Life has so much direction english literature essay

For the most part, I thought that life was about making money, finding something that you were passionate about and somehow using all of that to achieve your dreams. Even though that does sound nice, and I still have plans on reaching my goals, that doesn’t sit too well with me. When I take a step back and really analyze my life with a broader scope, I begin to realize that this isn’t all that important to me. I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that these everyday routines were all I had to look forward to. I figured that there must be something more to life that I was missing out on. There have been times where I find myself getting caught up in the daily hustle and bustle, between school and my other activities that I often take things for granted and forget what’s really important in my life. I frequently ask myself if any of this is going to be worth it in the long run. A question that has remained to be unanswered, I feel like some of us do so much and receive so little, while other’s do so little and receive so much; but for what purpose do we do any of it. There have been mornings where I have woken up only to worry about the stresses of my life; taking for granted that I even woke up that morning to stress about anything. Can you believe that I’m taking my own life for granted; while I look past the fact that not everyone was able to wake up that morning to see the sun rise. As I sit down and write this essay, I can begin to count my blessings, because I know I have a lot of things to be grateful for. I feel like society at times can stray our thinking and the things that matter the most get lost in the shuffle. Society has influenced my generation as well as me, to fixate on things like having the best job, the most money, and the biggest house. All of those are nice, but based on research that only equates to 10% of our happiness. I find it ironic how the things that we spend our greatest interest in, make us sad as well. When I take a moment to really analyze my life, I can tell that very little of what I do makes me happy at the moment. There once was a time where people would master a skilled profession, raise a family, and devote their life to God, and that measured their life’s success. Most of that seems to be gone, and we measure our success with a materialistic definition. I’m in a constant race to do more, and be more than what I currently am, only to realize that I’m still not satisfied, and that these superficial indicators cannot guarantee me happiness. When I take a look at my life, I begin to realize that there is a bigger picture that is far greater value than anything money could buy. At times I forget about them, or don’t recognize how valuable they are, but this is one of the few things that all people share in common no matter how different they may be. A few things that I cherish when I reflect on my own life are family, friends, and good health. I’m reminded of a quote that one of the dream chasers quoted during his presentation in our class, he said, that there are people so poor in this world, the only thing they have is money. To think that I want to work long hours only to consume unnecessary products to have this ” lavish” lifestyle; Then spend 100% of my focus towards the items that I will not have time to enjoy, and then feel as if my items essentially own me. When I heard that quote two meanings had come to mind; for one don’t believe in stereotypes, you might think that the person with money has everything , but that void their trying to fill still remains to be present. The sad thing is that they are missing out on the things that really matter the most. Love and happiness are the things that make us rich; the true treasure comes with having family, and real friends that bring along those exact qualities. As I’ve gotten older I have really begun to appreciate my family and friends, and for the most part I consider my friends to be a part of my family. Over the course I was able to analyze myself through my writings, and put into perspective how blessed I am; and for each blessing, I’ve come to realize how that makes up part of who I am as a person. There are many things in my life that I can be grateful for, from my family to my friends that I consider to be the closest companions in the world, to the good health that God has blessed me with; that enables me to do what I want to do and for what I plan to do in the future. I now know what exactly what I was missing on, and that void has been filled. The walking dead has been a perfect example on how the ” little things” mean so much in life; especially for me, I forget at times how significant of a role my loved ones play in my life, and I should never take that for granted, because there is no substitute for the people that shower me with their love. I know at times I may fight with my parents and relatives, but in the end, they’re still there for me. I am very fortunate and blessed to have both my parents in my life, along with the rest of my family. Although this is just a TV series it has taught me many things. Finding appreciation in my family has really kept me grounded. That balance comes from having respect for my family, appreciating them, and knowing that my family represents a part of whom I am; that can never be replaced. Another reading that stood out to me over the course was Martin Luther King’s, The Three Dimensions to a complete life. This reading showed me on what I agree to consider a ” complete life”, Dr. King got into detail on how important it is to love yourself, love whatever your life’s calling may be, love others, and love God. Those few key points really highlighted on what can give someone a sense of satisfaction in their life, when it comes to daily living. I asked what life was truly about, and I can gradually see how all of these readings and shows fit in with the idea of what really matters the most in life. I don’t want to let this life pass me by without doing and being a part of the things that matter the most. I want to examine life and find its meaning, purpose, and destination. If I do nothing at all, I know that this world will carry on none the less; till the day I died. I am grateful for the life that I live and the opportunities that are placed in front of me. This class has showed me how fortunate I am through all the readings and other things like the Walk to Nicaragua. Professor Gonzalez has enlightened me on just that; each reading has helped find a part of me that I didn’t even know existed. This semester has changed my outlook on the way I go about my life in day to day activities. This semester has meant so much to me and was truly a great learning experience.