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The Urban Outfitters at Santana Row in San Jose had a neat book. It's called Six-Word Memoirs. Pretty self-explanatory, but if you don't get it, it's your life in six words. And I thought writing a personal statement was hard. If law school wanted my personal statement in six words, what would it be? What six words would persuade the admissions committee to ask me to enroll? After thinking it over for days, here's what I'd write:

Walk with purpose.

Love and laugh.

Happy Life

"All the world's a stage." Shakespeare really was ahead of his time. He understood humanity, exposed tragedy, and realized that we have only one life. It's a balancing act. Decisions can be difficult. Sacrifices can be irreversible. But in realizing that happiness is the truest pursuit in life, everything else will fall into place.

You shouldn't always have to compromise yourself for yourself--it's counterproductive and ironic. Giving up a part of you to gain another. I believe that you can have your cake and eat it too. Take a step back and ask what it is that you want or what will make you happy. We can get so caught up in trivial matters that we forget what it is that we work towards: happiness. Measure in happiness.

Remain true to yourself. Thinking that you want something is extremely different from knowing what you want. The mind is seasoned for reason and an alcoholic for logic. It tells us what's practical. The heart is you in the nude. It's raw, humble, and passionate. It never lies. It places you and your happiness above everything else. You don't always have to hold your head above your heart because that's the way it is anatomically.

If you make your life goals centered around success or wealth or power, you're basically wrapping dirt with a very thin sheet of gold. It's seemingly valuable, but worthless. Happiness may not lead to life of luxury, but it will lead to a luxurious life. And in the words of Wayland Henry,

"To live with purpose

To say the courageous thing

To celebrate the simple gift

To follow your dreams

This is a happy life."

Priorities Shift

They do. From med school bound to law school hopeful, priorities do shift. I don't believe in fate, but I do believe that things happen for a reason. This reason is a test. It tests how you rise to the occasion, how you react in situations. And there isn't a right or wrong answer--just better and could-have-been-better.

Here are my new fall priorities, chronologically:

- Be happy.

- Come out to my mom.

- Score high on the LSAT!!!

- Write amazing personal statements and finish applications.

- Complete ASUN/community projects.

- Get that 4 point o-er.

- Read the books that I never got to finish reading...

It's short, but doable. Baby steps, but this semester is going to be the hardest yet. Rush, pledging, effing o-chem lab, 17 credits, work, ASUN... If you really want something, you have to work hard. I don't want to take anything for granted. I don't want to have any regrets. I want to smile when I look back, not quiver or cry. This is a defining moment in my life. I better not fuck it up.

Unlikely Inspiration

I've been meaning to study harder for the LSAT. I've been planning to start writing personal statements. All I needed was a little push in the right direction. I went to the Bay for my sister's birthday celebration. I went to the Bay to get away. I was starting to feel the pressure and it overwhelmed me. I wasn't always like this. I'm an initiator. I do. And now I know that I don't know. It's killing me and my ego. I am utterly humbled at the difficulty of this test. I've taken three practice tests and haven't seen any significant improvement. Eff you, logical games. Seriously. But I know it's not just LGs, I can do better at Logical Reasoning and Reading Comp. You see, every single instance of my life has been geared toward medical school. Every science class I've taken is straightforward. "This is how it is." I don't remember being taught to arrange things according to given stipulations. Where are the concrete facts that I've been so accustomed to? I'm the only non-liberal arts major in my class and on the first day of LSAT class, my instructor said to me, "Forget everything you know. The LSAT tests your affinity for argument and reason, not what you know." Great. I felt like I've been wasting the past fours years at Davis and UNR. Had I know earlier what my true calling was, I'd major in history or English or philosophy. Grrrr.

But what made me change my mind. A whim? An epiphany? Sort of. I couldn't ignore the contradicting signs anymore. In middle school, I campaigned with my mom for Al Gore and Joe Lieberman. In high school I joined Rock the Vote to register young people and helped out with the Kerry-Edwards campaign. I did four years of Air Force Junior ROTC and student council. In college I represented students in the Senate, served as the Chief of Staff to the President and Vice President, and interned for the US Senate Majority Leader. When asked why I'm not going to law school, I replied, "Because I see politics as a hobby, not a career." How stupid was I? Anyone would kill to get paid for doing something they enjoy unconditionally, right?

I believe that we are all called to serve. Whether it be teaching or cleaning, each and every one of us serves the community in some capacity. I wanted to be a doctor, but how can I practice medicine with such a heavy burden? How can I help others if I can not help myself. The debate surrounding equal rights in this country has incontrovertibly shifted my priorities. No one can stand up for you, and I wouldn't want someone else to fight my fight. This is why I decided to pursue law.

So back to the dreaded LSAT. I hit a wall; couldn't improve my score. I was questioning myself, doubting myself. Until an unlikely inspiration came along. It was so simple. A stranger said, "You can do this. Logical Games is the most learnable section of the LSAT." What makes this even more credible is that this stranger is going to law school. So I say, "Thank you."

Today I studied Logical Games. I can do this. I have my short list. I know where I want to go and where I want to be. I found myself again. Lesson learned: when you're not looking, it'll come. This weekend was, hands-down, the best ever.