Living Life to the Fullest

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” – Thoreau

When I first thought about living life to the fullest, I viewed it as living life without restriction: being happy 100% of the time, never saying no to a selfish ambition, or yes to self-sacrificing demand; it was the most self-centered way of living. Sometimes I feel I have devoted my life to entertaining the needs of others so much, that the thought of abandoning everything, right here, right now, would be the answer to my complete happiness. I often question how I would feel, and what others would think, if I took my most prized possessions, jumped on a plane to the sunny beaches of California, and made a home for myself there, doing as I pleased and when I pleased. If I felt like skipping work one day, I would. If I felt like eating a Big Mac, French fries, large coca-cola, and an ice-cream Sunday, I would (without feeling guilty). If I felt like getting on a bike at two in the morning, and just riding for endless hours on the boardwalk and hills of the city, I would. If I wanted to sleep in till four in the afternoon, and skip classes, I would. If I felt like lying on the beach all day, then jumping into a stranger’s pool, I would. If I felt like going shopping and spending $2,000 of my parent’s money, I would. All these things would make me happy, no one could instruct me to do differently, and I would be living MY life to the fullest, right?

Thoreau states “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” If this is true, then these men have let certain things, ideas and people get in the way of living life to the fullest. Essentially, nothing would hold me back in my life-pleasing routine. The authority my parents have over me would dissipate, and my boyfriend’s input would be insignificant. Due dates for assignments and tests that my teacher’s have established would be meaningless, and my boss and coworkers opinions would prove worthless. I would be my own person, living the life I want to live, and making my own rules, not guided by anyone else’s influence. The more I think about this lifestyle, I realize a lot of regret would accompany it. Completely abandoning the life I live now would make a lot of people unhappy. I would owe my parents crazy amounts of money, my boyfriend would be lonely and I would miss him, my body would probably implode from all the fast food, my grades would suffer, and I would probably lose my job. The repercussions outweigh the momentary happiness by far. In making myself 100% happy and living a self-centered life without restriction, I would bring down everyone I know, ultimately leading to my own downfall.

Through thoughts such as these, I have a better understanding of Thoreau’s ideology to go into the woods and completely surrender all material possessions, because it isn’t until you have lost everything, that you realize how much you appreciate. Little things like my boyfriend surprising me with flowers, my mom making my favorite meal or filling up my gas tank for me, or my dad covering my portion of the bill for my cell phone. And it’s not just the things that people do for me, but what I can do for others; such as making my boyfriends and his roommates dinner, or taking my brother to the movies, or helping my mom clean the house. It’s actions like these that make me appreciate life, and keep me content. I suppose then, that if I’m content, I AM living life to the fullest because I want nothing more, and nothing less.

Therefore, living life to the fullest for me is being content. It is learning from my past mistakes, and making better use of myself for the present. It is pleasing others to please myself. It is being surrounded by those who I love and care about most, and experiencing life to the fullest with those people. Because of this, I would never deliberately construct my life to overcome obstacles that hold me back from living life to the fullest. It would be the most egotistical action I could ever take, and it would eventually drive me to complete discontent. I would be a lost puppy without some authority in my life and an incomplete soul without someone to please. Consequently, I need to remind myself, “Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.” – Thoreau

Comments on "Ideal Self" & "American Scholar" Essays

Hey guys, I completely forgot to comment on everyone’s “Self-Ideal” blogs, so I’m going to include those comments with this week’s “American Scholar” blog comments.

Daniel,
I completely enjoyed your culture essay. In my opinion, it was more interesting to read that the American scholar essay. You and I share common viewpoints on diversity defining American culture. I like how you point out that Americans often relate their culture to their location in which they live, North, South, East, and West. This is a point I hadn’t thought of but it is so true!

