Caitlyn Fong
The Way to Prosperity
Prosperity is the state of being happy and enjoying life. To achieve this state, one must live in the present, know his or her limits, and never give up. Although Benjamin Franklin wrote “The Way to Wealth” in the 1700s, his proverbial wisdom can still help one thrive at Lexington High School today by telling them ways to reach success.
When Franklin says “dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of”, he advises his readers not to waste their time doing things they will regret, but instead to enjoy each moment as it comes. At Lexington High School, students must find a balance between work and having fun in order to be prosperous. They have to manage their time well, both academically and socially. Good grades are important to do well academically, but having fun is also necessary to attain success. Too much of one and not enough of the other will prevent a student from being satisfied with their life. A student has to make sure he or she stays on top of schoolwork, but leaves time to hang out with friends too. In addition, students have to live in the present and not dwell on the past or look too far to the future. Always thinking about things that cannot be changed, like low grades or friends growing apart, will stop one from letting go of the past and having a good time in the present. Worrying about the future also hinders a student’s attempt to be happy now by putting pressure and anxiety on his or her heart. However, living in the moment allows one to forget about past troubles and not agonize over future decisions, and instead relax and have fun in the present. Using time wisely and living in the moment will help Lexington High School students achieve prosperity by helping them balance their workload with fun and decrease their unease about their past and future.
”Great estates may venture more, but little boats should keep near shore” is another one of Franklin’s proverbs that gives valuable advice to people trying to be successful. He urges his audience to know their boundaries. Lexington High School students have many opportunities to take difficult classes, join a variety of different clubs and sports teams, and do activities outside of school as well. Students need to challenge themselves so they can grow as people, but taking on more than they can handle will cause them to become overwhelmed and not be happy with their situation. Similarly, being overworked, either from taking too many honors classes or completely filling his or her schedule with activities, will result in no free time and sleep deprivation. They will not be able to occasionally kick back and enjoy themselves and will oftentimes be tired and worn out from the lack of sleep. Students who recognize their limits will have a better chance of flourishing at Lexington High School because they will not push themselves too hard, but will be well rested and able to have fun.
Franklin’s saying “little strokes fell great oaks” will also aid students striving to reach a state of happiness. In this proverb, Franklin is telling his readers to work hard at everything they do because in the end, they will be rewarded for their efforts. Every student struggles, but the way to excel is to never give up. Those who persevere will ultimately fulfill their goals, which will boost their confidence and let them take pleasure in who they are and what they have done. Likewise, patience is also crucial to being prosperous. Students can easily get frustrated when things do not go the way they want them to and give up. But, the patient ones will continue to press on and wait for their hard work to pay off. The positive results they receive will encourage them and they will be happy for their accomplishments. Furthermore, a student should not let anything stop him or her from doing what they love. To others, the outcome he or she gets may look small and not worth the effort put in, but the student’s passion for the topic will produce extraordinary fruition in due time and he or she will be thrilled for the achievement. Pushing through struggles, being patient, and never letting doubt overcome their dreams will assist students in attaining prosperity by assuring success in whatever they do.
In “The Way to Wealth”, Benjamin Franklin tells his audience to savor each moment as it comes, know their boundaries, and persevere no matter what happens. These three pieces of advice are useful tips on how to prosper, or be happy and enjoy life, at Lexington High School. The means of achieving success may have changed throughout history, but words of wisdom from any time period can apply to students today.
Caitlyn, your essay is very thoughtful and well written. I found that you collected your thoughts well and explained the prompt to the reader clearly. I liked how you started each paragraph with a different proverb and went into great detail about why each is helpful to an LHS student. One thing that I came across was when you said "Always thinking about things that cannot be changed, like low grades or friends growing apart..." it would have been a little stronger if you had used examples that are truly unable to be changed. I really did not find any other problems that stood out to me. I really enjoyed reading your piece and I think that you answered the prompt in a very strong way.
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