LIFE AFTER DEATH BY BEN DIPPOLITO

Few people in life will tell you that it gets easier with time, as everyone is inevitably inflicted by loss, conflict, and failure. The thing I wish most for myself before I die is that I may not lose the youthful outlook on life and the world. As creativity overwhelmingly declines as we age, it isn’t a stretch to conclude that so too does the youthful disposition and passion for life about which so many of us reminisce.

To me, living like a kid means carrying a sense of wonder, not always accepting the things you are taught and told, and most of all seeing the best in the people and world around you. By living with an infectious enthusiasm and a smile on my face, I hope to inspire the best in others; it is my belief that before anyone is to change the world, they must first change the lives of those around them.

Weathering life’s storm is a perpetual challenge that can make reality so dark that it seems blind faith is the only answer. But it’s the people you carry with you that light the path ahead, and it is my mission to ignite the fire inside the people in my life me the same way so many have done for me.

Kids, take ill-advised risks with positive intentions, rebound from failure with a short conscience, and dream beyond the expectations of reality (and more importantly others); these are all the same qualities found in the most influential people in history. In the wise words of Christopher Wallace, “Stay far from timid, only make moves when your heart’s in it, and live the phrase ‘sky’s the limit.’ ”