“In America, we all have the chance to fund the life that Emerson would probably say we should want/strive for. But the “young minds” in America want more than to just live quant lives. The plethora of luxuries that we have at our fingertips, along with the chance to up our monetary rank though capitalism, has forced many Americans into the hands of greed.” I also agree with you on this point, that greed has corrupted many opportunities Americans have been given, such as dirty politicians. I think it is because of this selfish nature that we want to write our own story as well, because we have become ignorant of past values and teachings bestowed to us.

After reading you “Self-Ideal” essay, I want to encourage you that you are not alone in feeling “lost.” I think most people our age are poised with the questions “who are we” and “what do we want to do with our lives?” Some people have a sense of direction, but that direction can always change.

Emerson helped to concrete my thoughts as well, moreso in a sense of describing myself, the positive stuff and the negative crap. You and I share the same trait of having “trapped minds” so to say. However, you encouraged me in saying “I have to embrace these thoughts and use them to my advantage.” I especially liked your point on silence, “the silence lets us preach to ourselves and come up with our own opinions, which allow us to be individuals” because this is what I struggle most with, forming my own opinion and then voicing it. You helped me that silence can be a positive thing, and an individual’s silence can define them as an individual.
I want to encourage you that it is ok to not know who you are or where you are going, because life is a journey, and as long as you have something to search for, you will keep going, moving ahead, and learning more every day.

Kara,
I think you hit the nail on the head in describing Emerson’s “oak and flower pot” ideology in your “American Scholar” essay. Emerson’s writing is full of encouragement and one of the things he expresses is to never hold back an idea, because you never know when it will benefit not only you, but also society. I agree that we should keep an open mind and never shun an idea, however, we also need to be strong in our own beliefs so as to not be easily persuaded by a differing principle.

I think you did a very good job writing your “Self-Ideal” essay in a clear and easy to read format. It was easy to ascertain your stance on your ideal self and how you view self-reliance. I think all the traits you list are attractive and becoming, and because I’ve known you for 6 years, I want you to know that you truly do possess all of these traits: love, kindness, pride, passion, strength, and especially loyalty and self-reliance. I say especially to the last two because you have never let me down in our six years of friendship, you have always lived up to your promises and been a true friend to me. You are absolutely self-reliant because it seems like you are always helping me with my problems and I can lean on you for anything, but you never ask for anything in return. I think you are more of your ideal self than you realize.

I feel the same way about hearing the word self-reliant, and immediately thinking of someone who has endured hardships in life, such as a child who has grown up on the streets, or as you stated, someone who has been let down in the past. I do think that a truly self-reliant person may feel the need to prove their self-reliance to others, primarily if they have been let down, like when you hear people who feel defeated say, “watch out world, here I come!” I think it’s accurate to say most people sometimes know themselves the best, however I can think of a few people who claim and actually do you me better than I do, and they are the ones I can go to for advice with issues in my life.

Christina,
I think you have a very good sense of your ideal self, and you also have a very good understanding of Emerson. Your quote “Keep jumping to test if I can fly and moving on when I find that I fall” is very uplifting and can be a reminder to anyone to simply test your limits, and try again if you encounter failure. One of Emerson’s main points was to never hold back, because you learn from your mistakes or society benefits from your ideas. You use a lot of images to relay your ideas, which display your extreme talent for writing and your ability to communicate your idea to the reader. I particularly like your statement on Emerson’s “zigzag ship” because ambition is key in living life, but spontaneity is also important because a ship firmly stuck on course will never experience life’s little gifts or lessons.
Emerson may have described “imitation is suicide” but he also said to keep an open mind, and your painter illustration is a perfect example showing how an individual can benefit not only from keeping an open mind, but also how another individual can benefit from someone who is not afraid to expresses themselves.

