Good Life Award - Winners
2008
Good Life Award Writing Contest
Honorable Mention
Sara Whitestone
8th Grade, Valley View Middle School
| The Game Plan Adolescence. The journey between going from a small innocent child to a responsible adult. Sounds simple right? Well, wrong. This is the beginning of our game plan for our life. We get to choose which way to go, not our family, and not our friends. These people are our coaching staff, but it is us on the playing field. We are in control. This is our life! That is exactly what Dottie Yeck was trying to teach us. Yet, the answer to a good life is to give. Giving is my game plan. Not only give materialistic things, but also time and energy. When you volunteer, do you put your heart and soul into it? Living in this world today we receive the guarantee to the pursuit of happiness. Happiness has many definitions, but true happiness is finding love and wonder in everything around you. Throughout the day we score our own points, and because we are human we also rack up our penalties. Fortunately, for each problem there is a solution. Sometimes to find the solution it takes a lot of practice. But the only way my life will be full of happiness, full of loving people, full of church, and full of education is to follow my game plan. With each game plan there are complications and obstacles, and sometimes our egos and competitive sides get in the way of important doings. It’s nice to get the awards, but, many times we put ourselves in front of others to get their opinion, their feedback. Most of the time our actions are “good, but not good enough”. What do we care what other people think about us? Why should we live our lives like we are on display? Why should we have to go through the criticism of our performance? We cannot live our lives like we are in a talent show. We must stay humble or enough will never be enough. We could never be satisfied with our lives. We must be humble with our abilities and our truths. We must let our beauty shine from the inside. I hope to do all this things I’m trying to share with you. This is my goal, my approach, and my game plan to living a good life. So what is a good life? A life full multiple praises, and luxury, or a life full of good deeds, humble actions, and peace? The first may be more appealing, but it loses in the long run. Give from your heart; give only for the joy of giving, not to receive praise and glory. On the field you are a team player. You don’t score the points to receive a glistening trophy but rather to feel the accomplishment of doing your part. We are only here for a short time; why not make a difference? By following my game plan, I can win in the game of life! |