Essay: This I Believe
Write a 200 word essay about ONE of your core beliefs. Your essay should not be about ‘who you are ‘ but about how this belief was formed in you–what experiences in your life shaped it, challenged it, and molded it.
Follow the guidelines below to develop this essay:
Tell a story: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider moments when the belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenchingit can even be funnybut it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.
Name your belief: Start of by naming your belief it in a sentence or two, and then tell the ‘story’ behind the belief.
Be personal and positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Say what you do believe, not what you dont believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial ‘we’, or ‘one’, or the impersonal third person. Make your essay about you; speak in the first person. Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you. Your words, tone, and story should truly echo your belief and the way you think and speak.
Post your essay.. You can either type directly in the Discussion text box or you can cut and paste from a Word Processing document.
(Optional) Insert a picture of yourself or a picture of something that reflects your belief.
Read your peers’ postings and respond to at least three of your peers. In your responses, you must comment on what struck you the most about their belief story and why.