Reflection and Inspiration – Creative Writing
“An unexamined life is not worth living.”- Socrates. Consciously or unconsciously, I have followed this belief throughout my life because I derive the meaning to be essential to mature and to fully
experience life. I believe maturity and growth are directly related to reflecting on and learning from past experiences. Life is like a game of chess; if you do not look back and see why you lost the game you will never develop into a better chess player from that loss.
To grow as a person, I have to be honest with myself and to examine where I come from, where I am now, and where I want to go. It is also important to know my capabilities, my limitations, and have the wisdom to accept them. I like to understand my mistakes, have the courage to learn from them and then to continue forward.
As I have grown through high school, I have realized that I have experienced a period of complacency. Looking back and reflecting on what I could have done, I realize that complacency in this stage of my life did not serve me well. I consider myself a rolling stone; someone who is always in process of change and growth and has yet to find a place settle, if settling is even possible along the way. As a master chess player having played nearly a thousand games in my lifetime, I keep thinking, considering, and analyzing. I do not become passive and, even when I do not win, I am urged to use the lesson to my next level of play.
My desire to attend college is the flame that lights the way to down the tunnel and into the landscape of new adventures. I want to know more about myself and take risks when circumstances allow for this. When a situation presents itself, I become very analytical and thoughtful to find the necessary grain of possibility to further develop my personality. It is very much like the somewhat instinctive chess moves I make when I encounter a series of plays I have witnessed in the past. I sense a possibility out there which generates an ambitious force within me that sets my mind to focus on something I want and pushes me towards to attaining my goal.
Thinking back at my last games of chess, I review each move that led to checkmate to smaller steps with my pawn along the way. Each is significant toward the end goal. Reflecting back through my life, I realize that each one made me who I am today. My quest to understand and grow from my experiences has made me who I am today. Philosophical inquiry and academic passion are the source of my drive and inspiration.