YJA Convention 2010 07 New Brunswick NJ Ninth

Author(s): Young Jains of America (YJA)
Publisher: Young Jains of America YJA USA

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2010 ESSAY COMPETITION
AGE GROUP: 18-21 WINNER: KUSHAL DOSHI, MARLBORO, NJ
Live and allow others to live. Make a difference in the world. Use that experience to inspire. Following these basic principles of a rewarding life will not only teach one to be human, it will allow one to be humane. Arguably, the most important facet of life that one can live by is through inspiration. The strength in the word branches out an even powerful meaning. Living a successful life is determined by the influence one bestows on other humans, ranging from something as simple as making one smile to helping one make the right career choice. Without having the ability or desire to inspire someone, one would be living a life that lacks the satisfaction one gets after knowing they helped someone in a positive direction. This sort of fulfillment outweighs any degree of contentment one receives from material gain or selfish pleasure. It allows one to grow into a more disciplined and selfless person by teaching others how to succeed in the proper paths to a wholesome life. The importance of inspiration lies not in the satisfaction one receives from enhancing someone's life, but in the fact that it improves humanity as it will cause a chain reaction. The inspiration of one will influence another to inspire someone else, yielding a healthier population of people. Inspiration has been a huge aspect in my life and it has ultimately shaped me into the kind of person I am now. Not a day goes by when inspiration is not applied either to my life or others. It has allowed me to think in a certain way and has taught me into having an optimistic attitude. Not only does it control the decisions I make every day, it allows me to advise to others what is right and wrong.
Essay Competition
Looking at my parents' choice in my upbringing. I can certainly say their inspirations have developed me into what I am now. My father, being a successful engineer, always inspired me about his career choice and why it is such a useful field in today's technologically dependent society. His encouragement ultimately helped me pick the career I am currently pursuing, a chemical engineer at Carnegie Mellon University. My professional choices would not have been easy had my father not been such an inspiring parent, a privilege that many unfortunately do not have. My mother has also greatly inspired me in my personal side. She helped me gain a strong passion for Jainism. Having a significant amount of knowledge in religion, she instilled many Jain values in me that I still follow by today. I learned and understood the importance of fasting, performing Samayik and Pratikraman, and even self-control. Appreciating the value of religion in one's life allows one to alleviate the stress that life brings. My mother was the one who taught me that, and her inspiration allowed me realize the strength of Jainism in one's daily life. My parents' inspirations have shaped me into a humble person, learning that not only does an education prove one to be successful, but when it is juxtaposed with religion does it give great value to one's life.
These inspirations infused by my parents allowed me to motivate others about what choices to take and whether they are leading the proper path that correctly defines the kind of person they are. Being a Jain, I have refrained from not only eating meat, but I also abstain from eating anything that contains eggs or other product derived from animals. My friends, some of them being Jain as well, noticed that I do not consume any food derived from the killing of any animal. By my being friends with them, I inspired my Jain friends to abstain from eating eggs, even though they did so in the past. Not only have I inspired people I am familiar with, I also had an impact on people with whom I had no prior contact with. As a current senior at Carnegie Mellon, I have a good understanding about the different majors at the university. Having learned from my father about the value of engineering, I was able to take this advice to inspire underclassmen when they were uncertain of what path to choose. I encouraged many freshmen that chemical engineering is a great field to follow, as it requires a very diverse skill set that can satisfy any mindset. Many students officially registered to become chemical engineering students as the enrollment substantially increased.
Inspiration makes the world a better place by having one person instilling positive advice on another, yielding a series of events. The attitudes and outlook on life of everyone would exponentially increase as inspiration allows one to think in a different way. Without such an important aspect of life, the world would not continue to revolve.
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Inspire. Connect. Do The Jain Thing.