I do not know everything. The fact is, I truly know nothing. Ive learned this through the Apology Of Socrates by Plato. In his search to attain wisdom by interviewing those who were known for being wise, Socrates was able to walk away from each conversation saying I am surely wiser than that man. The wise man he had interviewed claimed that he knew what he did not. Socrates, however, was able to admit his ignorance stating, real wisdom is the property of God, and this oracle is his way of telling us that human wisdom has little or no value.

A man to any extent is by no means easy to understand. One mans life, whether lived in vain or for a purpose, is still lived. So what is man? A man is someone who takes action, makes a decision, and is able to accept the consequences whether good or bad. He is good, and he means well in his constant struggle between himself.

Man is born good through the miracle of childbirth. From there he already has his animal tendencies. He learns how to live through the teachings of his parents until he decides to break and become an independent soul. He then learns from the culture and society that he inhabits. Of these two learning stations (parents and society) he learns basic traits such as manners and the decision-making process. Of these the most basic is the most important: The difference between good and evil. Which path one chooses is the representation one takes upon in the judgment of his or her peers. For instance, if one were to grow up in the inner city, he or she would have a better chance of becoming a criminal than one who grew up in a suburb. This is not to prove a bias, but to prove that an environment does have a lasting effect on man.

Man means well. He is an individual who makes up, with his community, a common society. Although he may strive for world peace, he cannot even control his own self to ensure that peace. As Montaigne stated, It is not a mind, it is not a body that we erect. But it is a man, and we must not make two parts of him. If this quote were to be prevalent in all societies, world peace would not be out of reach. Man would be mindful of his actions and open minds would accept all of human kind. There would be no bias, no division of lifestyle, and no classes to worry about. People would survive off of each others gratitude. But due to mans selfish nature; this utopia is unable to be reached. He is only able to believe in the unattainable, therefore, he means well.

Man has a constant struggle with himself. He is always debating his own existence. To sleep forever (Hamlet) is his primary goal. But in what way is that possible? That is the question, we ask of our lives. To live is to suffer. To survive, well, thats to find meaning into suffering (DMX- Slippin) Man lives this way by conquering obstacles that stand in his way. He moves on to bigger and better things until that one point in his life that he realizes why he is on this earth. His life is a maze of decisions that must be made in order to pass into the afterlife. His life is a test, his existence is mandatory in order to achieve supreme happiness. He battles to supply himself with meaning, a feeling of accomplishment, and in the end success. Man lives to die. It may not be physically, but only through spiritual, emotional, social, and mental deaths will his answers be found.

I, like Socrates, will be the first to admit that I am an ignorant individual. I am by no means comparing myself to such a legendary thinker, rather, Ive learned from his humility and am I wiser individual because of him.

These are merely the views of myself and no one else. Treat them as reflections of common questions that have been pondered throughout time. Criticize them not, but use them as a motivational tool to spark your own thoughts and ideas.

~Scribewryte Rhymin'

There is no better time to be alive than the current moment. I am surrounded by loved ones, I hold many possessions, and I have many opportunities to become a better person. My only hope is that I take NOTHING for granted and that I make the most of these tremendous opportunities. I consider myself lucky in every aspect of my life. I play collegiate basketball, I come from a beautiful family who has taught me the rewards of hard work and I have very close friends to travel with me along this voyage of life. Of the very closest, my lady, who is with me every step of the way.

My thankfulness to the Lord is unending. At the young age of 19, I cannot fathom as to why I am so lucky, and others are not. My only answer to this question that I have pondered for a very long time is that what I have, I work for. Sometimes, however, this isnt true. How do I explain this? Karma. Everything that you do has a positive and/or negative impact on yourself individually and the world as a whole. I enjoy many beliefs of Hindu and Buddhist religions, but this is one of my favorites. I have never consumed alcohol, done any illegal substance (IE drugs), or have had intercourse (save that for marriage). This results in good karma. My life proceeds to get luckier because of my cleanliness and abstinence. Karma, along with faith in God, result in my personal epiphany, or awakening.

Unfortunately, karma can have a negative effect on the world as well. Many people in this world are slipping in the morals (Ill be the first to admit myself), this is why bad occurrences such as the War on Terrorism are created. We are one world, and our actions here endure effects both personally, and within our own communities, all the way up to the entire world. Bad karma can spread like wild fire, and its up t us to behave as moral individuals in hopes of a better future.