I think out of our group, you know yourself the best, and your words can be lessons to us all. You have inspired me to also be the one who wears neon high boots, whether they are popular or not, and to run from a situation that is personally displeasing, instead of lingering around and trying to please, which is a personal weakness of mine. Thanks girl. ☺

In your “American Scholar” essay, you describe Emerson’s “Man-thinking” down to a tee and I applaud you for that. I too, had a hard time understanding nature and reading, but I think Emerson’s main point was that we can learn through nature, and nature in return can be a teacher. Nature is as mysterious as it is simple, and in uncovering this mystery, we also uncover the simplicity. For example, trees grow from roots, and leaves grow on trees. Once we learn how to determine and “classify” simple things like this from nature, things in life become easier to unearth. This is the same idea in your statement “books with the purpose of education should be a bit more mysterious. If books weren’t so matter-of-fact, I would be able to conclude my own conclusions before finding the right answers, instead of using memorization and repetition.” The more mysterious things are, the more we desire to study and learn from these things, and in return, we are able to draw our own conclusions and define them for ourselves.

I admire your stance to be your own American scholar. It goes back to Emerson’s point in “Self-Reliance” to have an open mind and “steer far from expectations and societies judgment of what’s ‘right now’” while holding true to your own ideas and instilling your self-trust.

Reflections Week 4

This week as I reflected back into a time where America was progressing and young minds were being challenged to think for themselves, I deemed that it is still necessary for myself and my fellow students to take the same initiative delivered by Emerson, to be a “Man-thinking” and not just a “thinking man.” I think today, it is especially important that we know how to filter out “dangerous” information presented to us, and voice our opinion and take action on the things we believe to be true.

Emerson’s writing is filled with extensive wisdom presented not only to the American scholars, but also politicians, parents, teachers, etc. He challenges us “to cheer, to raise, and to guide men by showing them facts amidst appearances” and in his essays, readers find a sense of empowerment and truth in themselves. They build upon this self-truth by obtaining knowledge from nature, books, and experience, and apply it to their lives; in return, they prosper from a self-revival.

The American Scholar

In Emerson’s essay, “The American Scholar,” Emerson constructs a “roadmap” for the students of Phi Beta Kappa Society in his efforts to address and initiate a “new intellectual tradition…based on individual freedoms,” personal beliefs, and one’s “ideal self.” Emerson paints a picture of the new American scholar, a “Man–thinking”, one free to view the world with an open mind, one who can "defer never to the popular cry,” primarily one who is not influenced from past, traditional ideas and European culture. Emerson’s scholar relies on nature as a teacher to understanding and interpreting his own soul, as well as books from the past, which can be dangerous yet beneficial if one knows how to interpret and gain knowledge from reading. Emerson also calls for the scholar to take action stating, “Action is with the scholar subordinate, but it is essential." Such action will be beneficial to society, and the active scholar will profit from a more affluent existence, "a great soul will be strong to live, as well as strong to think." In conclusion, Emerson lists specific duties that the scholar must assume, specifically self-trust “to cheer, to raise, and to guide men by showing them facts amidst appearances.”

When I compare myself to Emerson’s ideology for the prime American scholar, I see similarities and differences, strengths and weaknesses in myself. Because of this, I would say I am, and am not, the kind of scholar Emerson describes. Certain characteristics define me, such as viewing the world with an open mind and obtaining knowledge from books while being able to filter out “dangerous” material. I feel confident in “knowing” myself, my capabilities, and my beliefs and am therefore able to interpret any negative teachings that may be presented to me. However, I am always open to letting others express their thoughts and beliefs before judging them as invalid. If one’s view is precarious, I also try to understand where they are coming from.  

My roadmap for my studies is similar to Emerson’s. It differs in a sense that sometimes I look for a simpler solution, such as when I procrastinate in my studies and take the easy way out by not reading material or studying to the best of my abilities for a test. I also differ from Emerson’s scholar because I hesitate to take action when I am in doubt and I let my insecurities restrain me. In spite of this, when I am confident in my decisions, I am the first to take action. I also think it is natural of any man to find difficulty in deferring the popular cry. It takes complete self-control and trust to defer the popular cry, and sometimes I find it hard to withstand deferment. 

