Hey guys I finished up my college essay and was wondering if you can supply some input on it. I know its an odd topic but I just wrote what I felt.
Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live; it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.- Oscar Wilde
Selfishness, a topic prevalent in the lives of many, is unfortunately a mindset of many people. Many of the worlds inhabitants are selfish, always looking to better their position in life, waiting to stomp on others at any given time to further their progress. On the contrary there is that select fraction of the world that is looking to better the lives of others and further their progress in life. The world would be a prominent place if we learned to sacrifice our needs and wants for those that surround us.
Why is a want-to-be college student writing about selfishness? Why arent I writing about a specific life changing event or go into great detail about some pointless occurrence? The answers are simple, I am writing about what I feel has influenced who I am and what I want to do in my life. I legitimately want to help people, not for the recognition, not for any type of reward, but for the honor in knowing I made a difference and for that one single moment that I know I made one person happy. I dont want to place myself at the level of Mother Theresa or Princess Dianna although I wouldnt mind it; I just want to be known as a man that put aside his desires to better the lives of the people around him.<br>
One instance that stands out in my mind where I felt a satisfaction in helping someone is one that happened at my job at Wendys. I was working a night shift on a Wednesday during school that ran from four in the afternoon to 8 at night. It was around 7:30, nearing the end of my shift, when I heard a little boy crying. Looking preoccupied, I grabbed a towel from the bucket of sanitizer and began cleaning the tables around the frantic child. I heard the child say, But mommy I want the Mario toy with him in a go-kart. The mom then responded with, The girl at the counter said that they only had the Mario cards. I had then remembered seeing a box marked Mario Racer in the back storage area of the store. I then dropped my moist towel and walked speedily behind the counter to the box with the Mario Racers. I tore it open and grabbed the Mario toy and headed back to the crying boy. I held the toy behind my back and told the boy, Close your eyes. I gave him the toy that he was yearning for. The boy was dazzled at the sight of the toy. His eyes had this glow to them and he hugged my leg and said, with a huge smile on his face, Thank you mister. I was tired and stressed from work and it was nearing the end of my shift. I didnt have to make more work for myself and get the toy for him but I knew that if that were me I would be the happiest kid alive.
Whether it be fulfilling a boys desire, donating a few dollars to a non-profit organization, or even talking to that kid that always seems to be by himself, everyday life would be much better if you set aside your personal agenda and tend to others. One of my main goals in life is to live everyday as the best person I can be. Life is too short to concentrate on financial needs and material possessions. If I can help or even change the life of another at least once in my lifetime I know that I can be satisfied with what I have. As Oscar so graciously put it, Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live; it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.