Akira Toriyama, the creator of my favorite cartoon, Dragon Ball, sadly passed away. A genius. He created one of the best manga series in the world, selling more than 260 million copies—a masterpiece of storytelling, in my opinion.

It’s the story of a martial arts warrior of a lower class, Goku, who continuously trains to be stronger and saves his friends and the world every time villains try to harm them.

I remember coming home, my mom’s meal was ready, I would rush to eat and do my homework as fast as I could to be able to watch the new episode of Dragon Ball. There was no streaming back then; I had to sit in front of the ‘Canal 5’ at the same time every day to watch one hour.

I didn’t realize it then, but it molded my values like no other TV show. It taught me the importance of nobility, of being kind but not weak, of being strong and standing up for what I believed. To fight for the right things. To never give up, no matter what. To never lose faith and believe in myself, even when others do not.

It taught me the importance of having friends and cultivating those friendships, of always carrying myself with a smile, approaching life with a lighthearted attitude, and a sense of humor. It taught me to work hard every single day to become a better human. To train the body and the mind to be stronger, the value of continuous improvement.

Values that now seem almost identical to what the Yogis teach. "Live one day at a time, doing the best you know-how, sowing a word here and a deed there. Don’t be self-righteous; Don’t condemn.” Yogi Ramacharaka wrote, “see the Divine in the humblest, vilest, and most ignorant person—it is there, hidden but pressing forward. Mind your own business. And be filled with love, tolerance, and compassion.”

Goku was a man who lived in the moment, who saw the good even in the villains he fought, who found humor even in the darkest of moments, and who never got corrupted by anything—an embodiment of nobility. An example to follow.