In “The Book of Disquiet,” Fernando Pessoa described a human soul like this: "My soul is a hidden orchestra; I know not what instruments, what fiddlestrings and harps, drums and tamboura I sound and clash inside myself. All I hear is the symphony." This eloquent description of the human soul translates into the story of humanity as well. Our life’s symphony possesses an assortment of high notes, low notes, and a manner of mediocre notes to harmonize the two extremes. While achieving a worthwhile accomplishment will create a high note on our symphonies, on the other hand, a major failure will leave a low note on the arrangement. However, it's easy to become complacent after the completion of a goal you've longed for. I refuse to let the rest of the world continue their symphonies while mine ends with a single soprano note. Because of this belief, a former member of the House of Representatives inspires me. Once Allen West’s symphony reached one pinnacle, he refused to end it. Instead, he continued the arrangement, adding more high notes as the years went on.

Before Allen West was a member of Congress, he was a service member in the US Army. He served from 1983 to 2004 and was deployed in Operation Desert Storm as well as Iraqi Freedom. After that, West was not ready to end his symphony. He and his family relocated to Florida. There, West went on to add another high note on his life's musical arrangement. In 2008, he entered an election race for House of Representatives. Although this district historically leaned Republican, West lost the election to the Democratic incumbent Ron Klein. Despite this loss, West refused to leave the realm of politics without creating another high note.

In 2010, after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference as well as gaining an endorsement from former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, Allen West defeated the Democratic incumbent Ron Klein by a margin of 8.8%. West became one of two African-American Republicans in Congress since J.C Watts retired in 2003. In his reelection year, West lost to former Republican Patrick Murphy by an initial vote count of two thousand. After Floridian election officials unofficially declared Murphy as the winner, West refused to concede. He requested a recount of the ballots, but officials did not complete the recount by the deadline. So, the previously reported vote count was declared official, and Murphy won the election.

Although another low note marred his symphony, West refused to end it there. He became a contributor to Fox News and released his first non-fiction book. A tuneful life symphony balances high, low, and mediocre notes to design a concerto that delights the senses. Allen West's symphony is a delicate balance of these notes and the reason he is my inspiration. His continuous desire to add high notes to his symphony speaks to my ultimate life goal: to never let the music end on a low note.