Good Life Award - Winners
2007
Good Life Award Writing Contest
Honorable Mention
Emily Flores
8th Grade, Wantz Middle School
| My plan for living a good life is to set goals and stick to them. This is necessary so my life will involve being good, doing good, having fun, and being happy. One major goal I have is to get into a good college so I can eventually get a good job. In my future job, I want to make a decent amount of money, but also enjoy going to work everyday. It will not be easy to reach this goal, so I will have to work hard and stay dedicated. There will be roadblocks, but I will find ways to overcome them. To survive and thrive throughout my teen years with my goals intact, I will always try my hardest. I will get good grades in school. I will complete some community service and become involved with many extracurricular activities and sports. I will get a job in high school, be responsible, and, most importantly, have a positive attitude. Roadblocks along the way are to be expected. However, I refuse to allow these things to get in my way on my journey to success. One example of a roadblock is peer pressure to do drugs and drink alcohol. Obviously, these are not good for my decision-making skills and they will only bring me farther from my goals. Another roadblock could be a bad attitude. If I do not maintain a positive attitude, I will not feel the need to achieve my goals, so I will stop trying to reach them. Possibly the most dangerous roadblock could be laziness because I will not get anywhere in life if I am too lazy to work for it. I must be willing to strive to achieve my goals. Fortunately, I can overcome these roadblocks easily. This is possible if I stay involved with extracurricular activities. By doing this, I will keep myself out of trouble. In addition, I need to have good friends who are also working for goals. My friends and I need to help each other stay on the path to success. We have to encourage each other to do well and support each other during rough times. If I have friends who do not have their priorities straight, or they take part in activities that are wrong, such as drugs, I will be more likely to be steered off my path to happiness and away from my goals. Another thing that can help me reach goals is staying close to family. Not having strong family support can also push me in the wrong direction. In conclusion, for my plan to live a happy, healthy life, I need to stick to my goals. I cannot allow anything to get in my way as I work towards them. I also need to work hard, overcome roadblocks, and stay dedicated. Most importantly, I have to remember that what I do today will affect my future. Making the right choices now will make me happier later in life. |