My responsibilities for the near future include getting a college education and taking
advantage of opportunities to learn both inside and outside the classroom. It is my goal to
become a physician and to use my skills to make the world a better place for my patients.
I cannot achieve this goal if I take a passive approach to my life and wait for success to
be handed to me. If I should fail, it will not be because the world "is out to get me." This
mindset will allow me to learn from my failures, rather than have an excuse to quit. If I
succeed through my hard work, though I cannot deny that a certain amount of good fortune
may be involved, I will not have reached my goals simply because the world "owed" it to
me.

When I complete my education, my responsibilities will be to earn a living, pay my
taxes, and contribute to the community and country in which I live. As a doctor, I will need
to continue learning in order to provide optimal care for my patients. I can also see myself
working with youth as I have done in the past. Last year, I was an assistant coach for my
area's ten and under fast-pitch softball team. In addition to teaching them the fundamentals
of the game, I acted as a role model for the young girls. I have been playing softball since I
was seven years old, and since twelve, have played year-round. Softball has done so much
to build me up as a person. The pressure I have faced in competitive tournaments has taught
me to be a leader by keeping up morale in times of need, to face hardships and challenges
head on, and that there is no substitute for hard work when it comes to success, on or off of
the softball field. It has given me a lot of self-confidence, and through my volunteer effort, I
hope to impart some of those lessons to the girls I coach.

Too many of my peers do not take responsibility for their actions. I have realized
how fortunate I am to have been taught what a blessing it is to be responsible. I hope that
I can pass on this lesson so that others may come to realize it as well. Not only has being
responsible presented me with a greater chance to succeed in life, but it has also offered me a
healthier outlook on life.

Mark Twain is right. The world does not owe me a living. It was here before I was,
and will continue to be here long after I am gone. I, however, owe it to the world to live
responsibly, to help others, and so leave the world a better place than I found it. After all,
what a wonderful world it would be if everyone took more responsibility for their actions!