Love Life...With a Little Help from your Friends
             My idea of a well-lived life and Laura Spelman's idea of a well-lived life are two very different concepts. Mine involves loving what I do, or at least trying to. Hers involves the real connections with people. So, the purpose of the essay is to ascertain where these two ideas meet. The answer lies in idea that loving what you do makes your relationships infinitely better. If you love what you do, you have the energy to maintain and nurture your relationships.
             My version of a well-lived life is all about loving what I do. Loving what you do matters, if you have any hope of confronting your own fears and the fears of others; if you have any hope of facing change and accepting it; if you have any hope of sharing openly and candidly your goals and the obstacles that may keep you from achieving them. Loving what you do also means caring deeply about the place where you live and always striving to make it a better place for everyone. It means connecting people to one another and to their institutions so that all voices can be heard, all of our differences recognized and respected. It means providing a compass that is built on humanity and morality. Loving what you do also means that you have to deal with the cynicism and apathy, the greed and hypocrisy, the division and meanness that is so prevalent in our society today,
             One area in which Laura and I agree is that we need to enjoy what precious time left. Unlike many of peers, I have endured a brush with death. I don't have the typical teenage idea that I am invincible. I know how prized life is, and I try to live everyday accordingly. You must love what you do live well. How can a life be considered successful if it is not spent doing something that satisfies you? It can't. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and the best way to enjoy your life is to spend it doing something you love. In doing so, one is living the...