Grow up, they’ll tell you. Put down the toys, stop the tinkering. Life’s more than just messing around they’ll say. Develop a purpose. Go out and make a difference. Do something with your life they’ll say, but “there’s no point in being grown up if you can’t be childish sometimes.”  There’s nothing more devastating to creativity than a set definition of what you should be. Never grow up and never stop creating.

Be normal for once, they’ll tell you, but what exactly is normal? There are 7 billion people on this planet and not a one of them is exactly like another. Why would so many people strive for such an impossible task, to be normal. Why are we so constantly worried about what others think, what they’ll say? Originality and creativity are two of the greatest gifts ever given to humankind; the ability to think, to solve problems… yet society’s opinion is to shove it under so you’ll fit in with the rest. Be a number, be a statistic, be just another one of the 7 billion people on the world. I respectfully refuse. In 900 years of time and space, i’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important. Be yourself, don’t be afraid to express who you are, my creativity and what sets me apart from others is the most valuable skill I have in this world, and I guarantee it’ll get you as far as you can imagine.

They constantly ask me, “Has anyone told you that you’re a bit weird?” I respond, “They never really stop”. “I am definitely a madman with a box.” An endless box of course, “it’s bigger on the inside”, filled with thoughts and ideas to bring to fruition, concepts to solve the grand challenges, to save people. My box is endless, and anything is possible. “I am and always will be an optimist, the hoper of far-flung hopes, and dreamer of improbable dreams.” Because no hope is too far flung, no dream too improbable, and that’s how I live my life- doing the best I can with what i’m given, never believing that I can’t do it all. My devotion is what drives me, my creativity what makes me run, and my personality, what makes running enjoyable. Life is fun, if you want it to be. So enjoy it, and be who you are. 

Don’t ever forget you’re not alone. There’re a lot of things you need to get across this universe. Warp drive… wormhole refractors… You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold. Never stop loving and caring for those around you. They are your greatest allies and your must trusted companions. Don’t be afraid to love and lose, better a broken heart than no heart at all. Guide those around you, love them as yourself. Your team, is everything. No matter how optimistic, or full of hope, failure is eventually inevitable, but don’t stress. The people I love are also inevitably there to hold me up when I do, and I can get back on my feet and never stop trying. 

These are the things I always remember, the things that keep me running, and the things that help me become a better engineer. Never grow up, don’t forget to be yourself, be creative-it’s your greatest skill, and never stop loving. Utilize these things. Take them to heart. They’ll get you anywhere you want to go. Remember, we’re all stories in the end. Don’t be afraid to make yours count.