Are humans a limitless being?

In reality, no. We are imperfect and incapable of everything. We can’t fly, we can’t predict the future, we can’t talk to God, we can’t touch our toes (…..or maybe that’s just me), and we can’t control who or what we love. We are neither all-powerful nor all-knowing.

But in another sense, we are capable of so much. We can love without condition, dream without inhibition. We can use our brains and our hearts to better ourselves, better the people that surround us, and better our world. And above all else, we can use these two organs to create goals.

Maybe your goal is to swim in a waterfall on every continent. To fall in love, to make a lot of money, to use your profession to help change the world, to send your kids to college, to build a company, to travel to Antarctica, to be successful. Maybe your goals are many of these, or maybe just a few. Whatever they are, they are rational, they are beautiful, and they are yours. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise, and don’t let anyone belittle them. Fight for them for as long as you are standing.

I swear there was a point to this post before I got all mushy about goals.

Tomorrow is my birthday–my 21st birthday, to be exact. In America this birthday is important because it is the magical age where you’re allowed to purchase alcohol. Which, don’t get me wrong, is fun. Great, even (because I love vanilla stouts). But today, that’s not really what I’m thinking of.

To me the age of 21 symbolizes an end. It is an end to the way in which the world restricts you. After 21, there are no more hurdles to overcome, no more instances where people have the legal right to tell you “no.” Today marks the end. But today also marks the beginning.

I have a lot of goals for my senior year of college. To get good grades, have plenty of fun, make new friends, drink a lot of craft beer, eat a lot of Tikka Masala. These goals are wonderful and will bring me happiness.

But there’s another set of goals that will bring something even greater: fulfillment. I want to pursue my passions as they relate to my professional and personal facets. I want to help international students feel comfortable and happy during their time at an American university. And above all else, I want to serve as a mentor. I want to help the underclassmen that are dazed by their degree in business, unsure of what to make of it, and unaware of how to take action on the unique dreams that lay in their hearts–those that wait to be awaken.

Here’s to you, senior year. And here’s to you, 21. The limitless future begins tomorrow.