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If you are willing to put forth you hardest working effort, I believe that you should have something to show for it. A very challenging practice may bring its share of battle wounds and blood, but I would earn them no other way. Yes, I did say EARN. If my rewards are tattooed all over my body, scars that would last a lifetime show my work ethic not only to my teammates, but everyone else, coaches included. I give pride in my scars, but if you didnt work hard enough that you fall asleep like a baby at night, you dont deserve to sleep to begin with. My body tells me how hard I work like a thermometer tells the temperature. If I didnt work hard enough, Ill have nothing to show for it besides a slight case of insomnia. The only way Ill fall asleep then is if I work hard enough tossing and turning to balance my laziness earlier in the day off. But if I did work hard throughout the day, my body rewards me with endorphins and leads me to a comfortable slumber. The same goes for grades. If you work hard enough, your teacher will provide you with an acceptable grade. Once again, something to show for your work ethic. I may not be the most talented player on the court, field, rink, or classroom, but Ill be deep in the cold cold ground before I ever get outworked by an opposing threat.

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I recently had a dream that involved a great deal of happiness. To explain this dream, I must explain the background of the story. Last fall I worked at the YMCA with 4- year olds week in and week out. The children made my workday so enjoyable that I honestly could not believe I received money for it. The smiles, laughter, and the wit of these kids showed me to live my life as a child would (If you want to experience this feeling but dont have time to work with children, I suggest reading the book The little Prince). They have no worries, no acknowledgment of money, time, or stress. They take the moment that they have been given and they use their imaginative minds to create happiness. The world could learn a few things from these kids. I know I refer to them in my daily life. I miss the daily enjoyment that I shared with them over the summer, and I cannot wait to go back next summer.

Now that we have a little background, lets go on with my dream. I walked in to an elementary classroom and heard a tiny voice call out my name. I gazed around the room and much to my surprise, lil Lorraine was staring at me with a huge smile on her face. Lil Lorraine remembered me from teacher her at summer camp when her and her mother even went to lengths such as making me a blueberry pie (My Favorite) in gratitude for taking the time to talk with Lorraine. We ran towards each other and I picked up the 4 year old and gave her the biggest hug as if she were my own child. Thats it, after that, the dream ended and I woke up. Thats all it takes for me to wake up with the greatest feeling of accomplishment, happiness, and of course love. If one tiny dream like that can motivate me to make the world a better place, then on what scale could I possibly measure the degree of happiness that children like lil Lorraine are able to encounter 24 ours a day? Thats why it killed me to read my Human Growth and Development book that 20% of all children live in poverty (In America) and 50% of all minority children live in poverty. To me, this is a knife straight to my heart. I consider it my duty to help in any way I possibly can. I might not be financially (I am a college student) but it can be spiritually (prayer), physically (playing), and vocally (talking).

This is actually another reason why I dont satisfy myself through sinful ways. Whenever I am faced with temptation of alcohol, drugs, sex, etc my kids faces appear in my minds eye and I think to myself What kind of a role model would I be if I did this? It is a gift that children give me and I am forever grateful. Through my studies to become and elementary school teacher, I wish to give them my gifts of a positive role model.

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..And of these; faith, hope, and love, the greatest is love.

Too many people, especially young people my age and younger, pursue passion instead of working towards love. Society today is becoming too lazy to realize that true love and lasting relationships take hard work and sacrifice. They go for their selfish wants and acclaim love as their passion. Love by my definition goes as follows

Love: v. To be willing, and the actual process, to go to the greatest of lengths, if needed, to ensure the happiness of another person, being.

NEVER seek you own happiness. Rather, let is come to you. If you seek pleasure of company with a friend, BE the company of a friend before you pursue theirs. If you seek happiness with a member of the opposite sex, trust not your mind and body. Do not pursue love because God will bring love to you when you bring love to the least (and most) of his people. You better let God pick your woman because hes got a whole lot better taste than you do. The only happiness that a man may pursue is success while using his talents. If a man does this, hat all God asks of us on Earth. When he sees we are happy, hell provide us with the necessities of life such as food, drink, and shelter. The icing on the cake, if youve remained faithful in your spirituality and put faith into action, is a happy marriage, family life, and peace of mind what more can you ask for? Thats all God gives us is gifts; gifts of talents to make something of ourselves, gift of food, drink, and shelter, and gifts of faith, hope, and love.

