“There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect”(Ronald Reagan).
There’s a moment in everyone’s life when you just can’t move, when the situation must play through and you must submiss to the outcome; a moment when just three seconds ago all was well, but now it was life or death.
We are heading home around 8 pm. On Atlantic Avenue, there’s a green arrow pointing, signaling it is safe to turn left. As any driver would do, my grandfather drives into the intersection and makes a crisp left turn. That’s when it goes down. A black Dodge Charger comes in speeding at us, and a single collision relays several reactions. I just sit there, with my heart beating too fast to count. I watch as my grandfather swerves the steering wheel in an effort to prevent another crash in the gas station we were pushed into. My mother grabs a hold of me and screams, “ARE YOU OKAY?”. My sister just sits there as well. We are all perfectly fine, but on the inside I am shook.
A couple of car rides later, the incident had become nothing but a memory; perhaps, another story to tell or to write about in a blog. Yet, the experience conveyed life’s importance to me. I came to value moments with my friends and family a lot more because of this experience; not just moments, but my education, my relationships, my interests, and my pursuits. I wanted to live life without restraints and I only realized that after that momentously crisp left turn.
Here at Baruch, I hope that I am able to tackle the constraints of the mind by pursuing mathematics and economics. I hope to break down the walls around human spirit by getting involved and meeting new people. I expect to step far enough outside the line (my comfort zone), to where the point of growth begins. Growth as an individual, a member of society, and as a Baruch Scholar.
Pavneet, this is beautiful… no, breath taking. More than once, have I been enchanted by your craftsmanship with words. Your skillful manipulation in syntax and word choice create a invigorating blend that like morning brew, or freshly ground spices stimulate the mind. As a very wise and perceptive individual, you have a promising journey ahead, and will never fail to astonish all of those who will have the pleasure of accompanying you on this journey.
I couldn’t agree more with your choice in quote. We are our own worst enemy. Fear, self doubt, they all are obstacles which we enshrouded ourselves in, constructing them at times as a rationalization because we are afraid not of our failure, but what we are capable. Greatness is intimidating, its responsibility are frightening, however I would rather face my fears, than have the pleasures of life obscured from my vision, removed from my grasp by fears confinements, by my self made continents. The mind or shall I say the thought is a powerful thing. It can build cities, but it can also destroy them. So let your thoughts sore, conquer the fears, and become your own platform to success, rather than your own obstacle.
I absolutely agree with Tamara that your command of words is striking. I know few people who can write like this, let alone weave words together so well to create a palpable, euphonic effect. Hence your story was very refreshing to read.
Equally important, however, your story is potently inspirational and eye-opening. Personally, I commiserate with your experience of such a transformative moment- a moment in which at the time of occurrence the future is nearly impossible to imagine, but afterwards life becomes clearer than ever before.
I agree with your quote and your view- that if our minds possess the power to erect strong walls, then they must also possess the willpower to tear them down.
Pavneet, thank goodness you are here today with us after experiencing such a thing. If you weren’t who else would I be able to fist bump with? I believe the notion that you are you today because of such a thing happening to you in the past. Everyone has both good and bad memories and those experiences are what shape us today. It is a good thing that you consider this particular moment in your life as something to learn from; you are continuing to live life without any “constraints”. And that – my bro – is a beautiful thing to read about.
I think that this blog post is extraordinary. First off, I love how you started off with such a meaningful quote and then managed to center your whole post around it. The connection that you made between your near death experience and human constraints flowed perfectly and it shows a lot about how you view life. The human constraints that we build for ourselves are a major reason why people don’t live life fully. The fact that you’ve realized this at a young age and you’re trying to break down these walls is amazing and I hope you continue the rest of your life doing so. I really enjoyed reading your post and I hope that you do manage to step out of your comfort zone eventually.