In conclusion, I think Emerson’s ideas are workable and that there is a great amount of knowledge and empowerment in his essay. His ideas are simple: take everything in with an open mind, but in accordance with what you believe, interpret and dispose of any dangerous principles. Know yourself and do not give into the popular ideas of society. Take action to enrich yourself and society, providing leadership and guidance for your fellow contemporaries. In my personal growth as a student, I will employ Emerson’s action and leadership viewpoints into my studies because I see this as my weakness. I will also try to initiate more self-control when it comes to completing my homework and more self-trust into my everyday life so that I will not hesitate to take action because of my insecurities. Emerson’s essays have been very empowering and influential for me, and I am grateful for the wisdom he has handed down to American scholars like us today.

Reflections Week 3

This week has been eye opening for me. Though I did not enjoy the reading, I'm surprised at how much I got out of it. Emerson's "Self-Reliance" essay helped me see how un-self-reliant I am, as well as why I should and should not want to be solely self-reliant. I thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's comments on their view of self-reliance, and I benefitted from each of your ideas.

As I stated in my essay, and would like to reiterate, I come from a cookie cutter home and often shy away from forming my own opinion, let alone giving my own opinion. This is natural for me because I am a people pleaser, and often let people's feelings dictate how I feel. Too much of this "pleasing" is not a good thing and I'm going to strive to start thinking "outside the box" and speaking up because I have seen how greatly other people's ideas can benefit me, as well as allow me to form an opinion.

I particularly liked Emerson's stance on individuality and how "soul that can render an honest and a perfect man commands all light, all influence, all fate." While I don't think it is entirely up to man to declare his own fate because I believe in a God that determines such things, every man is given the choice to grasp life by the horns and steer or enjoy the ride…well, I’ve enjoyed the ride long enough, and I’m ready to steer.

My True Self & My Ideal Self

“Man is his own star; and the soul that can render an honest and a perfect man commands all light, all influence, all fate.” This excerpt from “Honest Man’s Fortune” supports Emerson’s essay on self-reliance and the idea that in order for one to be self-reliant, he must get in touch and understand his true and ideal self.

Such profound words inspire me to question what is my ideal self? What are the best qualities and what vision do I want to live up to for my friends, family, my society, and myself.  Some desirable qualities that immediately come to my mind are honesty, love, sincerity, happiness, goal-oriented, caring, pleasant, pride, humbleness, generous, sacrificing, helpful, smart, leadership, wise, talented, physically fit, adventurous, and the list goes on. However, while I find these traits appealing, I am not and will never be all of these; yet I can strive to build on the traits I do possess. 

I feel my most attractive trait is my sincerity and caring nature. I focus on other’s feelings before my own, and am always eager to please. This trait is also my downfall. Sometimes, because I set my focus entirely on someone else, and I forget my own needs. Sacrificing is good, but only to a certain point. However, my friends, family, and society benefit from this trait, as I am most willing to lend a helping hand or share an understanding in their situations. 

I think of myself as a very pleasant person to be around. I try to stay positive and upbeat, and see the best in most situations, looking at the glass half full rather than empty. I am also very loving; my heart goes out to those in need, and I can show affection to most any stranger. I am very warm and friendly. I do take offense when people are cold, rash, and sarcastic towards me, because I rely on other’s cheerful attitudes to keep me happy, something that is completely un-self-reliant, and something my ideal self needs to work on. Lastly, I am extremely goal-orientated and driven. I find a way to succeed in whatever I set my mind too, especially in school and work. I always have a plan, and hate to fail. I feel this trait is also beneficial to society, because I am a hard worker and get the job done. 

