<p>Prompt: Is it better for people to accept who they are and what they have, or should they always strive to better themselves?</p>
<p>Always strive to make good better and better best. </p>
<p>That is my schools motto. It is also something my parents encourage. We are constantly bombarded with ideas of furthering ourselves and reaching our maximum potential. As a result, it is rare to have someone say they are content with where they are now; that they feel proud of themselves. Though it is important to continue to strive for excellence, it is more important to be able to accept yourself for who you are, for your faults and strengths.This, not achievements, is what leads to happiness.</p>
<p>In a poll done in 2009 by the World Health Organization, over 80% of third graders said they were unhappy with their body and wanted to be skinnier. Over 70% of junior high students said they had dieted before. 1 in 100 women will be diagnosed with an eating disorder. There is something very wrong with these numbers. Society pushes us to become the best we can, the fittest, the healthiest- the skinniest. But what happened to accepting our body and accepting ourselves? The drive to be the best is leading to unhealthy extremes and the constant feeling of worthlessness.</p>
<p>In Jodi Picoults Nineteen Minutes, Connie, the main character, demonstrates the importance of accepting yourself. As a young child, she is happy with who she is. She befriends the class clown and isnt afraid to stand up for him or herself. However, as she enters high school, she finds herself inexplicably drawn into the popular crowd. Slowly, feelings of inadequacy rise. Although she is loved by everyone and looked up to, she never feels good enough. She doesnt feel beautiful compared to those around her; she doesnt feel like she fits in. In order to reach the status of popular, Connie begins to shun her old friends, spreading rumours behind their backs. She also begins to starve herself, in order to become better. Connies desire to better herself is harming both those around her and herself. Had she been content with herself, she would in a much happier place.</p>
<p>As well, in 2008, a Chinese student was reported to have committed suicide after feeling like he failed his university placement exam. Later, it was reported that he did very well, scoring in the top 10 in his province. This student was obviously very gifted, and had he been satisfied with his test, he may have been in his dream university today. However, the constant pressure to be better, and the mindset that he was never good enough, is what caused his demise. Although everything is beneficial in moderation, this is just another broken record of a student caving under pressure.</p>
<p>Though it is crucial to aim for more, and to learn more, it is just as important to accept flaws and imperfections. Nobody is perfect and some things are not worth changing. To constantly see the negatives instead of positives will lead to unhealthy extremes. In the long term, satisfaction with yourself is what will lead to the eagerness for tomorrow. </p>
<ul>
<li>Ah I know it’s not very good, it’s my first time trying this, but could someone give an idea of where I am sitting around?</li>
</ul>