"Everybody Plays The Fool" by The Main Ingredient It came out over 50 years ago but still teaches the same essential idea: everyone faces difficulties. This seems beyond obvious, but we often forget it when we struggle. People tend to isolate themselves and believe that there is no one that can understand or help them, but that is absolutely wrong. The song serves as a reminder that people aren't alone in their times of need. This song conveys its idea very well. One of the lines is, "There's no exception to the rule." This verse was included to reinforce the idea that not only do people, but that *everybody* will at some point in their life struggle, and when they do they won't be alone. In addition, the song declares "It may be factual, may be cruel" to acknowledge that experiencing difficulty is a harsh reality of life, and one that people often choose to ignore until they are met with great challenges. I think this song is a nice reality check for people whether or not they are in the midst of something undesirable. The message applies to a plethora of circumstances, amplifying its helpfulness. People can listen to this song and understand its truth quite easily. The age of the song also inadvertently corroborates what is being said because people still go through hardships half a century later. I would highly recommend this song to people that feel like they're stuck in life because it is so true, and with just a little bit of willingness it may help them out as it has me. Thanks for reading this and I hope the song helps (it's quite catchy too)!

I go on walks. I don't get to take them often because I live in Arizona, but whenever there is nice cloudy or rainy weather I'll go on a long walk while I listen to my favorite music. I like to take this time to think about any current events happening in my life, and what I plan to do in response to them. For example, if I'm concerned or stressed out about something, I'll bounce ideas off of myself as I walk so that I can think through the situation. In addition, I'll usually go to the end of the trail where I walk and sit down for a few minutes with my eyes closed. The quietness and the petrichor help me to clear my mind and de-stress. I also lucid dream to relax. Dreaming helps me stay positive and tranquil, so I do it most nights when I sleep. I like to picture my ideal world where I'm living on a small island and am free of worry. It's kind of like I'm meditating as I sleep, so I wake up in the morning feeling energized and optimistic. It's honestly one of the highlights of my day⁠—I can have some alone time while also having fun using my imagination. I appreciate your time, so thank you for your consideration, and have a lovely rest of your day!

The future. I think about it every day, and it always helps me look at the bigger picture and see the possible effects of my actions. I even created a little technique that helps me stay motivated with my goals, and with life in general. First, I picture the objective—what I want to achieve. Then, I pretend that I'm living in the future where I accomplished my goal and am excited about the outcome. Next, I ask myself how I'm going to get there; how I'm going to create the future that I so desire—the answer always being "hard work". Finally, I contemplate the importance of diligence, and then I get to it—I start on my goal. I've used this strategy numerous times since I developed it a couple of years ago. For example, I wanted to be able to touch type so I could improve my everyday efficiency. I did those procedures, and after practicing thirty minutes every night for eight months I was able to touch type. I also wanted to get in shape and become stronger so I could be more helpful with physical tasks. I once again followed those steps, and after spending a couple of hours researching, I had created my workout plan. I've stuck to that plan for the last year and a half, and I'm still doing it to this day. The key to staying motivated is recognizing—and taking to heart—that the only sure-fire way to get what you want is to go out and work for it. You just have to stick to your goal by reminding yourself why you're doing what you're doing, and what you need to do to get what you want. Thanks for your time, and have a fantastic rest of your day!

A positive attitude. I could wake up every morning thinking that the day will be just like every other, but I choose not to. I choose to think that with every new day there will come love, growth, change, and adventure. I look on the bright side of situations, usually subconsciously, long before the negatives cross my mind. Learning how to be optimistic was a difficult journey, but a necessary one at that. Positivity is one of humanity's most powerful forces, but negativity is an even stronger one. As defined by the "negativity bias", a negative act will have a greater effect on our minds, even when compared to a positive act of the same potency. One could say this is unfortunate—another obstacle to slow us down. Or, one could say this is wonderful—just another challenge to help us desensitize ourselves from perceived problems and create more excitement and mystery in life. Positivity is as much of a choice as negativity, though at times it may not feel like it. A few months ago I took the time to sit down and reflect on my core beliefs, philosophies, ideals, and just how I think in general. When I did, I realized that positivity was the leading factor in what made my perspectives of the world true to me. Positivity was what made my logic, well, logic. When I thought about the importance of cherishing life and our limited time on earth, I concluded that my reasons for having such an opinion stemmed solely from a positive outlook. I realized that when contemplating the inevitability of death, I chose to be grateful to have any time at all instead of reasoning that life was then pointless simply because it would end one day anyways. An excerpt from this scholarship's description states, "Hope, in every circumstance, is a reason for people to believe and to keep moving forward. Without hope, there would be no aspirations, dreams, desires, or anything related to having a better future". I couldn't agree more because, as I see it, hope is positivity. Hope is choosing to be optimistic; thinking that the outcome of a situation will be positive. Thus, without positivity, there would be no aspirations, dreams, desires, or anything related to having a better future. Thank you so much for reading this, and I hope that you have yourself a great rest of your day :)

"Time is precious." In our everyday lives, we tend to forget about the fact that we will die one day. We get so caught up with work, school, and everything else, that we forget to appreciate the little things. We don't realize how little time we have with those we love until we have none left. I wish that as humans, we could care less about trivial matters, and instead care more about each other. My dog passed away three years ago, and the second he was no longer with me, my way of thinking changed. I stopped wasting my days doing things just to pass the time. I stopped caring about rejection because I realized that I only have one life, so I might as well just go for it. I stopped taking my relationships with other people for granted. I realized that death can come when it's least expected; you never know what could happen at any given moment. I think that there comes a point in just about everyone's life when they reflect on how much time they've wasted over the years, so I wish I could help save everyone the regret.

Life. Reminding myself that there was a one-to-infinity chance of me being born and being who I am today always brings a smile to my face. I try my hardest to not take the time I have for granted because of the unlikelihood of my existence. Every event that has ever occurred in the history of time has created the world we know and love today, and I'm grateful for being able to experience being alive because I know that there are an infinite amount of humans who aren't able to, or who haven't yet. Helping people. I love improving the world and having a positive impact on my environment. I want to join the Peace Corps so I can partake in establishing electrical grids for those without them using the knowledge and experience I get from college. My goal is to improve the lives of as many people as I can. Every time I do, I improve my own as a result. When other people are happy. When those around me are having a good time, so am I. I tell a lot of jokes because I know that one of the people who heard it might have needed a little joy in their life. Like with helping people, bringing happiness to others brings it to me. Thanks for reading my essay, and have a great rest of your day!

1. Obviously because I'm perfect. Honestly, I'm offended that you would even question my worthiness. Anyways, I am quite literally the ideal specimen, so why wouldn't I deserve other people's money? I mean, I'm practically God at this point; I'm entitled to whatever I want, whenever I want it. 2. I don't have a single one. Ideally, I could just couch-surf my entire life, mooching off those around me and just generally being a burden to everyone. If I play my cards right, I might even be able to commit some sort of insurance fraud because, as we all know, I'm above the law. 3. My life is FULL of obstacles. I have it so difficult. For example, I was bought a blue Mercedes Benz by my parents for my birthday (I know, they cheaped out this year 🙄). As any rational human would do, I preceded to cry uncontrollably for several hours because the car wasn't green. I couldn't believe my parents would treat me SO unfairly. Thanks for reading my essay, I hope that I answered it incorrectly enough :)