An Example to Follow by Nathan

An Example to Follow by Nathan - February 2021 Scholarship Essay

Success is a term that means many different things to many different people. Some define it by personal or financial stability, others by achieving a life long goal or dream, others by their happiness over time. Yet as we have gone through this pandemic I, as have many, have seen the importance of living life to the fullest, because at the end of the day everything is temporary. Therefore, what I would say defines my life as a “success” is to answer the question, “did you live every day as if it were your last, and if so how did you contribute to the answering of this question in the lives of others?”

It’s clear to me that I obviously could have done more in my life so far than I actually did had I put in the effort, but by no means do I consider my life up through high school as a failure. The answering of my question is much more of a spectrum than giving a yes or a no, and therefore I would believe that I am closer to the side I wish to be on. Whenever there was a task that was to be done, I made sure that it was done, done quickly, done properly. As an Eagle Scout I have performed an eagle project, which in my case was the construction of a fence for a local church, and in taking on this task I performed an act of community service few would have taken up. I went through several months of planning, fundraising, and gaining approval from several administrative entities to only then start the building phase. Despite all of that, the project was completed with a high level of quality in a time span significantly less than most eagle projects, and from it I served my local community in such a way that those affected would also be more able to live their lives to the fullest.

Furthermore, I saw every day as an opportunity to do something meaningful. Not every day must be spent performing hard work or contributing to some greater goal for it to have meaning, for it’s equally meaningful to take a period of rest so as not to dilute every day of work into a meaningless routine. To be sure, I could have taken many fewer breaks in my life thus far without having sacrificed meaning, and I would have probably been more productive that way, but it made those days where I worked that much more valuable. College applications have been a surprising example of this truth. Before but a few months ago when I started looking for colleges to apply for, I never saw the amount of work that went into it, you must first choose where to apply to, then apply, then make sure everything is in order, then go and apply for scholarships. Every day spent on working through this process is a day well spent, but every day spent to rest is equally well spent, because without rest the meaning of the work is nothing and the work itself is routine.

Therefore, I would say that my life has been a success, generally speaking. I always took to productively completing any task that came my way, while also taking the time off to ensure that every day was meaningful. I believe that through leading by example my successes will inspire those who will come after me to take charge of their lives and make a successful life of their own.