Eli Scott

Similar to describing anything, I could ascribe arbitrary qualities to myself almost endlessly simply by using a dictionary to select favorable traits that portrayed me in an invariably positive light. However, I intend to delve deeper into describing myself by sharing an experience that has forever changed my life philosophy.
Starting freshman year, I was ambitious, but my aspirations included solely academic endeavors. My dream was to be in the top one percent of all students, and I was willing to sacrifice the other realms of my life in order to achieve my goal; I was constantly stressed because I based my quality of life off of my academic performance.
Nonetheless, the course of my life was determined to change, and it would not accept any slight epiphany that did not foster action. On a fateful autumn night, I reluctantly put aside my prejudices against Jim Carrey and decided to watch Yes Man. The film portrayed a character that seized everyday like his last, and this idea caused a revelation by forcing me to realize that my days were indeed finite and that I needed to embrace every opportunity. This foreshadowed my transformation from a grade-obsessed pedantic to an actual human being, and I am grateful for Jim Carrey's influence on my life.
Carrey's character was forced to say "yes" to every opportunity, and I began to apply this principle, too. This willingness to try anything has led to my diverse interests because I never would have learned mandolin or become an avid mountain climber without acceding to requests at which I formerly would have scoffed. Moreover, I think that this philosophy has fostered my success because it allows me to consider every solution, however whimsical, when solving problems. This quality also has allowed me to learn more about people because it disallows me from judging people on preconceived notions and allows me to meet new people everyday.
Without adopting such a "carpe diem" spirit, I don’t think that I would be a full person. I don’t think I would have the courage to perform an interpretative dance to Beyonce’s "Single Ladies" in a leotard in front of my school or even wear a white tuxedo to prom. So, although I am unable to assign any ostentatious adjectives to my personality in order to describe myself, I hope that one will now at least view me as an average teenager, albeit an inch or two shorter, with an avant-garde way of living his life.