I Believe

Every year people all around the world are graduating from high school. After graduating from high school the normal process would be going to college, but some people are starting to question the need for people to go to college for reasons such as why should someone pay that much money for a degree. Even with all the opposing views of going to college, I still strongly believe that going to college has become a necessity for one’s future.

Everyone knows that people with college degrees make more money than people who only graduated high school, but I don’t think people realize how much more money the college degree people are making. In fact in 2004, according to the U.S Census Bureau, people with only high school diplomas made $18,734 a year while people with a bachelor’s degree made $27,915 a year. Over the course of working 40 years people with college degrees will have made an extra million dollars. There are also many different fields of jobs so depending on where you work, the possibility of earning more than an extra million dollars is there. As more jobs are starting to require the minimum of a bachelor’s degree, the income gap between having a degree or not will only continue to become bigger.

Jobs that people don’t usually associate with a college degree are manual labor jobs such as construction work or plumbing, But still having a degree, even if the degree is not in that specific field, give people an advantage.. David Leonardt, a writer for the “New York Times”, stated in one of his articles about college that the people doing these types of jobs with a degree are getting paid significantly more than their colleagues that don’t have a degree. Just that fact that they have some type of degree has become an immense help towards their future.

The job market for people with only high school degrees are very limited to entry level jobs such as working as a cashier at a gas station or working at fast food places. Work that is often seen has not needing skill. However, going to college and getting a degree opens up much more opportunities. Employers are more willing to hire people with degrees compared to those without degrees because they believe that the college graduate are more reliable and smarter. What employers want is for their workers to be able to work efficiently, and with a college degree they are more inclined to think that one with a college degree compared to one that doesn’t have one will be more capable.

Along with more job opportunities comes greater benefits. College graduates are more likely to receive employee than non-college graduates such as free child care and better retirement packages. In 2008 “College Board” showed that roughly 70 percent of individuals with a four-year college degree received health care insurance from their employer, while less than 50 percent employees with only high school diplomas received the same benefit. In some cases, employee benefits packages have become worth as much as their own take-home pay. Employee benefits are always something useful to have around when a time comes for one to use it.

There stereotype of people working white collar jobs is that they are leading dull lives. That they only work at desks all day just because they feel obligated to for the money. But that is completely untrue. Pew Research Center surveyed adults from the age of 25 to 32. The people surveyed were high school only graduates and 4-year college graduates. 53% percent of the 4- year college graduates have said that they are very satisfied with their jobs compared to the 37% of high school only graduates. The 4 year graduates are much happier with the lives they are leading.

Just like there are pros to things there are also cons. A huge con of college is the tuition. Every year as more students are getting ready to go to college, colleges are raising their tuition.

The soaring tuition costs have started to become a huge burden for many students. According to TICAS (The Institute for College Access and Success) when students graduate college they have an average of $26,600 worth of debt. The number is very intimidating especially for students when a majority of them have only worked part time jobs.

Going to college now has become a must. The advantages of going to college far outweigh the disadvantages of it. By going to college you make more money, have more job opportunities, more benefits, and makes you feel more satisfied with life.

Capital Punishment and the Death Penalty are both common topics of debate in the United States which have many Americans divided. While some Americans support the idea of killing criminals for doing wrong, others do not. There are many reasons as to why I believe the death penalty is not unconstitutional or cruel, such as morality, deterrence, and uniformity.

Morality is best defined as “principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad.” Also, most people that have been sentenced their execution more than likely have a valid reason to be put on the death row. In terms of the economy, to keep prisoners held hostage for an extended period of time is a large chunk of taxpayer’s money. According to the Vera Institute of Justice, “A study in 2012 found the aggregate cost of prisons in 2010 in the 40 states that participated was $39 billion.” This proves that most people who are sentenced to prison for life, should be added to the death row. What are they going to accomplish in prison?

