Where were you born?

I often think of what my life would be, hadn't I lived in Sweden. I was born in Iran, a country that differs from that of which I consider being home in every way. And how would it be, hadn't I lived in Sweden nor had educated parents? Where would I be?

During the past few years I have been very conflicted concerning my future. Millions of ideas have passed through my mind, only to be dismissed and replaced with others. During a long period of time, what I wanted above all was to break free from this "box" that most of us are born into in the West, and just travel around working to survive the day. I didn't want an education, or a career. "To do what I feel like doing, to live for myself." That was my plan. Little did I know then, that my strategy would have led me to the complete opposite.

As I tend to reflect upon and analyze any experience I come across, I learn much from little. After graduation I took a year off to work and travel, a year during which I've grown more than ever. I have now a new plan for life, one that might come to change in detail, but not in greater meaning.

The majority of our brothers and sisters around the planet are not born with, or later given the same opportunities as myself and a minority of people. There are not many of us who have been given the privilege to create our own futures, shape them to fit with our interests and goals. I could not sleep at night, knowing that I haven't taken advantage of my advantages. It's not always easy and never will be. Sometimes you, I, everyone feels like giving up. It is not always easy to find purpose for everything we struggle with. Yet we should keep struggling, for there are those who have greater struggles. And if we would all combine compassion with education and ambition, we could change conditions for those who need the simple things we've neve even asked for ourselves, but always been given.