To me, people and our relationships to each other are most important.  When we are no longer living, it is the people whose lives we have touched who will remember us: family, friends, and strangers to whom we have shown kindness and compassion.  If we do any lasting good at all the world, it is by helping people, society, and nature. The teacher guides the student, the doctors and nurses care for the patient, friends help friends, and parents raise their children. We are all interconnected through relationships.  And for those people who are lonely, it is our responsibility to reach out to them and make them feel welcome because generally, people are not meant to be alone.

Part of finding our place in the universe is learning to love and accept ourselves as we would others.  When we truly accept ourselves as we are, we do not need to pretend to be someone we are not. We can be our authentic selves.  We do not expect ourselves to be perfect, and yet we can strive to improve ourselves every day and become a better person. We can grow and learn and improve throughout our lives.

Another part of finding our place in the universe is the realization that we are a small part of a bigger whole. We are part of a vast universe whose almost endless distance traverses galaxies of stars. We are also a small part of a long history of humankind, with generations of people before us and our children and our children’s children after us.  Our lives are just one brief moment in space and time. The fact that we exist at all and are part of the bigger whole is the miracle. We are all part of the miracle of life and the universe. We are fellow travelers on the journey of life.

I am grateful for the good things in my life and have learned to find happiness in everyday things, like chocolate and bubble baths and lunches with my friends. A person who is happy with small things like chocolate or a cup of tea will always be happy.  A person who places too much value on money and material possessions may never find true happiness because once he or she has something, he or she will always want more, like an empty bottomless hole that cannot be filled.

I believe that our attitudes and beliefs shape what we get out of life: believe you can achieve something, and you will likely achieve it.  Believe you cannot, and you probably will not.

Most of all, I believe that we should show kindness and compassion to others and ourselves. And in our own small way, we should try to make a positive contribution to the world.