Capital punishment deters citizens from committing crimes. For some people, death is their biggest fear. According to Ernest van den Hagg, a wise professor at Fordham University, “… capital punishment is likely to deter more than other punishments because people fear death more than anything else. They fear most death deliberately inflicted by law and scheduled by the courts.” If citizens fear death, chances are they are less likely to commit crimes in which Capital Punishment could come in to play.

Also, the death penalty is something that isn’t used every day but when the time comes for certain criminal cases, we are lucky to still have it around in certain states. As Dieter says in Source A, “The death penalty is rarely applied.” Since the death penalty isn’t used as often as it was, it is currently being used in cases where it is most needed. Most criminal cases don’t reach the standards of being executed, however when some cases are looked over and execution is a proper form of punishment, this is when I believe Capital Punishment should still exist.

The United States needs to have a uniform measure when dealing with Capital Punishment. Some people will travel to certain states commit crimes such as California because they don’t believe in the Death Penalty. It’s a luck of geography and which is not equitable for Americans. According to Source C, Khaliah Brown-Dean says, “These disparities persist across and within states. Texas, for example, has the highest rate of executions in the United States and accounted for 60 percent of execution warrants issued for capital offenses committed by juveniles. Harris County, in Texas, has executed more people than Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia combined.” Brown-Dean proves a point where Texas seems to have a lot more executions because of their criminal rate, which has jumped up 27% since 2014.

“When pollsters seek the appropriate punishment for the worst of the worst – a man who rapes and tortures a child, a serial killer, a depraved mass murderer…” People who are serial killers without a doubt should be sentenced to prison. Some believe that a killer shouldn’t be executed for killing others however, if they are taking the lives of innocent people I truly believe that they should be killed as well; such as, Ricky Gray.

On New Year’s Day of 2006 in Richmond, Virginia, Gray went in to the home of the Harvey family and stabbed all four members of the household. He was sentenced his execution shortly after the incident and I believe that the Justice System made every right move. Another example would be The Snipers of Richmond, Virginia. The snipers drilled a hole through the trunk of their car where they inserted a gun. These two men, John Allen Muhammed and Lee Boyd Malvo, convinced the public as if he was a serial killer however, while he did kill over 7 people in over a week, their main focus was to kill one’s ex-wife to gain full custody over his children. If Muhammed had killed the ex-wife and gained custody of his three children, the children could very well be in danger.

Capital Punishment can be a difficult topic to approach because of the different views that citizens have upon it. Death Penalty should still exist in the United States as a whole because certain criminal cases reach the extent of being executed. It is important that the nation is united as a whole on this issue, while some states support it, others do not. It is crucial that we make the court system agree as one on this topic, to help save our country.

I believe that everyone has a passion of caring. But not everyone responds to that calling. My college professor once told me that we, Nurses are the Angels of the sick room. Being a religious person, I become drawn to that phrase that I can be someone who will uplift anyone with my passion and dedication. Thus, I decided to be a Nurse. A nurse that can be a role model that everyone respects and acknowledge. I am now following my dream and that is to serve and care for people. My philosophy of nursing continues to widen thorough the years. My beliefs to help in the prevention of illness, promotion of health and holistic treatment of the care.

Being a nurse for almost 8 year in the Philippines, I learned to embrace every endeavour, hardship and sacrifices that a public health nurse endures. As a nurse, it is my duty to promote awareness of health and diseases prevention in every health care. My role to address the health care need of the environment and the community as a whole. I believed in the simultaneity paradigm that views person as a continuous multi directional evolutionary health process that considers the society with its own definition of wellness and illness (Medical Dictionary, 2009 Farlex and Partners).
In this paradigm, I was inspired by the works of Jean Watson Theory of caring and transpersonal relationship.

She defined that caring is an integral part of nursing process, which focuses not only in the disease but in the consciousness, healing and wholeness of a person (Intranet.tdmu.edu.ua, 2020). I believe that to be an effective nurse, we should understand the client mind, body and soul, to nurture and develop a healing and trusting environment. With this theory, she also propose the need to take care of ourselves first as the motivator and provider.