(F)ind your talents

(U)se them wisely

(N)ever seek your own happiness

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A definite secret of sanity involves being willing to slow down. Through basketball, when one is slow down after a hard transition push, he/she has a higher percentage of creating a play that puts points on the board. Too many people attempt to play faster than they can handle and it is like this in every aspect of life. When you are writing, slowing down improves critical thinking as well as penmanship. When one studies on a slower pace, more information is retained. When someone lifts weights, there is no advantage to jerking the weight. If you slow down, muscle tone and endurance becomes and achieved goal. Even the simplest thing such as easting should be slowed down to enjoy the taste and promote good digestion. The only time you should speed up are in critical situations and ALWAYS in practice. Push your limit in practice to know what to, and what not to do in games. Tie this in with practice how you play and watch your enemies fall play by play. Life is that simple. Whether its as little a stroll in the park or important as working towards a relationship, youve got to make it nice and slow. Society today is based on getting what they want and getting it now. They make the world a complex place to live. To end I quote Einstein: It is so simple, only a genius could have figured it out.

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Role models have proven to be the compass in my life. Whether it was positive, or negative, they have all told me the directions on where to go. It starts with family, everything starts with family. Gods first gift to you (even before life) is parents. I am lucky enough to have two parents to rely on for my survival. Theyve hereditarily given me their traits, and taught me how to use them to my advantage. Their wisdom is unbelievable. To manage 5 children, maintain a positive environment, and continue to love each other after 35 years of marriage is something to be proud of. I was fortunate to have this gift, and I am VERY thankful. My siblings have led me through their examples. Being the youngest, I led a life of observation. I now know what, and what not, to do. I refuse to make the same mistakes they have. Why? Because I have too many people who would kill me if I did (siblings especially), and I fail to see an advantage to immorality. Luckily, my siblings made very few mistakes, and have lived very positive lives for me to follow.

The people I respect the most are those who have worked to creep out of ludicrous situations. There are many examples, but those who have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps best explain their character. Souljhas like my brother, coach, and missionary friends have proven to be the most understanding and motivated people. Therefore, I look up to them and live my life I accordance to their spiritual, mental, and psychological strength.

Role models have had to work their way from the gutter at one point in their life. This struggle is caused by poor decisions that they have made which led to a nasty affect, while others are simply unlucky. What I have learned from these people is to keep my head up, attempt to be the best I can be. I am responsible for the outcome of my life and, if at all possible, I want to be the one to steer others in the correct direction like my mentors before me.

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.Appalachia is a place with genuine reality, a symbol of what can happen when people step out of their comfort zone to accomplish a common task. What sparks this yearn to selflessness? Commonality within the individual self. Each and every person had something to offer of themselves, but the most important gift they gave (and received) was the gift of commonality. With as many troubles as we see throughout the world; War on Terrorism, drugs, alcoholism, etc. Its a blessing to witness a positive action that is real. I say real because not all good is real. Although all evil IS real, what one thinks is happiness from a bottle, syringe, or sexual actions is, in actuality, a result of dressed up evil. Each of these evils, and every unrealized evil for that matter, has sparked from a thought that it might possibly provide happiness.

.These examples are synonymous with the constant depression that so many individuals are faced with in this world. Its not a new thing either. Its classical, and us as the human race have still been unable to figure it out. The most used question used in the world can be broken down to one wordWhy? Why am I not happy? Why am I fat? Why cant I fit in?

.I have found the answer and it lies within the eyes of those whom you are able to help. The thought of helping people in need isnt enough; you must put this idea into action. If you dont have time at this point in your life, MAKE TIME! We spend a third of our life sleeping, another third of our life working, and where does the last third go? Its up to you, but tell you this, those who are willing to sacrifice their time for the benefit of others generally are happier than those who spend a third of their life thinking why

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"Feb 23 1944

Riches can all be lost, but the happiness in your own heart can only be veiled, and it will still bring you happiness again, as long as you live. As long as you can look fearlessly up into the heavens, as long as you know that you are pure within and that you will still find happiness."

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Olive colored exotic queen. Your's is the beauty that has lasted throughout time. Classical yet proud, you push through the injustice hurled towards your benevolence everyday. And yet, you treat these people the same as your own family. Your smile can cure the most painful ailment. It can warm the heart of the most frostbitten man. Trouble seeks you for shelter from an ugly world. All that seems unfair is trivial when trouble wraps it's tattooed arms around the only form of happiness it has left. Olive colored exotic queen, your selflessness balances the troubled universe. Your beauty is a beacon of light, hope for the world and it's constant movement. Your faith has saved you from the ghetto you inhabit. What you deserve is not in this life, but the next. Young Latina, as for now, the hands with which you mend our hearts shall continue to be a microcosm for the world, and a motivation for a traditionally rich culture.

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