Paul+S+Final+AmEx+2013+Speech

=Title of Speech= Why So Serious?

=Text of Speech=

America is too serious. Life is not serious. People take their schooling, jobs, and money way too seriously. When we are in a classroom environment or the workplace the way we conduct ourselves differs vastly from when we are on lunch break or at home. This does not need to be so. In the America I hope to grow old in I want to see people bring their lighthearted selves into every aspect of their lives.

When I look around at my fellow students and many working adults in my life I see people who are always in a hurry to get to the next thing, always in a hurry to be “done”, stressing about a math test so they can have a one day break before growing a few grey hairs over their Spanish final. When an assignment is going to have a big impact on a final grade people immediately lose the purpose of their final and take it very seriously. Anyone can still give it their all and pursue perfection on a test on a without being nervous about the result.

In the America I grow old in I want people to be less results oriented and more sure of themselves. When a professional poker player makes a mathematical decision to call a bet, he or she may still end up losing the pot. This causes the player to assume they made a mistake, when in reality, the same call should always be made in that particular situation. Results oriented people are more likely to pursue a career they dislike such as becoming a doctor to fulfill theirs or other peoples' perceived vision of success, thus achieving a better result. This success is measured in terms of money and security. For some, it would be better to make a tenth of what they would make as a doctor and instead go to art school if that is what they truly desire. People who take the art school path may regret their decision if they acquire loans and are unable to market themselves, but they will regret their choice even more if they suppress their dreams. Just like the poker player, they made the right decision in going to art school even if it didn’t work out for them in the end. In my opinion a student that decides to go to art school instead of medical school is not only making the absolute correct choice but also saving themselves from a life of mediocrity and what-ifs. Besides, no one wants to get surgery from a doctor that does not take pride in their work and only singed up for the money.

Our country has always placed a high value on achievement and distinction in the workplace and academic field, praising those who can sustain themselves in a respectable profession. The America I live in is filled with people who would rather feel secure than fulfilled, as a result of putting unnecessary pressure onto oneself to meet other people's expectations. I encourage each person to not follow the path laid out in front of them if it does not lead precisely where they want it to go.

It is thought that living each day as the potential last day of life leads to a better and more appreciative life. Unless you are suffering from a terminal illness, I think the ideal American mentality should be to live like you will live forever and make good decisions all the time. Instead of having a bucket list of things to do before you die, do things that you enjoy all the time and don't worry about going out with a last hoorah right before you die. The bucket list mentality will procrastinate your dreams away until it's too late.

Speaking of procrastination, I feel that some procrastination, particularly with schoolwork, can be super rewarding. It saddens me that so many people procrastinate by doing a series of small lame activities in a row in order to push off an assignment further and further. They will click on "one more picture" or read "one more text message" or watch "one more episode" of their favorite show on Netflix. Then when they've had their laugh and entertainment, they will create another small activity to eat up another 5 to 10 minutes and continue to do so until they've blown off most of the day and are left disappointed at 10 o'clock with the unfinished assignment. This is the wrong way to approach effective procrastination; there are so much better ways to go about it. The way I see it there are two choices to consider with an assignment, do it right away or right before it’s due. If you take the latter route, don't just brush off the assignment, quarantine it into the narrowest recesses of your mind. Push the assignment back so far that you don't even remember it exists until the last second, where it demands to be done now or not at all. Then begin, but do not rush or stress yourself, instead kick back and listen to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack while you work diligently but not seriously. In the words of John Wooden “Be quick but don’t hurry”

So America, strategically put off that chapter packet and go for a bike ride instead, don't take Spanish 4 AP if you aren't interested in Spanish and just want the grade bump, don't give $100,00 to a college that won't give you the best 4 years of your life, and don't take yourself seriously or you will seriously regret it. Let us become a nation not of slackers who take a nonchalant attitude to the extreme, but a nation of hard working slackers doing what we love everyday.

=Cite Your Sources= Experience