“Imperfections are the signs of a butterfly in progress, ready to open its wings,” writes Rajvi, in her book, The Beauty Within Us.

Rajvi, an 11th grader and KidSpirit contributor, lays out all she learned when she looked at life with the scientific method, helping readers reassess, introspect, and recognize the beauty in life, within and without.

“Just as pieces of carbon, under significant pressure and the right amount of time, reveal a diamond, in a similar manner, our progress from who we used to be to a greater us is a universal phenomenon. We are alive by the virtue of our triumphs over our struggles — it is about the nature of just how transient life truly is.”

I have been a firm believer in the power of science, and by science, I am referring to the thought process more than the subjects. To me, it is staggering that with science, we as a species have been able to make sense of what we see, what seems to be, and what is unseen — all while standing on a floating rock that revolves around a huge fireball in infinite emptiness. Science exists without intention — it is just the processes of the world. We, however, have an intention: to explore, to perceive, and, mostly, to do good and help.

The scientific method comprises a set of steps that create an ordered way to gain knowledge. With the scientific method, we have come farther in the last few hundred years than ever before. By questioning, hypothesizing, experimenting, observing, and drawing inferences, we have explained so many phenomena. Still, what about the greatest happening of all — life?

Rajvi took on this idea, and in her book, she reports back to the readers with all she has seen and understood, steering them to enjoy the view on the rollercoaster that is life. The book is a guided journal — “a book that makes you question, think, and reflect while reading.” Rajvi has structured it around ten quotes, which she unpacks, taking the meaning she gets from the quote and what life has taught her, then tying it all together with her thoughts and experiences — emphasizing some truths of life, and provoking introspection.

Why a guided journal? “As I was editing and going ahead in my process, I realized I wanted to give space to my readers to do their thinking along with me.”

About a paragraph into the author’s note, I realized I needed to take notes while reading, and take my time with every sentence. More than a book, it is a journey. After every read, I felt the need to rest my head and reflect for a while, which I did. Every chapter feels like a discussion. Rajvi does not hesitate to address the good, the bad and the ugly of life, but her outlook on these is invaluable.

The emphasis of the book is not just revealing life’s beauty, but more importantly, helping the reader undertake a journey to reassess and realize. Rajvi breaks down the “truths” of life into simpler steps, as interactive prompts. With something as straightforward as “trying a new cuisine,” Rajvi helps the reader see ways to push their boundaries and “regain control of their life’s steering wheel.” The prompts gave me a starting point to reassess my outlook on life, which helped me keep a lot more of the book with me.

Rajvi describes life as a rollercoaster. While this analogy is frequently used, this quote stuck with me: “roller coasters are daunting, but the wildness of the ride is exactly what is thrilling...if I had known about the feeling of pure adrenaline coursing that comes with a ride, I wouldn’t have resisted getting on one. Isn’t it crazy that once the ride is over, that’s exactly what made the whole experience fun in the first place?” Throughout the book, Rajvi emphasizes that moments of adversity come into our lives for a good reason and that, while always getting back on our feet is difficult, it is important to keep faith in ourselves.

Why this book? Rajvi recounts an anecdote from her childhood: whenever she would learn a new concept at school when she was younger, she would come home and create a mini-book about it, complete with a cover, a table of contents, and a thorough explanation of the concept. “It is something I did for introspection, to meditate on the topic. I thought this was something everyone would need help with because it was something I was learning,” she says. The Beauty Within Us isn’t a manual set in stone — it is a guided journal, and Rajvi has written and structured it to help people learn what she has learned and make the best possible choices for themselves.

In every given situation, there are so many choices we can make. There is much to remember, so I was curious — how does she keep these things in mind while approaching any situation?

“With the book, I try to cover almost everything I’ve reflected on into this one jam-packed book. The key is not to remember it like axioms to live your life by, but to think — at this moment, what is the best that I can do, to be the best version of myself? So, not think ‘What is it I need to be doing?’ but ‘What should I be doing?’’’

There is a massive shift from fitting in to standing out. Rajvi writes, “If you take a listen into others’ rationale, and cannot justify it, then that means that you should follow your instincts, as what sings true to you, works. Because when we stop our internal chatter and look deep within us, we will see what is true for us. And really, that should be what we are all striving for.’’ She believes that if someone can shift to thinking, “What should I be doing?” in any situation, they will gravitate toward “a better life, one that emphasizes the beauty of the journey (we) experience.”

And do you forget sometimes?

She laughs at my question. “Of course. When I wrote this book, I was trying to collect everything I’ve learned... We develop on many levels, but we progress and make mistakes. Even though we have learned something, we forget it sometimes. When I wrote [the book], I wrote it as a text about what we should do but not what we can always do. Being humans, we can not be perfect, but we can try to be the best version of ourselves we can be.”

Life is a rollercoaster ride, with the highs and lows and unexpected drops and mind-defying loops. There are so many possibilities. However, as Rajvi writes, she hopes this book will “reveal life’s beauty, and [be] a journey through the vicissitudes — drawing on the ideas of courage through the storm, the fun, upbeat moments, and both the quiet and bold triumphs of one’s soul over everyday battles.” What is a beautiful life? There are no right or wrong answers, but a life full of choices that emphasize the beauty of joyful moments and tough ones is certainly a life well lived.

The Beauty Within Us: A Guided Journal, by Rajvi Shroff, is available on Apple Books.