These past few years of my high school life were never easy for me.

I had taken
roads of failures and successes which had brought me to where I am now. I met
strangers, friends, and enemies along my journey.

?Through the years I can say that life was simply imperfect. Sometimes, I would
even consider changing the past because of my regrets. However, that is the reality
of life. Every one of us makes mistakes. All of us hurt others too. We all make
decisions that we later regret.

When I was a freshman, I became very complacent towards the club I joined � the
High School Dance Club. It was arguably one of the most popular clubs in school and
to have been affiliated to it was like a dream come true to students like me.
?At that time, I did not have a sense of commitment. I actually lack focus which is
why it was always been hard for me to catch up with the choreography.
??I love to dance ever since I was little. Dancing had actually shaped the
confidence in me. Seeing people entertained � seeing them smile, clap, laugh and
cheer � inspires me to dance. It's what keeps me going. However, my enthusiasm for
dancing and for the Dance Club had been driven away by my addiction to online
games. I became so fond of spending my time and allowance on computer games that I
ended up missing trainings and practices.

?At that time, I did not have a sense of commitment. I actually lack focus which is
why it was always been hard for me to catch up with the choreography. Because of
that, I would always be the reason for the delay of the whole group. Since our club
moderator would have nothing but perfection, if we did not move in sync then it
wasn�t good enough. We would end up repeating the whole piece over and over again
while there are mistakes.

?Because of this, my club mates started to dislike me. A lot of people hated me and
talked about me behind my back. The worst of all is that my membership for the
Dance Club was not renewed for the next school year. As a result, I ended up having
no choice but to look for another club.

I decided to take this experience as an opportunity. I chose the path to move on

and grow.
??I felt frustrated during that time. I wanted to stay in the Dance Club but the
actions I showed revealed that I am unworthy.
It was truly hard for me to accept that I failed to keep up. Because of the shame
of getting "kicked out" of the dance club, I was tempted to just give up dancing.
But I did not allow that to happen. With faith and determination, I realised that
this is not the time to stop; instead, this is the time to learn. And so I decided
to take this experience as an opportunity. I chose the path to move on and grow. I
worked hard and attended dance workshops for my improvement. I learned so many
things including the value of discipline and hard work.
I never really imagined that this experience could become a life-changing
experience for me. I learned the value of sticking to my commitments. Even though
it was a terrible mistake to have neglected my priorities in the past, I realized
that I should be grateful for these mistakes. For in fact, it is through this
experience that I have become who I am today. And that is actually the best part of
it.

?Now, I can say that I had changed for the better. I did not only turn into a
better dancer, but a better person as well. I was able to rise up from my failure
and realise what I am capable of. As the great Chinese philosopher have put it:
�Our greatest glory in life is not in never falling; but in rising up every time we
fall.�
 For countless minutes, I sat in front of my laptop, watching the insertion point
blink, waiting for my mind to come up with any idea of what significant experience
or accomplishment I should discuss in this essay. I was not used to the feeling of
being at a loss for ideas. In the tests I took in school, I would always say that
the essay was the easiest part. This time, it seemed like I was writing an essay
for the first time and I did not know how to start. Then, I remembered being stuck
in the same situation, staring at the insertion point. It happened a year ago, it
was the day I published my first blog post.

