THE CROSSROADS BETWEEN SHOULD AND MUST

     Elle Luna's relation between should and must perfectly puts the theme our master pieces into words. The entire point of our senior project is to veer away from the should that has be driving us toward that perfect college bound, model student that gets A's on every test and aced their SATs.  Following your "must" releases stress, engages you toward a positive future, and just simply leaves you in a happier state of mind.  After beginning my senior project, and taking steps toward that "must" I have now experienced real life examples that support and defend everything that Elle Luna said in her essay.

     Growing up I always had "should" oriented goals.  Get good grades, impress others, prepare for college.  Yet, I always new what I loved and what I wanted to do; I was just to afraid to go after it for the same fears that I laugh at now: time, money, and failure.  One of the initial factors that led me to veer away from the "shoulds" and more toward the "musts" was my brother, James.  He just graduated from college with a degree to go into a field that I see as the most intimating and unstable field out there, film.  He has been searching for jobs for months and keeps getting turned down because he doesn't have enough experience.  I know, a real catch 22 right?  Despite this, he is always positive and just got an interview today with a company called Motion Picture Company for 3:00 PM tomorrow!  So send him good vibes!  MPC has worked on movies like Man of Steel, Spider Man, World War Z, and Maleficent!  So cool!  He never would have gotten this interview if he would have stuck to "should" and listened to the people who told him that he could never do it.

     Growing up I have always had a passion for the environment.  Yosemite has always been my home away from home and is where I find my solitude.  It's where I do my best thinking and feel most at peace.  For my senior project, I wanted my classmates to get a taste of what goes goes on inside my mind so I planned a trip to take them up there.  I found a program called Nature Bridge that is willing to host us and we are all going up on Memorial Day weekend to learn about the ecology of the park and how to protect the beauty around us!  I am so excited for it to happen and I owe everything to following that "must" that Elle Luna talks about.

     When trying to accomplish a must, Elle Luna talked about three fears that everyone has: money, time, and failure.  I'm here to tell you that those fears don't exist, they are just excuses.  Once you find your true niche, nothing can get in the way.  When I booked the program with Nature Bridge, I received an invoice for almost $8,000.  Rather than giving up there, I started planning ways to raise the money.  This weekend we are having a HUGE BBQ and Krispy Kreme doughnut sale, and I expect an awesome turnout!  Outside of planning this trip, I take four AP classes, volunteer coach, work, and travel on the weekends for club soccer tournaments.  Time still isn't an issue because I'm doing what I love!  The third fear that the Elle talked about was failure.  Growing up, this has always been my biggest fear, but I'm happy to say that it isn't anymore.  There is no such thing as failing, just learning the wrong way to do things!  The most impactful observation that I have taken away from my Yosemite experience is that people want to help you, and they want you to succeed.  I have been amazed at the support that I have had as this project has progressed.

     Elle Luna also talked about three qualities that help you practice your "must."  These are thing that I have done naturally, but it was interesting to see them surfaced in Elle's essay.  The first one is solitude.  To be honest, I need to find a happy medium with solitude because my friends don't understand it and I think that they're getting frustrated with me.  That's an easy fix though.  Elle said, "I had long dreamed of being in a place where the inside and outside were one and the same."  I feel the same way; similar to the observation about Picasso's art and life being on the same medium, I have studied John Muir and have found happiness and solitude in the same way that he did.  Adventuring out into the wilderness with no plans but to discover something new around every turn embodies the must that he and I share.  Another quality is focus; nothing can break my focus at this point.  Once you find your must, you'll understand.  The third quality is to bring others in.  That was my goal from the beginning, by bringing my classmates to Yosemite, I'm hoping that they will be inspired to live more sustainable lifestyles and take extra steps to preserve our environment.  They may not have the same reaction to Yosemite that I have, but I have confidence that nature's presence will speak to them!

     It is amazing to see life experiences put into words, and crazy how closely mine connect with Elle Luna's essay.  Don't let your life be driven by "shoulds".  Give "must" a shot!