The Philosophy of Life i1

by Naulia Bennett

A few days ago, it occurred to me how fun it would be if we asked a wide array of young women and men from all over the world a few philosophical questions. This week, I had the privilege of interviewing Bailey Rioux, a 16 year old from Maine, United States and her responses were both heartfelt and heartbreaking. I hope her story can inspire those who share the same, or a similar passion to keep striving for their dreams no matter who decides to enter and/or leave their life.

NB: “In your own words, what’s the meaning of life?”

BR: “Life is about finding your purpose. Finding out how you’re going to help people and how you’re going to achieve that. We’re all placed on Earth with a purpose. And our job is to find out what it is and achieve that purpose. Then we’ll be happy and successful.”

NB: “What’s your aspiration in life? What do you hope to achieve from it futuristically? Is there someone in your life you particularly look up to in terms of this aspiration?”

BR: “I want to help women feel confident in their skin. I’m currently working on finding my self image through clothes and makeup. This is my creative outlet and I know many women find this to be theirs too. My end goal is to open up a fashion store with the main locations being Ala Moana, Hawaii; Manhattan, New York; and Los Angeles, California. My main inspiration is my mother. She grew up in such a harsh reality and she never gave up hope. She continues to work hard towards her dream and she’s so close. She’s living proof that hard work pays off.”

NB: “If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?”

BR: “I would tell myself to stay away from being in a relationship. Yes, the right one will help you become the best version of yourself, but I found that they mostly serve as a distraction. This isn’t the same for all cases, but this was from my experience. I put all my energy into a relationship that went nowhere. Now I’m forced to get over that instead of putting all of my energy towards my dream. I’d tell myself to be cautious of who you let into your life. Some boost you up but others bring you down.”