The need to focus on my own needs and re-center myself to enhanced my ability to be connected with my patient, my workplace and also to be responsible of my actions. I am responsible to the society as a whole because we live in a multi-cultural society. We should respect every culture, religious beliefs and abide with their ethics. As we encountered many people in our lives, and this can be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting, we must be ready to face every challenges that our professions entails and confidently upholds the spirit within us.

I remember my experience as a community health nurse. Being a nurse to a small barangay with 3800 population. I need to be a responsible and to adjust my roles as a health care provider. I become a caregiver, performing house to house visit to many disabled clients. a communicator, addressing the community immediate needs and relaying it to the government/doctors for an action, an educator like for performing a family planning awareness program, a leader, change agent and counsellor.

Philippines being heavily populated are seeking for many methods to prevent overpopulation. We started educating couples and women in reproductive age to the tradition and modern family planning methods that are readily available in every health center and maternity facilities. We also conduct health teaching regarding alcohol and drug abuse prevention and rehabilitations. By helping the community and the government. We are promoting and educating the community to change the unhealthy lifestyle and habits and take an active role in sustaining people with proper knowledge. Overall, my duty was to serve them with truthfulness, compassion, care, courage, commitment with respect and dignity that everybody deserves whatever their life status is throughout the society.

For me, nursing is a noble profession that values human dignity. We all know that ill patient has low self-esteem and tend to be introvert of their feelings so I make them feel important and conscious in a sense that they feel like they deserve to be respected and honoured throughout their health journey. Valuing patient’s confidentiality, faithfulness and being responsible to their needs are the key to my effective therapeutic relationship. I need to be responsible not only in the nursing practice but in every way spiritually, holistically and emotionally because this will reflect how the people view me as a professional.

My vision for nursing care was based on providing positive outcome for my client’s health. Focusing on their individualized patient care, attending their needs and a hope to gain their trust. Not every patient has the same so I need to adjust and be realistic in my treatment of care. I will always be a patient advocate, I must fight for the right of the patient and encourage them to be an active partner of their own health. They must be educated about their disease as well as the family to help with patient’s recovery. I believe in the right to make informed decision for the patient’s care. It must be accurate, complete and relevant to their actual needs. We also need to be knowledgeable in our ethical behaviours that involves accountability, confidentiality, truthfulness, fidelity, and justice.

Nurses doesn’t stop when we received our professional license, that mean we are ready to face a huge responsibility for a continuous lifelong learning that involves research, lots of reading, seminars, workshops and evident based practices. Updating our knowledge and skills can make a difference in maintaining patient’s safety. Throughout the years, nurse’s practice continues to evolve in every health care setting. We need to keep up to the booming technology that is nowadays used in providing care for the patient.

My personal vision was to increase my knowledge and be updated to the evolution of medical techniques and to perform my duty as a nurse without violating any laws of College of Nurses of Ontario. Philippines is far different from what Canada’s medical equipment’s and practices has. My personal goal is to be a competent nurse and be an internationally educated nurse that will more enhanced my knowledge and skills.

Whenever I think about my life, I tend to have a feeling of inner stress. Two weeks ago, I had a midterm exam for my Computer Science course at College. For the first 30 minutes of the exam, stress didn’t know its way to my mindset. I was full of inner relaxation. My mind was really focused on my future. Although the test was important, I was thinking about other moments in my life. In fact, my feeling of relaxation resulted from my own imagination. In 30 minutes, I was able to design a whole new world full of happiness and distress.

A world of relaxation entered my brain. I tasted my own teeth and heard nothing but my mind flipping through a book of empty papers. My mind stopped. I wasn’t sleeping, but I wasn’t awake either. I wasn’t meditating, or at least I didn’t have the intention to meditate.

