Life Is a Journey Speech

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Sometime you can just feel a person’s spirit around you. In many ways, we can see that the death of something does often leave some kind of impact, and as a result of this impact something about us inevitably changes. I’m sure we’ve all had to deal with a close relative or a friend passing away, and it’s not the easiest thing, but there’s so much to learn from it. I’ve never really had a reason to until my good friend Dominique passed away earlier last year.

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Its nuts that one-day we’re all sitting together sharing a few laughs, and the next day a member of our group is no longer with us. Dominique was one of the smartest and most compassionate people I knew. He’d always make sure others were comfortable and never put himself before others. And that’s part of the reason why his death affected me so much; it’s saddening to know that a person that has done so much good can pass away at such a young age.

Granted it is saddening, we can only learn from the good he has accomplished. It was hard seeing someone go that moved through life with you like water (simile). But I learned a lot from it. About embracing moments. About taking chances. About never giving up. About gratitude. About me (alliteration).

Life is a journey (metaphor). And I never really understood what that meant until Dominique passed. As an active member of his community and a student at University of Maryland, Dominique always had something to offer to others.

He always counted his blessings and paid it forward. Which continually blew my mind; why is someone so young worried about giving back to others when he has so much life left to live? Especially after Dominique’s death, I’ve realized that we can go so unexpectedly. When most people hear this, they think of all of the things that they have not done yet, the places they want to go, the crazy stories they want to tell, but because of my friend Dominique, I am able to see there are far more important things to live your life by; like establishing good character, and having the ability to be selfless. I’m not saying this is easy, but it is something I believe everyone should strive for in life. We all go through struggles on a daily basis but should we give up or continue to bite our teeth and fight on.

Every setback happens for a reason, and this is the best time to learn from our mistakes, correct them, and hopefully not make the same mistakes in the future. Learn something new and strengthen yourself. My favorite quality of Dominique’s was that he never expected, demanded, or assumed anything. He always gave people the benefit of the doubt, did his best, and controlled the elements that he could control. We’ve all heard the quote; “Things that don’t kill you will only make you stronger.” After every setback, bounce back and become stronger. He always fought like the courageous man he was (simile). We often don’t realize that our attitude determines our unhappiness or misery. He always taught me to become determined to stay positive. Circumstances will direct you, correct you, and perfect you over time; so whatever you do, hold on to hope.

The last thing Dominique really opened my eyes to was that he was never afraid to get out of his comfort zone. He was never shy and always put himself out there. Sometimes, when you are too comfortable in your journey to success, you will not improve, and tend to become okay with where you stand. Dominique was a great example of someone who kept moving forward and wasn’t afraid of what he may run into. We’ve all taken the first step of getting out our comfort zone by signing up for SP CM 212.

But we must keep in mind that it’s a work in progress and that nothing comes easy. Dom always tried to persuade me into doing something I wouldn’t normally do and to give everything a chance. Thanks to him we were able to share a few memories by going on multiple trips together. By following the same old routine we begin to bore those around us and even ourselves. I guess I never really understood why it was such a big deal that every minute lost was never coming back to us. Your minutes are the only thing on this earth that there’s a limited amount of.

We tend to take death pretty hard and question why they had to go at such a young age. But maybe we’re doing it all wrong and should be remembering the great things that person accomplished and what they left us with. If you’re looking for a happy ending and can’t seem to find one, maybe it’s time to remember the great things. When I look back at my life I can see how perfect all has been for me to be right where I am today. And I’m sure that goes to for many of us here. Life is a mystery unfolding every moment! (metaphor). Some of the strongest people out there are the ones who laugh the hardest with a genuine smile and have gone through the hardest of hardships.

