Anybody who has taken a sociology class is probably familiar with the concept of the self. The self defines a person individually among a larger group of people. In other words, one must separate himself from society and realize he is different from everyone else in order to achieve self-awareness.

The only problem with this notion is that not too many people take it seriously. I don’t think a lot of people understand or care, for that matter, about such a topic.

There are too many other things going on in life to lose sleep wondering who you are in this world. However, that is an issue I believe we all need to appreciate.

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Take a look at everyone around you. Do you think all of these people know their place in the world? Not everyone is totally aware of his or her purpose in life, at least not yet.

I’d like to think each person has a reason for existence, and that reason can change the world. Now, I’m not exactly referring to changing the world in terms of curing diseases – though it would be a good change – but I am referring to how one person can change the world in which they live.

This world is a much smaller world; sometimes people can make big differences in their own communities.

If you really think about it, we’re sort of here to serve each other. Any job you may have is in some way a service to someone else. At any rate, we live in an imperfect world, and perhaps it will always be imperfect, but the essence of getting a higher education is to utilize your knowledge and expertise to serve each other.

Self-awareness is not a curse, but it sure seems like it when you’re the only one in the crowd who has the faintest clue who they are and what their place in this world is. You’ll probably take notice that often times it’s easier to be around people than it is to be alone.

I know lots of people who actually fear loneliness. Why is that? Are we not comfortable with ourselves that we can’t stand to be alone? In contrast, it’s possible that some of the most successful people in this world have never made an independent thought in their lives. By this, I mean replying to the little voice inside – yes, your conscious – and asking yourself some questions about life and then taking the next step by acting upon your thoughts.

A lot of people actually rely on others in that department. Some people can’t possibly make a decision by themselves, so they ask other people to make the decision for them.

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I’m not saying we shouldn’t feel the need to rely on our friends, but it does help to be a little self-reliant. Start doing things for yourself. Truthfully, you’ll feel better knowing you achieved something by yourself; it gives you more self-satisfaction. Motivation is the key to self-reliance – find your inner and outer motivation. It’s the opinion of this columnist that motivation will help serve your purpose in life, leading you down the path or righteousness.

And so I said to the waiter, “Can I get the check