I looked at the screen in front of me and observed the white background. The clear explanation of nothing. My feeling had no definition.

My mind flipped through the papers of a plain book full of nothing but page numbers. My mind started to look at each number and greet as if it is a real person that I know. Pages one, two, and three went by really fast. I experienced the funniest feeling of all time in which I laughed and played while my tears went down my cheeks. They seemed empty, but to me, they were full of happy moments. Pages four through twelve, were the ones that I mostly enjoyed. They were with no doubt, the ones that I discovered the true meaning in my life. I discovered that the sky has no end. I was able to seek every moment in my life as if it’s a final chance to reach glory. My life found tears as a way to heal. I stopped at the number 12. This was a page full of black ink. The paged seemed full of writing that was then crossed out by a permanent marker.

I heard my grandfather saying the number. The number had no importance, I had no intention to stop flipping the book. It all came unintentionally as my mind experienced a free fall from a plane. I felt no air on my external body, only my internal organs experienced the free fall.

After the 30 minutes, I realized that I’m taking an exam and that I have wasted thirty minutes of my exam time to just imagine. I didn’t really care about my imagination.

I kept looking around. I lived a different life while everyone else was focused. My eyes observed nothing even though it was opened. After the exam, I kept thinking and searching for the reason behind my imagination. For a moment, I thought about the exam in which I most likely failed. My brain found no definition but the memory of my leader. The leader of all men on Earth. The director of each movie that I attempt to play. His unforgotten quote left my wondering. His saying: “Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced” was the magic that controlled thirty minutes of my exam time. Solving a computer science problem could have been the wire that transformed my brain. Everytime I face a challenge I remember his words trying to experience life as it is remembering that the best moment did not come yet.

I had a chance to evaluate my intentions. The empty book was my life in which emptiness was full of meaning. The twelve pages were the pages in which I saw my grandfather with me, living in the same world. The first three years, he made me experience nothing but comfort, delight, and amusement. The twelfth page was black. Its dark look reflected my image as a soldier looking at the future mirror to see the king.

When I was twelve, two weeks before christmas, his arm surrounded the back of my neck. The smell of his old skin, and the look of his old face all changed. I tried waking him up, but he wasn’t awake. The year ended and the smell disappeared.

Suddenly the memory revealed itself. The problem that my grandfather used to talk about was the same exact one that the instructor introduce before the exam. The task was to determine whether an employee is qualified for a given job according to his experience. My grandfather’s talks about experience were for me unforgotten. Our talks were significantly influential on my part. He always ends it with a conclusion that I hated to listen to: “No matter how old you are, being in a place is not an experience, maturity is a choice and time is not a way to measure it”.

Immediately after I arranged my thoughts. The house of my grandfather controlled my mind. The loudness of the place where twenty people meet. All the memories were erased ina moment that I

A home gives people a place to care about the people that mean the most to them. It is a place to tell amusing tales, a good story, or make memorable memories with one another. Furthermore, home is more than a place; it is a feeling. It is a feeling of contentment and happiness that they share with the ones they love. Moreover, home is when one knows they are with people that can drive them insane in a second, and the same people can make them happy in a second as well. Home means that no matter what one is going through, no matter how challenging life gets, there will be someone looking out for them. One knows that a place is their home when they are comfortable enough to present a true description of themselves, because they know that they will receive definitive acceptance. It is a sanctuary for them where they can do anything they please and not be judged afterwards. It is where one can share the absurdity of their day without any remorse or repercussions.

For as long as I can remember I have always loved the ocean. I have been fascinated with it ever since I was born. Growing up, my favorite animals were sharks and dolphins. Most kids and people, in general, are scared of sharks. People always want to think the worst because of movies like Jaws and the more recent, 47 Meters down. I, on the other hand, have always loved them. About 100 million sharks are killed a year. I believe that we should stop killing sharks.

