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The tranquil evening breeze soothed my soul; the soft howl of the wind comforted my heart. I gazed aimlessly into the abyss of stars above me, in the midst of an island engulfed in the sweet scent of night-blooming jasmines. Between two large palm trees I sat, and, in complete apathy rummaged through my mind for thoughts that would help me to relax. Through a cloudy, blurry image, the sight of my deceased mother flashed before me, and my chest seemed to have collapsed. Familiar lights, sounds and smells dashed back and forth through my mind, too brief to distinguish. However, eight words, said sincerely by mother on her death bed, made it through the flood of thoughts that crowded my head, “Make me proud and don’t follow the crowd.” Tears streamed down my cheeks; it was the first time I had ever remembered something my mother had said.

Puddles formed around my face, my heart thumped furiously and I sobbed uncontrollably. Then, I ceased. My eyes strained open and my tears immediately dissipated. I looked up, staring directly in the eye of God and asked myself, have I fulfilled my mother’s wishes? What have I done to make myself different? What contributions can I make to those around me? Those questions persistently repeated, like a scratched CD in my head. I was determined to find out, was my life indeed �different’ and unique? Or, was I just another commoner, a statistic, a laggard?

I dug through my mind, desperate for answers and found myself on that old hill where my dreams had been created and my foundation had been built - high school. Memories replaced the horde of thoughts that filled my mind and I remembered old times that set me apart from others. I recollected the one reason why most classmates and teachers admitted that they respected me - my ambition. As I pondered, my heart was warmed, for, this was one quality that I, myself cherished. I remembered often being laughed at when asked about my future plans. And while that would have been discouraging for others, it only made me want it even more. I never thought that aspiring to be the future Prime Minister of my country was, in any way, farfetched, and I continued in my endeavors to pursue this goal. Joining and leading many different clubs, associations and committees, I stood firm in my beliefs that I would become my country’s leader and I let nothing deter me from that. I was often asked how I balanced to lead such a large number of activities and winning so many honors, awards and competitions while maintaining a respectable grade point average. And I answered that my drive to succeed was the determining factor for most of my success in high-school and competitions. However, I knew and exposed my flaws as a human, explaining that I am not a perfect person, not even close to it. I always tell of how I try to learn from my mistakes and develop my character, diverging from my flaws, focusing on my future and my long-term goals with a positive mindset.

I continued to reminisce, wonder and anticipate that the things that I was thinking about would have pleased my mother. Then, an obvious quality that could not have been ignored eradicated every melancholy thought that had been taunting my brain. It was my trade-mark, the thing that predominantly distinguished me from others,