We know that life has value based on the contributions that we have made to world around us. I think that it starts at home and in our surroundings, but also can extend to encompass the world. Although personal accomplishments are an important part of succeeding in life, I do not think that they neccesarily give life meaning.  It is a hard concept to unravel; thinking about whether my own life has meaning and it is an even scarier thought to wonder if my life will have meaning as I travel through life.  However, I think that one of the most improtant factors in making sure I have a meaningful life is taking the time to appreciate what I have right now. Most times, we become so involved in acheiving, and reaching the next level that we forget to look around once in awhile and appreciate the things and people we have in our lives now. To make life worthwhile, it is impirtant to remeber and act on the most basic human feelings such as happiness, humility and accpetance. Someone who is not happy but has a highpaying job and a great house does not constitute a meaningful life. However, one who is happy with less and shares with others can be seen to have a meaningful life. I think that the choice to go down the path towards acheiving meaning is not neccesarily a concious decision.  Many times, we continue down a path because it feels right to us, depending on our moral compass at the time. Sometimes that can lead to a negative path and other times it can lead to a more positive one.  However, there are always pathways between the two roads where any human being and cross between. A person who acheives meaning in the end is not always the person who stayed on the right path for their entire life. In fact, that is rarely possible at all.
      5 things that i want to posses or experience by the end of my life are as follows:
1. Travel to a foreign country to help for longer than a week
2. work for a humanitarian organization/ something in international relations
3. Have a family, husband
4. Make sure kids have solid moral values
5.possess closure that I lived my life to the fullest extent

     After going to Nicargua my sophomore year, I want to go on more service missions for longer periods of time so that I can feel that i made a significant change somewhere in the world. Because I was able to see people who were much less fortunate than I was, I understand how important it is to leave my comfort zone and see other parts of the world. I would like to continue this as I travel through life. It is one way that I believe that I will make my life worthwhile. All 5 of my ultimate goals reflect a portion of humanity, and in a sense, keeping humanity alive and strong. I hope to have a family and to be able to teach them the moral values that I believe, and be able to give them skills that they need to make their own choices. This reflects the concept of humanity because if humans do not have moral values in the future than humanity cannot exist.