The concept underlying this self-portrait is rooted in the belief that I can convey my spiritual visions and my deep reverence for the passage of time, particularly the essence of youth, from the unique vantage point of my own existence. Despite the numerous years I've spent in contemplative solitude, I've never truly glimpsed the full essence of my external form, as clearly as you might see it. Most often, I encounter merely the reverse reflection of my inner self through the looking glass – the self I've long recognized as my own. Now, I have come to a profound realization that each of us is an individual soul on a solitary journey. There are objects and experiences whose intrinsic value is known only to ourselves, existing with the sole purpose of being held, cherished, and ultimately fading away. Yet, I find myself unable to fully articulate these profound experiences in words and images to share with other solitary souls. Why is it that I am bound to reside within the fortress of my own body, unable to discern whether the perspectives you see, the colors you perceive, and the emotions you hear and smell mirror my own? As Hubert Spencer once mused, "Life is the eternal process of inner relationships harmonizing with the outer world." If we consider time as a tapestry of fleeting moments, then I, too, am stitched together by each present moment, continuously adapting to the external realm. Memory and thought serve as the sacred testimonies of my existence. I contemplate, and thus, I exist. Upon reaching the age of thirty, I stand at the crossroads of my own spiritual awakening, filtering my thoughts and contemplating the self. This contemplation is a profound contrast to my childhood of two decades past. I cannot help but marvel at how time, the sole equitable and everlasting force, has silently guided my spirit and life to this present moment. In this journey, I've begun to understand that as I continue to grow and nurture my soul, certain facets of my being, like memories and life itself, are steadily diminishing and transitioning into the ephemeral. New life leads to death, and the beginning is the path to the end.