Last summer I went on a dive and the dive site was called rainbow canyon. This day was sunny and the water was warm and flat. It was perfect. Rainbow Canyon is an amazing dive site with beautiful colors and lots of different species of fish and other animals. I was extremely happy on this dive. My dive buddy, Cameron and I, were probably down at about 30 maybe 40 feet of water. Cameron and I were just going along and all of a sudden he turned to me and points to something. I looked over and it was a nurse shark. This was my first time seeing a shark underwater and I was amazed. I was ecstatic. The shark saw us, and he swam away. This is when I really felt like I knew what people were talking about when they say that sharks don’t mess with anyone. I’ve had a few more encounters with sharks since then, and they have all similar.

Our oceans are losing hundreds of sharks everyday due to shark finners, long-line fishing, net fishing, etc.. Not only are sharks being killed for their fins but, other animals with the same kind of cartilage as sharks are also being killed, such as manta rays. Shark finning is where people fish for sharks with nets or lines or whatever they can and they cut off all the fins then throw the rest of the shark back into the ocean. Sharks have to have their fins to live because they always have to be moving so they end up sinking to the bottom, suffocating, and being eaten by other fish.

The killers then sell or dry out the fins so they can be powderise and turned into pills. They do this because people believe that sharks can give them superpowers because they are almost immune to anything. There has been research to see if shark fins help us in any way and they do not. They sell the fins because in Asia, shark fin is a delicacy, used for weddings or other special events. By having shark, it shows wealth. There was a study in 2013 showing that there are about 11,417 sharks killed per hour. This means that about 3 sharks are killed per second. There are about five deaths caused by sharks every year. Animals such as cows, horses, and even ants kill more people a year than sharks do. Most Times when I tell someone that I love sharks and that they are my favorite animal, people look at me like I am crazy. “Sharks, but what about their teeth?” “Aren’t they scary?” “You want to go swimming with sharks?” There are almost never any positive things about sharks. This is because of all the misconceptions about these magnificent creatures. When Jaws premiered, sharks almost instantaneously got a bad reputation.

Sharks are pretty intimidating animals with their teeth but they are really chill and graceful. The only time they accelerate is when they are trying to catch prey or trying to swim away from something. Otherwise, they move slowly and lazily. Sharks can be very curious which can be a little freaky if you are not paying attention. Tiger sharks are one of the most curious species of sharks, one has to make sure that they are extra careful when around them. If someone is messing with sharks, eventually they will get bit. Sharks do not care about us. When diving with them, they just swim right passed us.

Why we need them: Sharks are the apex predator of the ocean. The oceans cannot survive without sharks. Sharks eat all of the sick and dead fish that are in reefs. Without sharks, bigger fish would populate the reefs and they would eat the herbivores and without the herbivores, more microalgae grows and if too much algae on the reefs, the corals cannot continue to flourish. At the end of the day we are in their home. They don’t come to our homes just to kill us. But that is exactly what we do.

“Do you believe in love at first sight ? Or .. um .. should I walk by again ? “ Blush .. Blush .. Well , Ladies and gentlemen ! Honestly , even If I keep walking past you in ‘circles’ , you won’t fall in “love” with me . Yes , you might have a crush on me , my presence may cause a powerful infatuation , but it would not , my friends , be love … To all those who immediately got those contradicting thoughts in their minds , Ladies and Gentlemen ! I speak … of experience . . . 22nd October 2010 “Omg ! Omg ! Omg ! Did you See him ?? ” “Umm .. Who? ” “That guy!!

