My oldest son, Jacob is on a free ride through college in part to his writing ability, the essay below got him into a select group of young scholars here in Arkansas.
“If there is sin against life, it consists in hoping for another life and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life.” – Albert Camus
I have discovered that the one thing that really sets me apart from most of my peers is my joy in life. From an early age I have made it a point to keep an upbeat attitude in every situation. The above quote sums up my philosophy quite succinctly.
Many times in life I have seen others lose their joy. They push themselves so hard that somewhere along the way they loose the rapture of the moment. What I strive for is to capture that spark, that is ever-present in young children, and mold my actions accordingly. If a school lunch is strange grey mystery meat again, I thank the workers who made it anyway. Their job can not be especially rewarding; doling out the same food to 500 indifferent, unappreciative teenagers. I see people trudging through their lives and can not help but try to draw them into the wonder at that instant in time. Though it may sound sappy, often times people find a smile to be quite infectious. When people learn live their lives exuberantly they inevitably find their former cloaks of surliness to be quite passÈ. I intend to continue to spread my ideal of delighting in every second, every instant of the day. I believe that the exuberant child in everyone is waiting to fill the tedious with glee.
~ Jacob Morgan, 2008
If only everyone has the same attitude as yours, life would be more bearable. I need to unlock my inner exuberance as well.