that I should become a teacher, but there is another factor that motivates me to enter the medical field, and that is my unwavering interest in the human anatomy. I am fascinated by the makeup of the body, as well as its function. Specifically, I wish to enter the pediatrics department. Aside from this aspiration, I hope to attain an honest and supportive family. However, all this cannot be accomplished without a great character, which leads me back to my culture and heritage.

Altogether, I have thoroughly enjoyed my life so far. My loving family, friends, and teachers have all helped me grow and achieve my goals. Never before has one of them failed to support me, which fills my heart with gratitude towards all of them. Although I have not mentioned my weaknesses, by no means am I perfect. I still make mistakes about as much as anybody else. However, I do not strive towards perfection. Instead, I strive towards acquiring the traits of a perfect person. As the famous quote goes, “Never look down on anybody unless you're helping them up.” (Jackson) I have encountered several cases where I was helped up. Moving forward, I want to be the person who helps others up as I continue to work hard and pursue my dreams.