Essay work: Search for Values
Define Success
Being able to say and do what you want.
Freewrite
Tim Lepore is still and has been my definition of success. He succeeds in all of the standard ways. Plenty of money, respect in the community, good family, loving wife. He keeps in good shape and has run the marathon 20 times. He has a series of crazy passions that swing and change over the years: ocean kayaking, falconry, flint-napping. More to the point, when he opens his mouth, people listen. The being able to say And do what you want includes some fairly heavy duty requirements. First, is that what you say matters. If all that you say is garbage, than noone will listen and you canıt be considered successful. Madmen in the townsquare who rant at the sky arenıt serious. Mayer Mann, for all of his lovely skills, was not a man in full. Second, you need to be able to speak coherently and wisely. You need to have your own thoughts. If you are merely echoing what the man on the street or on the barstool has to say, than you arenıt saying anything of value. You need to speak what is in your own heart and in your own head. Merely being a dittohead doesnıt cut it. Third, you need freedom, especially financial and emotional freedom. If you have a strong family that loves you unconditionally, they will demand that you speak your heart and not bottle it up. If you are successful in your job, you can be immune from the pressures that force others to be silent. How can you be honest in the agora if you need to worry about feeding the family? You canıt. Most importantly, you need to be able to either know or be willing to look for ³what you want.² Most men are afraid of what they want. They donıt want to admit it, because they feel that other men wonıt agree and will shun them. The successful man
Man in Full.
Remember that the essay is about
Outline
Intro
Conclusion