I live by many things: honesty, integrity and to be the best I can be.

My father has always taught me to do the right thing no matter how difficult it is because it’s the right thing. Most of my principles come from my father but one comes from my favorite author, Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson said, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.”

Thompson said “Buy the ticket, take the ride.”

This really struck a chord with me. To me, it means to keep your word,. If you say you’re going do something, you do it, even when you don’t want to. I try my best to live by that quote and the things my father taught me.

There is one more quote that really makes me want to make a difference in the world, and that quote is by Edmund Burke. He said,  “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil… is for good people to do nothing.” This quote really hits home because too many times media makes it seem like evil triumphs more often than good almost every day. Media tends to capture those raw moments of weakness,  like a person being  beaten or injured, when people become spectators rather than helpers and just whip out their phones to record the incident rather than do the right thing. 

My goal for 2021 is to find more opportunities to lead by example, to show concern for my fellow human beings, and highlight more acts of compassion in the world. I will continue to try my best to be decent and do the right thing.