Good Life Award - Winners
2006
Good Life Award Writing Contest
Honorable Mention
Megana Rao
8th Grade, Watts Middle School
| Want to do something extraordinary with your life? Great! Grab a piece of paper, a pencil and read on! You have the potential to do something remarkable with your life, as long as you follow these simple steps: 1. Love yourself 2. Help others 3. Set goals, dream big, and keep your mind open The first step to leading a good life is being happy with yourself. Jot down at least five of your good qualities. Loving yourself means accepting who you are and not trying to imitate others. Madonna put it this way, “Be yourself because everyone else is already taken.” Be proud that you’re you! Once you have achieved this, you can expand your horizons and do whatever you want with confidence. Once you have learned to love and accept yourself, you can help others. Make a list of five things you find wrong in the world. Now take a look at those five good qualities you wrote about yourself. Try to determine how you can use your positive traits to better the world. If you are compassionate and caring toward other people you will find ways to make a difference. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve.” Finding what you can do to help others is one of the most important keys to living a good life. Whether you love animals and volunteer at a shelter, you teach someone to read, or help clean up litter - all these things make our world a better place. It’s also important to set goals for yourself. Take a minute to list five things you would like to accomplish in your life. Now, promise yourself you’ll do them! Even if they seem outrageous, develop a plan of action and never give up! If you just skim through life, never actually applying yourself, you will never feel fully content. Don’t be afraid to try new things. There is so much variety in our world. If you don’t step out of your comfort zone, you’ll miss out. Ever since I was little I have been terrified of ice skating, the sharp blades and cold hard ice, but finally my friends persuaded me to try it, and it was…the most fun I’ve ever had. Make sure you keep your mind open! Don’t rule things out until you’ve given them a fair shot, whether it be a new person, activity, or even food. Dottie Yeck was an example of how to live a good life. She knew that when you do things you love, and strive to make your dreams come true, great things can happen. British philosopher Bertrand Russell said “The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy - I mean that if you are happy you will be good.” I'm sure Dottie Yeck would agree. |