I was a reserved guy before. I found it uncomfortable to talk to

people, sometimes, even to my friends. I actually spent more time in the company of
books, delighting in the joys of reading than in interacting with people. I was
used to the routine so it did not bother me before. I was happy being left alone in
the corner, swaying in the background. However, all that changed when I attended a
leadership training seminar. It was then that I realized that I turned down so many
opportunities. I stopped joining quiz bees and I even dropped out from a student
council election, all because I was afraid of being branded; of being labeled as a
nerd. My perspective, my attitude towards others, everything started to change
after I attended the seminar. It became clear to me that I was too afraid to trust
in people and to let them know who I really was. It was hard to accept that all
those times, the only critic I had was myself. I guess it is true that the biggest
opponent you will ever face is yourself.
A pang of guilt struck me when I remembered all the people who believed
in me when I did not and all their efforts that were left unappreciated. I felt the
need to explain everything; to make them understand. I wanted people to hear me in
the best way I know how, that is, through writing. So I published my first blog
post. All my efforts paidoff. My attempt was viewed in a positive light and things
started to slowly but surely change for the better. I found my voice and I was
heard.
From that day on, I tried writing blogs as much as I could. I soon
realized that I was back on the road of self-development, not to mention self-
improvement. My blog made me gain a certain amount of self-confidence and a small
measure of respect � from myself and from others - along the way. I realized that
my words really do mean something. I realized that my words amounted to something
much more. Apart from gaining the respect of my peers, I gained their trust also.
And upon that realization I came out from the obscurity I relegated myself into in
the past.
I am happy that I took the first bold step and mustered all the courage
I had and posted my first blog post in spite of my disposition at that time. In the
heels of my new found courage and confidence, I rode the wave of respect and trust
that arose after I wrote that simple blog post and dared to take a shot to become
the president of the senior council of our school. It was something I dreamed of
for quite a long time but I did not know if I was cut out for it due to the fear I
harbored; an imagined fear; a fear that crippled my ability to trust in myself; a
fear that destroyed my self-confidence; a fear that was, in the end, dispelled by
the act of writing that first blog post.
In the immortal words of Albus Dumbledore, �Words are, in my not-so-
humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.� The greatest realization I
made in this experience was knowing the real power of words. I found out that it
can change lives for surely it has changed mine. And that is why I want to be a
writer and a journalist someday, to exploit the power of words. The amazing power
of words has been used by notable figures in our society today and all throughout
history. Following their steps, I stand by and firmly believe in the saying: �The
pen is mightier than the sword.� something that has been embodied by arguably the
most notable example of whom is no less than our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.
These seven words are proof that the power of words transcends time and any social
change.
I believe that whatever I have been through in the past, how
insignificant it might seem then, is essential to who I am now. I am proud of the
accomplishments I have achieved. I am glad for the mistakes I have made. I am happy
that I engaged into this new journey as an applicant writing this essay. This is
but the first step of a long and difficult journey ahead. There are a lot more to
learn. The future awaits, and the next page is about to unfold. I shall face it
with my head held up high, drawing strength and inspiration from my renewed faith
and confidence in myself and with the respect and trust given to me by my family
and friends. I do not know what tomorrow will bring. But one thing is for sure
though, I will be writing all about it for the world to read.

I have flying dreams. I dance in the rain, I sing in the shower. I hug the trees
that line Baywalk. I drown in the sunsets and slumber to see the dawn. I saunter
the shores. I stargaze. I am the Chelsea morning sun that pours in your window.
I play the guitar on Saturday mornings and serenade the Maya birds and the Santan
flowers with Karen Carpenter. I�ve broken the chains that have trapped my
liberation. Freedom is no longer my unattainable fantasy.

I have known to speak my mind. I�ve broken barriers with my sense of self. I dare
to be different and I do not conform. I am the punk rock princess amidst a sea of
pink, pig-tailed, cheerleaders. I�ve questioned my purpose repeatedly. When I lie
in bed, I question the meaning of my existence. I am constantly in love. I am
always on the verge of epiphany. I am intrigued by the mystery of death and
infinity. I question the reality and existence of this realm we live in. I am a
profound being.

I can finger paint. I scream at the top of my lungs. I�ve ridden on a

rollercoaster and conquered my fear of heights. I am fearless. I am always
caffeinated even without coffee. I love to laugh. I tell the corniest jokes in
class. I try to sample different types of cheeses. I weave fantasies into the
minds of little children. I write poetry. I appreciate little pleasures like
Choc-nut and hot cocoa during rainy August afternoons. I have tried to define how
certain days of the year smell like; for example, Christmas smells like nostalgia
and freshly baked cookies. Reading Pablo Neruda at Powerbooks with a cup of coffee
is enough to send my soul into Elysium. Sometimes I don�t sleep for forty-eight
hours. I like to tie-dye shirts and look at the illustrations of children�s books.
I am creative and artistic.

I want to change the world. I want to break stereotypes. I want to destroy the
over-influence of the media. I refuse to be a conforming drone in a sea of non-
individuality and anonymity. When I die, I�ll be in the pages of history.

I am all this because I value every ephemeral millisecond of life. I have no

single accomplishment or experience that has helped to define me. Everything that
I�ve done, that I�ve felt, that I�ve thought of since the day I came out of my
mother and burst into tears because I saw that the world is one gigantic chaos, has
made me who I am at this moment. And tomorrow, I may not be the same. My senses
are wide awake to every sweetness and bitterness of life. I drown in the
inevitability of time and let it shape me into who I am and want to be; free, open-
minded, diverse, creative, artistic, radical, profound, different, liberated and
revolutionary.