What Inspires Kids Today: January 2022 by Arietta Xylas

Inspiration can mean many different things to many different people. For Arianna Caballero,  16, inspiration is when something or someone’s presence in your life makes you reflect on who you are as a person and make a change.

According to Arianna, friends can inspire them to be a better person. Upon hearing this response, I recalled a quotation from the book Fahrenheit 451, “Grandfather’s been dead for all these years, but if you lifted my skull, in the convolutions of my brain you’d find the big ridges of his thumbprint.”

Our friends, family, and even those who we do not know yet all have the ability to leave a large impact on us and inspire us to be better people. Throughout our lives, we meet people from all different walks of life, and each of them will teach us something new about either the world or ourselves. To be able to look to other people for guidance is one of the fundamental aspects of life.

Life itself is also a source of inspiration for Arianna in being a better version of themselves. When they see how unfair and harsh the world can be on people, it inspires them to try to help others in any way they can since they understand that everyone is going through their own battles behind the scenes. It is important to recognize that it is impossible to always know what someone might be dealing with, and for that reason we should all choose to show kindness and compassion to those that we meet.

Many people find their passions through trying out new things, especially hobbies or sports. Recently, one thing that Arianna is very passionate about is bowling. Arianna joined their school’s bowling team for the very first time this school year, and quickly realized that bowling was something they really enjoyed. When asked what about bowling they loved, they said that it made them very happy and has taught them many important life lessons. Their teammates are always pushing them to do better and be better, and they truly feel like they are learning lessons that will help them reach their full potential in life. It is really important to find something in life that you truly enjoy, whatever that thing may be. Never be afraid to try new things, it may just become your new favorite thing.

It is often said that we should become the change we want to see, but what is not mentioned is that change is often a group effort. We are able to become better people and create a better world by sharing our experiences, thoughts, passions, complaints, and anything else that causes us to think and reflect on our interactions with everything life holds. By better understanding ourselves and each other, we can all make a difference.