Sophomore Writing and Reading
Paris Shih 96501026
Oct. 22, 2008
What Should You Do in Your Last Year
When you ask me what I can suggest you to do in the next year, I will definitely suggest you to “imagine it as your last year” first. Nevertheless, you might find this idea is still too vague. As a consequence, in the following paragraphs, I am going to explain to you why I propose you picture your next year as the last year in your life, then tell you what kind of attitude we should possess as well.
“Imagine your next year as the last one” must shock you tremendously. If you are really shocked, then let me tell you—there is no need for panicking. Because, the same question once hit Steven Jobs—the man behind Apple Computer and the Pixar—as well. He states (2005):
I read a quote which went “if you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” while I was 17. Since then, in the past 33 years, I asked myself while I looked into the mirror every day, “If it is actually my last day, will I still do what I am going to do today?”
Before you answer this question, I will expand one day to one year—because it is actually too hard to imagine how your last day might be like. When it comes to “What I am going to do in the last year of my life”, some of you will be so eager to plan something big enough to fit into the “last year’s list”—which will only include the most urgent and most vital things in your life—because you would long to seize the time so much. The plans might be traveling around the world, making the incredible amount of money, or chasing the original dreams you’d already given up.
However, in my point of view, these sorts of huge dreams will normally fail. “Why will they fail?”, you might ask. The answer is—a desire to seize the day is amazing, but that desire will often lead us to overestimate ourselves, or forget what you really love to do in fact. Plus, these kinds of desire will also make you be vigilant that “this is my last year”, being anxious at every single second, and aiming too high to fulfill. For examples, how can you travel around the world while you are still a college student? Have you already decided to give all your academic pursuit up? Do you have enough money to pursue your dream? Moreover, how much do you know about the countries you are going to visit? Who do you plan to be with while you are traveling? If you want to make it on your own, do you have enough experience? These are just some of the problems you might encounter. They only show one thing—people tend to be lost while they are planning their last possible year.
Thus, why don’t we change the point of view and reexamine this question again? How about imagining this—in the last year of your life, you are not badgered with anything you might dream to do. You simply live every day as usually as possible. You breathe, you taste, you watch, you smell, you enjoy every simple but important moment in your last year. You can still do something you love—such as singing lightly, painting casually, or reading randomly—rather than something which seems to be your big dream but turns out to be just the illusion which you are not even crazy for. Only in this circumstance, can you be relaxed and pleasant with yourself. Only in this circumstance, can you totally put those I-am-going-to-die thoughts outside the window, and then stay comfortable with yourself. Only in this circumstance, are you actually “living”, not “struggling”.
Then you might ask, “What is the point to picture your last year like that?” My answer is, by imagining it not too far from reality, you will have a chance to rethink what are your authentic favorites in your daily life. Hugging your family, chatting with your best friends, going to a museum that you always desired to visit but had made too many excuses to actually go. Those suggestions above are actually good ideas. Hence, in conclusion, what I propose that you do is—imagine next year as your last year, but instead of dreaming too much, pause, then think again and again what is your real passion, and achieve it in your next year.
Very nice essay!
Work Cited:
Steven Jobs (2005), The commencement address to Stanford’s 2005 graduating class July 5, 2005 from http://www.snopes.com/glurge/stevejobs.asp