One of the greatest adventures of living is taking charge of my own life.
adventure because there's no one way to go about it. To catch the tide is to take risks or .
chances that come your way. To miss it is to lose out on possible futures for you and yours. I've always had an optimistic view of life, and I know that if I don't remain in control of my life, I will get nowhere. Shakespeare's image of catching or missing the rising tide applies closely to my life. I admit, I've had good parenting all my life, and I've been raised to claim any and all advantages possible in order to climb higher on life's stepladder. Step by step, inch-by-inch, I've begun my way up that ladder and am slowly but steadily continuing upward toward my definition of success. In reference to Shakespeare's quote, we mustn't wait for the tide to go at our most comfortable pace; we have to know what time the tide will be at its highest or we end up stuck in the mud. My mother always reminds me that to get where I want to be, I have to have a plan, a lifelong plan that focuses on my true desires and aspirations. Often I've been accused of being too timid to take chances; however, lately I've tried standing up to the challenges I face and am enjoying the rewards of success. Self-determination is what risk is all about. If I have self-determination, I know within myself that I can take a risk, because I'm determined to bring my life in line with my dreams. If I train myself to be ready for any risk that comes my way, then there will be no reason for being timid. A wonderful quote I heard the other day really explains this well: "Unless a man has trained himself for his chance, the chance will only make him look ridiculous. A great occasion is worth to a man exactly what his preparation enables him to make of it." (www.motivatingquotes.com) Throughout my teenage years I must prepare for the opportunities that are soon to come.