The one with the deep black eyes ??!! ” “Uh well  Fatima , most boys here have ‘black’ eyes .. And secondly , we’re here for academic purposes .. not for mating ! ” “I know , But .. but … Omg ! He’s so .. so hawwtt ! I mean , so attractive .. so beautiful .. He’s , he’s like a dream come alive , incredible …” “Woaaahh ! Wait , wait a minute ! Who is this guy ? ” “The one , the one that just passed by us !! ” “Umm … ? ” “The one with the light spikes… ? “ “ ??? Ughh , I dunno .. well common Fatima , I think we should get back to work …’  “But .. … … … ”

Three days Later “Fatima !! FATIMA ! WHAT . IS . THE . CHEMICAL FORMUALE OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE ??!! “    “…………Oh , Yes sir ? … Sorry sir … I dunno …. “ “Out Of the Class !! ” Later that day “Fatima , you were Actually day dreaming in the “Chemistry class “ ??! What were you thinking !? ” “Umm .. you know , about Arham “ “Arhum ? Who Arhum ? ” “The .. the guy , the one I told you about the other day … ’  “What ?! You were actually serious about him ? You don’t even know him ! And .. How do you know his name ? ” “Yes ofcourse I was serious ! You don’t know .. e’s the one I’ve been waiting for .. My soullmate … I know , God created us a pair .. I .. I just know . And Pluss , I spent 5 hours on facebook searching  and finally I found him !! I’ll send you the link !! ” “Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?! Well , I think that’s stupidiy .. I mean .. I dunno … Anyways , did you send him a friend request ? ” “No, I didn’t …. Boys ask out girls first . ” “But he doesn’t even know you !!! ” “He does ! I’m sure we’re bonded . he’ll come to me one day . ” “So what are you gonna do till then … Day dream ? Listen to slow romantic songs?

Smile in solitude like a freak? Or .. ” “Enoughh! !! That’s it ! Lets go now .. “ It continued like that … Arham played in my mind like a symphony . I felt my heart beat like “ Arham … Arhum … Arhum … Until , two weeks later , my friend told me : “Fatima ! Did you see Arhum’s display picture on facebook ? : “Omg ! No I didn’t , we were out yesterday ! “ “You know what ? He was holding hands with this girl and there was an edited heart over it” “What … ? … … .. She must be his cousin … I know .. he’s not like that “ “Cummon Fatima ! Use your senses ! ” “No!

You know when I looked at him … O could see the purity , the decency in him .. He’s a good boy “ “Well .!! You’re Impossible … ! ” With the passage of time and my , I guiltily say “ desperate” condition , I came to know many facts about Arhum … among which some of the slightly bad ones were that .. he smokes , he was once suspended for two days , umm … he got just four D’s in his mocks and .. well , I had thought of censoring that one , but he’s the only , proud record holder of changing Seven genuine , pretty girlfriends in just grade ten .! At first , I defended his acts at my best .However it was only a matter of time before I came familiar to the devilish character underneath that sweet , angelic face . On the upcoming school gathering , miraculously , I locked eyes with Arhum the second time in my life  … who was enjoying the company of yet , another girl . I felt hatred run through my body … Those eyes .. the ones which once struck me blind now appeared to be the eyes of the  Satan itself . His spikes , well now he looked as if he had suffered an electric shock . In my mind , I cursed him in “Four” different languages .

So what became of the love I felt , eh? The la la la melody which made me dance in front of my mirror .. Well , you know what guys ? The feeling went as quickly as it had come .. The “love” we call is more like a seasonal virus , or should I say more like dengue . This is where I say , I do not believe in love at first sight ! So , for God’s sake , please do not fall for  those falling pants , and yeah , those mascara and kajal clad eyes . It was my responsibility to warn you and now that I have , thankyou and goodbye . Well , now excuseme ladies and ‘not so gentle’men .! (:

We humans are entitled to have our own beliefs. These beliefs serve as our guiding principles in living our lives. They also help in building and framing our outlook towards the world we live in and towards our relationships with other people. Our beliefs can determine our character and can give reasons as to how we should live our lives every single day. What I personally believe in is actually very simple and basic. I believe in the power of doing something good to other people. For some reason, I grew up believing that if I do an act of goodness, life would be good to me as well.

