What Starts Here Changes the World

It wasn’t until I found my career path that I truly understood how I could put this famous slogan of The University of Texas at Austin into practice. Today, someone explicitly confirmed that for me—and it marked a meaningful milestone in my journey.

I was helping a client who was also a family friend with his college admission essay. I casually asked him, “What has been the most significant, life-changing event for you since coming to America?”

His immediate response was NAET and acupuncture.

To me, that spoke volumes.

I was both thankful and amazed to hear that the care I had provided had made such a meaningful impact on someone’s life. In that moment, I realized that I should be proud—not only of the career I had chosen, but of the difference it has allowed me to make in the lives of others.

What starts here changes the world.

When the slogan of my alma mater resonates with my practice, it brings a tremendous sense of pride. I bleed burnt orange, and this moment felt like a personal triumph. Just as Admiral William McRaven encouraged graduates at the 2014 commencement to find the courage to change the world, I have taken those words to heart.

Perhaps changing the world doesn’t always mean doing something extraordinary on a grand scale. Sometimes, it begins with helping one person feel better, one conversation at a time, one treatment at a time.

See below for “10 Life Lessons” from Admiral William McRaven, delivered during the 131st Spring Commencement at The University of Texas at Austin.