Despite these attractive traits I see in myself, my ideal self would possess many more, especially traits that emphasize self-reliance because I feel I am not self-reliant. I feel leadership, wisdom, and smartness fall into a category that I am sometimes not. It is very hard for me to think outside the box because I come from a cookie cutter home. I am often the last to give my opinion and shy away from being completely honest, and instead try to please. I am very insecure, and find it hard to take pride in myself and the things I do. I look to others to build my self-esteem but if I cannot, why should others? I would also like my ideal self to be more adventurous and willing to try new things, and feel secure in my own body. I am very set in my ways, which can be a positive reinforcement for self-reliance, but society will never benefit from anyone who isn’t willing to test the waters, so to say. 

After analyzing my true self, I see traits I want to strive to build upon to reach my ideal self. Honestly, after writing this essay I see how truly un-self-reliant I am, and how I need to build that trait. After taking a good look at myself, I realize how eye-opening reading Emerson’s work has been for me as well as writing this essay, and I hope you have also benefit in some form or fashion.

GO TITANS!

Reflections Weeks 1& 2

The past two weeks have been an educational experience for me as I entered the world of blogging. I was intimidated at first, because I had never blogged before, I’m often shy in expressing my thoughts, and because it took me awhile to figure out what I needed to blog and comment on. The readings have been very interesting (minus Crevecoeur’s letter which dragged on…) and I’m really looking forward to Dr. Brandon’s comparisons of our readings from a newer and then older perspective in time, comparing “Lincoln side-by-side Poe” as well as reading what everyone has to say. My favorite reading so far has been Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing” because it’s uplifting and shows the diversity in America and the ability to pursue a career of choice. I’ve really enjoyed analyzing New York’s American letters, and I the idea of blogging is growing on me. It sure beats sitting in class three times a week for an hour or two. ☺

Comments on "American Letter" Essays

Kara, I really like that you point out how the media portrays America as rich, famous, and out to make a quick buck because it is so valid. America is truly a land of opportunity and I think we share similar ideas about how America presents equal opportunities for people to better themselves; however, it is up to the person to make that decision. Whether it’s a beggar who has removed himself from poverty, or a middle class worker who has gotten a promotion, these opportunities may have passed by if hard work had not been acted on and recognition had gone unseen. That in itself, I believe, is the American dream. Not a quick buck, but someone who has worked hard for what they have and taken advantage of the opportunities our nation bestows.

Christina, I completely agree with your stance that Americans are blessed with choices, a freedom that can never be taken away because choice was a founding principle. For this very reason, the Pilgrims came to America so they would have the choice to worship freely without constraints from the British government. I also really like your stance on Americans being selfish and selfless, because it points out the negative and the positive. Your comments on responsibility couldn’t be more accurate! I think many Americans downfall from a lack of responsibility because sometimes they are given too much. For example, a family on welfare chooses to stay on welfare because its easy income. They may have to make some sacrifices and live a poorer lifestyle, but no work is put forth and they still receive some kind of living expense, where as those expenses could be benefitting someone else who truly needs it. When too much is handed to us, we become lazy. I love your points on American being a mixed CD and our ability to come together as a whole, especially in times of need. Excellent points!
PS- I love your background! How did you do that?

Daniel, I like your personal approach towards your immigrant friend. My goodness, you are quite hard on our country, however, you make very valid points about our materialistic nature, sugary foods, and trashy TV. As far as the big houses on big plots, well I am glad we still have “some” trees here and hopefully the Americans living in those big houses worked to achieve such wealth. But don’t you think that the beauty of our country is that we have the opportunity to work for nice things such as big houses? Compared to some countries where there is vast tension between rich and poor, I think America is doing pretty well. The only reason I may look down on someone poor is because they aren’t doing what they can to better themselves. Obviously, I would have passion for those who are trying, and will even try to offer them my services. I disagree with your stance on the police just a little. I think that without the police, we would be screwed. Crime would run wild. Every country needs some type of law enforcement, it just depends how much they exercise that authority over people. And police cannot slap cuffs on you without a valid reason. Other than that, I love you voice in your blog. You put a humorous spin on things, especially with the accent twist.