I’ve always looked up to my dad but now I revere him so much more. He epitomizes strength and “smiling through the pain” better than anyone else I’ve ever known or met. Every time I look at him, I see this flame in his eyes which never dies no matter how bad things get. In fact, it grows stronger day by day and he becomes more of a beacon of light and hope every day. Sometimes I feel like he stays strong for us. Because Zade and I need him in our lives to guide us and steer us to the right path. And sometimes thats the only thing that keeps him afloat. But now I know that he also fights because of his immense will to LIVE. not just to survive… but THRIVE. Make a difference and make his mark on this earth. He has such a big heart and has acquired such a beautiful mission through this which is to help people with his experience.

What generates passion? What inspires motivation? Does it come exclusively from within or exclusively from your environment?   The world is beautiful; at least in the way it is supposed to be seen. The natural world was meant to be enjoyed, to be marveled at. It is not economically or geographically specific; we all look at the same sky. There is beauty in everything: simplicity, complexity, in the tropics, in the desert, and even in the smallest, most overlooked corner of our world, there exists magnificent beauty. It opens itself up to those who open themselves up to it. To it’s incredible power. The purpose of its beauty, I believe, is to stimulate passion, to inspire love, to physically reflect the beautiful, abstract emotions we feel. To make them more real. To make them seem possible. In the end, however, we see what we allow ourselves to see; whether it be opportunity or void. There are many lenses through which to look at life. Not only do you look through a different lens than the people around you but often, you see through a different lens than yourself. Yourself from a different time. In a different state of mind. The world...

Is Communication an art? Arts are associated with expression; things such as dancing, singing, or painting. But is speaking among these? In its typical usage, conversation lacks much artistic capacity but when it is used in its full potential, communication is powerful. Our voices are powerful. Yet, we often don’t realize it. If the wind had a voice, it would first sing. It would yell. It would scream. It would laugh. It would cry. But it likely would not use its voice to speak. The wind conveys depth, expression, feeling… things which are not easily conveyed in today’s everyday language. Language as we know it today is a relatively new institution: its use for informative purposes and for relaying messages is something of a new development. Beforehand, however, language was used by our ancestors to convey emotion. Feelings of hunger, pain, love, joy, and the like were conveyed though expressions such as cries of joy, grunts of anger or annoyance, and sobs of despair. However, linguistic evolution has led to language used for a more informative, pre symbolic purpose and we have become less expressive creatures as a result. Now, in order to achieve smooth, comfortable conversation, we must first...