Syracuse University senior Sarah Kulbersh was only 16 when she drove out of state with her mom to get her first tattoo: the word “swim” on her upper ribcage. The simple four-letter word was inspired by a Jack’s Mannequin song related to continuing on through times of hardship.

Since then, the geography major has gotten seven more tattoos on various spots of her body. While each one bares little to no visual resemblance to the others, they all represent a theme that has been crucial to Kulbersh’s life thus far: perseverance.

Kulbersh began battling severe depression, anxiety and body image issues around the age of 15. As a junior in high school, she was hospitalized due to her mental health situation. Since then, she has continued her battle with the disease that has continued to try to take control of her life.

One of the quotes on her body on her body states, “The judgement lies in perception,” a phrase that Kulbersh came across while reading her philosophy textbook during her freshman year at SU.

“I remember the moment that I read that quote for the first time so perfectly,” Kulbersh said. “As someone who’s always dealt with body image issues, I don’t think anything had ever spoken to me so strongly.”

Kulbersh decided to get the words tattooed on her body to remind herself that everyone perceives the world in his or her own way, a thought which brings her peace and comfort.

At the age of 21, Kulbersh took a leave of absence from SU to prioritize her mental health. She returned home to Massachusetts and found studying and practicing Buddhism and mindfulness to be incredibly helpful after reading a book called “Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha” by Tara Brach.

“That book completely changed how I viewed my problems, and opened my mind to all the principles of Buddhism and mindful thinking,” Kulbersh said.

She began dedicating her time to studying Buddhism and practicing meditation each day. It was then that she learned about Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of mercy and compassion. Kulbersh decided that she wanted to get the goddess tattooed on her arm as a model for how to live her daily life.

“I wanted to get the goddess of compassion, because I believe that what you give out to the world is what you get back,” Kulbersh said. “If I can give out good energy and kindness, then I truly believe I will get it back, and find a way to show more kindness to myself.”

Published on February 20, 2017 at 9:57 pm

Contact Julie: jlmccu01@syr.edu