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Nick Stroupe
Professor Connie Douglas
UWRT 1101
10 September 2014
Living Life to the Fullest
When the hour glass runs out of sand, you cant flip it over and start again (Chesney).
Just as this quote says, you only have a short period of time to live. It is your chance to make the
most of it and make a difference in the world. The idea came to me shortly after a high school
friend at Lincoln Charter School lost his life in a car accident at only 20 years old. This may
seem like a horrible tragedy but I believe that every horrible ending creates a wonderful
beginning. This incident that caused many people to weep and suffer may now be brought to life
and something great will be created from this. So with that being said, this I believe that life shall
never be taken for granted. It should always be lived to the fullest so something positive will
come from your existence because you never know how long you have left.
The quote Live life to the fullest is very misinterpreted in todays society. Many teens
and young adults use it as an excuse to do something without thinking it through then calling it
living life. The true meaning of it should be to dream big, take chances, and do whatever we
can to make a difference. Life is a privilege that everyone should take advantage of. It may seem
like it always knocks you down and never gives you a chance to stand back up, but it is about
how you rebound from the adversity that makes you who you are. A person who has not
encountered difficulties in life can never achieve success.
In the movie, The Book of Eli, I realized how valuable the life of an individual truly is.
Some people may think that they have no impact on their community, let alone society as a

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whole. Eli proves this wrong. He spends his later life carrying out his duties and doing whatever
it takes to have the word of God spread throughout the world. This action is a great example of a
man making the most of his life and placing a very positive impact on the ones around him. At
the end of the movie we see Solara walking away to continue on her mission and now spread the
word of God. This all roots from what Eli placed inside of her and showed her while he was still
living. This leads to the next topic, in order to live life to the fullest, I believe that you must
surround yourself with people that will push you to do just that.
Attitude is something that can make any situation better, or on the opposite side, can
make everything worse. So why not change that attitude from I cant to I will? This may not
seem like the easiest task at hand sometimes but it can be made much simpler by surrounding
yourself with people who have great character. The most important life lesson to be learned is
that attitude is contagious so be cautious to who is sneezing around you. Look, I'm going to find
a way to be happy, and I'd really love to be happy with you, but if I can't be happy with you, then
I'll find a way to be happy without you (Pausch). Not only do you want to be around people that
push you to be your best, but also that make you smile and enjoy life.
It is said that happiness and laughter is the best medicine for the sick. I believe that
everyone deserves the right to be happy and everyone has the right to express his or her
happiness. I do not mean happiness that roots from material things but, actual true happiness, the
type that changes your whole outlook on life. It may come from love, friendships, or even just
being in a healthy state. No matter what it is that makes you happy, you have the right to it.
Besides, it takes 47 muscles to frown, and only 13 to smile.
I believe that everyone should live life to the fullest and never take life for granted but
you may ask why. I think that everyone should do this because it creates great opportunities. Just

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like in a sport, the more effort and practice that you put into the sport, the more experience you
obtain and the better you are at that particular sport. Not only is it about you, but also the ones
around you. As stated previously, you could pass this on to others and it could impact them in a
positive way. The people in your community could use help and by living life to the fullest,
everyone would benefit, not just yourself. This should inspire you to do great things with your
life because the average life expectancy is only seventy-eight years and it will be gone before
you know it. Make the most of your time while you have it. Once its gone, its gone forever.
Your impact on the world while you are here is all based on what you make of it. I
believe that you should do something with your life therefore something positive will come from
your existence. Whether it is volunteering in a local organization, or just simply helping an
elderly woman cross the road, your generosity goes a long way. People will always remember
the person that went out of there way to do something nice for someone and I believe that
everyone should help someone at least once a day. If everyone made this happen, the world
would generally be a better place to live in. It only takes one person to make a difference so why
not you?
Its sad that a tragedy, such as the one that struck everyone from Lincoln Charter School,
has to happen, but I feel like there is some good to this and it is that everyone that knew him will
have a new definition of life and will never take their time on Earth for granted. No one knows
when their time will come so it is time to forget the past, jump over the barriers that are holding
you back from making the most from your life, and turn over a new leaf. Time is free, but it is
priceless. You cant own it, but you can use it. You cant keep it, but you can spend it. Once
youve lost it, you can never get it back (unknown).

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Works Cited
Book of Eli. Dir. Albert Hughes. Perf. Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. Warner Brothers,
2010. Film.
Deschene, Lori. "30 Ways to Live Life to the Fullest." Tiny Buddha. 01 Sept. 2014.
"The Last Lecture Quotes." Randy Pausch. Good Reads. 01 Sept. 2014.

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Reflection

During this writing process, I noticed the importance of difference in opinion. While peer
reviewing some of my classmates papers, I realized that not everyone in society has the same
view on life. Many people have different beliefs and it is up to us to accept that and respect them
for who they really are. In reality, we were all made unique in our own way and it is our right to
express what we truly believe. I also realized the value of the peer review. In high school, we
always went to the teacher for guidance or reviewing of our papers. This would not help me
much because every time I would go his desk I felt like I was not on the same intelligence level.
With the help of peers, I felt more comfortable with who was reading my paper and did not think
that my beliefs were awful.
The most important thing that I obtained from this essay is the opportunity to reach inside
and really think about what we believe in. It first seemed like it was going to be difficult to find
our true beliefs but it actually came naturally. After the death of a friend and dealing with the
emotions, it put all of my beliefs in perspective and made the paper a little easier. Some people
take the privilege of life for granted and that saddens me. Hopefully this paper will help some
realize just how precious life is and really make the most of it.