The Inspirational Quote That Has Influenced My Life by Sarah

The Inspirational Quote That Has Influenced My Life by Sarah - February 2014 Scholarship Essay

A quote which made an impact on me after I read it, and which I have since done my best to adopt is by the philosopher Rumi: "Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground." This is so true. Don't focus your attention on materialism and surface beauty. Let your actions: a kind heart, accepting spirit, a helping hand, be what defines you. Don't be defined by designer clothes and fancy friends. Be remembered for what you have done and ARE now doing to make the world and the people around you better. True beauty is, and always has been, within us. Of course, it continues to be in the eye of the beholder. However, if you make your mantra "to love others" and you love yourself for who you are and not for who you "project" yourself to be, you will be better able to shine your light into the world and make an impact. You will believe in yourself and have confidence in yourself. Others will see it, too.

I have learned to love helping others. Just by doing something small for someone: opening a door, letting them go ahead of me in line, giving them an encouraging smile, makes me feel happy. I am also involved in community service through my church as well as other organizations. Two of these groups are "Nashville Cares" and "Project Cure." "Nashville Cares" is an organization devoted to supplying nutrition and medical assistance to HIV positive/AIDS patients. I volunteer in the stockroom but I am glad to know I have done something that makes a difference to someone. Another group I assist with is "Project Cure" and they gather medical supplies and equipment and send these items to third world countries. I also serve food at the homeless shelter and cook and serve meals at Hope Lodge to help cancer patients and their families who are staying there while they are receiving treatment. This is an important service for me to be a part of, because cancer has been a part of my family, too.

I lost my grandmother over two years ago to lung cancer. She died very quickly and suffered through the chemotherapy, but she never lost her positive outlook and love for life. Even though she didn't feel like going anywhere, she enjoyed sitting on the porch and seeing the natural wonder of the outdoors. She loved watching the birds and squirrels. Even after her gorgeous red tresses fell out due to the chemo, she continued to be beautiful because her inner beauty radiated out. She never lost her cheerful, loving spirit. She was so genuine. She observed he world with wonder and never lost that childlike wonder. Although she was indeed very real, she seemed almost magical. I learned so much from her. She was one of the most inspiring people I have known.

I want to make the world a more beautiful place through healing. My career goal is to be a registered nurse and I want to spread strength through a career in health. I intend to specialize in pediatric nursing and to help children stricken with cancer. I want to work at one of the two children's hospitals we have in Tennessee: St. Jude's in Memphis or Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville. Furthermore, I hope to eventually travel to other countries and practice nursing while there; sharing what I have learned with them and learning from them as well.

Physical beauty fades. Time, illness, life factors, our environment all play a factor in how we physically appear. What is inside us, our inner spirit, our essence is what is truly beautiful and can always be who we really are if we make the commitment to focus on what is inside ourselves and others. "Let the beauty we love be what we do."