In seventh grade English class, I learned a lesson that I will always carry with me. I learned many “English things”, but this was a moral word of wisdom. Our class read Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen, a story of two teenagers, Juliana and Bryce, who grew up in the 1950’s. Ever since Juliana first laid eyes on Bryce, she was infatuated with him. Bryce, on the other hand, felt that Juliana was obsessive, and he did not return her feelings. He even teased her behind her back and ignored her.
One day, Juliana’s father asked her why she liked Bryce so much. She replied that he had amazing eyes. Her father then prompted her to look deeper than that, drawing a metaphor to a painting. You can’t look at just the tree in the meadow; you have to see the whole picture as a sum.
Later on, Juliana comes to the realization that people are like this as well. People can have certain qualities, but it is so much more important to look at the whole person and not just a fragment. This realization helps Juliana to mature, and she realizes her maturity may have surpassed Bryce, even with his dazzling eyes. He may have been very cute, but the jury was still out on his character.
After reading that, I felt changed as I looked around at the world. This newfound perspective inspired me to always make sure I was greater than the sum of my parts. The best way to do this is to examine your character and respect the qualities you have.

My personal relationship with this lesson has been so important. I learned it at a time in life when other people’s opinions were becoming slightly too important. When you take a step back and realize you are greater than the sum of your parts, it can be an incredible confidence boost. Other things just suddenly seem much less important. I believe this is the best way to demonstrate your inner strength. Your whole self is what counts, not each individual part. It can be easy to get caught up in less important things, however, find the goodness inside of you and others. The most powerful things about the world are drawn from the inside of a person. You can find inspiration, faith, even love.