It is not as if I am asking or expecting for something in return every time I do something good. It is not that way. I just believe that showing an act of kindness and concern to others adds meaning into my life and it helps me feel good as well. This belief had helped me gain a better outlook in life. It feels good to receive a sincere smile from other people and even strangers whom I try to help – whether it is just a tiny gesture of offering a seat in the bus or picking up something that they have dropped.

For me, an act of goodness – whether great or small – makes life more fulfilling. It warms the heart and makes the world seem happier and safer. I believe that a person can never be wrong if he chooses to do whatever is good. There are many opportunities for us to show an act of goodness every single day if we just look around – helping an elderly cross the street, donating something to the charity, participating in an environmental project, volunteering at a community centre and offering our companionship to someone who is in need of a friend; and many others.

Even without exerting any conscious effort, I know that there are still a lot of ways for me to do something good like being patient while waiting in line at the fast food counter, being nice to the waiters and waitresses in restaurants, saying “thank you” to that security guard that opens and closes the door for me at the bank and by simply saying “I’m sorry” and “Please” all the time. I consider patience and good manners as virtues that I need to practice everyday in order to instil them in my character.

Imagine if every person on earth would attempt to do an act of goodness everyday. There would probably be lesser troubles for people. The world can become a better place and we can set good examples to the younger generation. Whether we accept it or not, choosing to do what is good and showing kindness to others can go a long way. By doing so, we are already uplifting, inspiring and helping others in ways we can never quite expect. It is like touching other people’s lives and giving them hope that goodness still exists and there are ways to spread it out to the others.

From another perspective, I believe that doing something good everyday of my life will help me have a good life as well. I have this idea in my mind that doing acts of goodness all the time has its paybacks. As I have mentioned earlier, this is not associated with me asking for something in return. It simply means that I believe that there is such a thing as good karma. It is like leaving the rest to the forces of nature that exist or to fate; or to our Creator. It does not really matter which, what or who is responsible for the payback.

All I know is that in life, goodness has its own price. As long as I am a good person, I can expect pleasant things to come my way. Life has its own twists and turns and this is something that is known to all of us. Sometimes, things do not always turn out as expected. I have experienced this to a great extent. While I am at my life’s mission of spreading goodness to others, one of the people whom I helped had betrayed me. This person has hurt me and despite of the good things I have done for him, he chose to pay me back with betrayal and deception.

Another instance was when I decided to join a very worthy cause. I ended up being accused of something I did not do. I became a victim of injustice. Despite of all the help and effort I exerted for that particular project, I was accused of being on the negative side. Indeed, both experiences had been extremely disappointing and yes, painful to some extent. I would be a hypocrite if I would say that these specific events in my life did not shake my belief. In fact, there were days when I asked myself if I should continue being good to those who had hurt, betrayed and accused me.

Is it still worth it to believe in the power of goodness? Should I continue believing that goodness can conquer all the negative things in this world? I was taken aback at how people can easily use and judge others. However, later on, I came to a realization that every person goes through several challenges and trials in his lifetime. That is the essence of living. My beliefs are my guiding principles on how I would live my life; but I should not expect other people to also believe whatever it is that I believe in; or expect them to follow my principles.

Each person is unique and has his own beliefs. There will be times when the act of goodness that I do will not be reciprocated. That is my challenge and it is something that I should learn to accept. I also have to acknowledge the fact that people do not act and think alike all the time. Things will not always go my way or turn out as expected. The outcomes of my beliefs can either be favourable or unfavourable. Still, there is nothing wrong with believing that “goodness equates to goodness” regardless of everything. Thus I still believe in the power of doing good things to others.

In conclusion to this personal insight, I simply want to state that our belief gives meaning to our existence and moulds our character. In my case, I find fulfilment and pleasure in doing something good to others – like showing some concern, expressing love or extending an act of kindness. I know that there will be times when my belief will be tested or challenged and I can easily lose my grip. However, as long as I know that what I believe in is right and just, life will find a way to pay me back. References http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=4538138&ps=sa