Life Is a Continuous Journey

Life is a continuous journey. Some journeys are short and some long. Some journeys are sweet and pleasant while some are sour. Some journeys are too memorable to be erased by the sands of time. I had one such experience. The memory of this journey continues to flicker, on and on, in my mind even after several years. We reached on 9th Dec., as our train reservation was for the following day by North- East Express. We reached the station early in the morning, the next day and boarded the train. The train started off at 6.00 a.m. I sat by the window and enjoyed the passing scenery. The sights of numerous rivers, bridges, countryside, evergreen paddy fields, lush green tea gardens, vast plains, etc. enchanted me a lot. In the late afternoon we reached Rajshahi station, which is the gateway to khulna. Some of us got out of the train to have a look at the station. The hustle and bustle of people moving about, the coming and going of trains and the enticing sights of the various stalls of the station attracted our attention and we too moved about the platform enjoying these sights. We didn’t realise how quickly the time had passed.

Suddenly we saw our train moving. We were at the far end of the platform and ran with all speed and might to catch the train. I was the last to notice the movement of the train and so the last to run. I too ran after my friends to catch the train. But the train was moving fast. Within moments my friends managed to get in. As I was about to reach the train, I slipped and fell on the platform. I saw my train speeding away before my sight. I shivered with fear. My friends were shouting at the top of their voice asking me to run faster. Just then a coolie lifted me and ran with me to the door, where my friends pulled me in. I just looked back and waved my hands at the good Samaritan, who had helped me-1 got only a glimpse of his face. But that face continues to remain afresh in my mind.

The incident deeply scared me and I dared not to move an inch from my seat thereafter. It took some time for me to recover from the shock. The wonderful sights of New Delhi and Agra failed to bring back my lost enthusiasm and interest. I don’t even remember what I saw and how the rest of the excursion ended. The incident at the N.J. P Railway Station was too great to be forgotten by a few passing bliss. I can never forget this memorable journey. The reminiscences of this journey often flicker in my mind every now and then. Whenever this happens, I say a short prayer for the kind and unknown Samaritan, who helped me on that fateful day to get into the train. It was, by far, the most unforgettable journey of my life- a journey that has left its deep scars on the canvas of my life.

Life Is A Journey Compare and Contrast

Life is a journey that begins when you are born. Through this journey, we see and hear many things that change the way we think about the people who influence us as well as the world around us. Jack Kerouac's On the Road, is a great example of the theme "life is a journey". This novel is about two characters, Sal Paradise, a young writer, and Dean Moriarty, a wild youth who lives life to the fullest. Together they go all around America; their journeys include traveling through the wilderness, small towns, jungles, and deserts. The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter by James S. Hirsch is a story about a boxing legend that is framed by a crooked cop for a murder he didn't commit. Carter spent twenty-two years of his life in prison for something he didn't do, but instead of feeling sorry for himself Carter tried to do everything in his power to prove his innocence. He wrote an autobiography in prison, which ultimately helped in bringing out the truth and he would receive his justice.

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There are many different themes in On the Road, but life is a journey is the strongest theme in this novel. By reading the title alone this theme is dominant, because Sal and Dean are constantly traveling from one place to another. Sal is a confused person, who can't decide whether to live a traditional life by settling down and starting a family or to travel around enjoying life like his friend Dean. Dean lives a life free of burden, and responsibility and he seems happy throughout the novel. He is the probably the most interesting character in On the Road because he is essentially what all the other characters in the novel want to be. Dean fascinates Sal, and they become really close friends. They begin a restless journey going back and forth across the country.

They go to Denver, California, New Orleans, San Francisco, New York, and then Mexico City. Sal starts off the book as being depressed, gains happiness, confidence, and falls in love at the end. The theme of life is a journey is also a very prominent theme in The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter. Carter goes from being a contender for the middleweight boxing crown to jail, charged with murders. The trial was racially biased, because Rubin Carter and John Artis, an acquaintance of Carter's, were the only black people in the court room, both innocent men were sentenced to life in prison.

While in prison, Carter refused to behave like a guilty man by not wearing the prison uniform, or eating prison food, and refusing to see a parole officer. He wrote an auto-biography entitled The Sixteenth Round: From Number 1 Contender to #45472, with this book he would meet a group of Canadians that would help him become a free man. Carter lost his family, boxing career, and 22 years of his life, but he refused to allow the bitterness overcome him. When Carter was finally released in 1988, he said:

"If I have learned nothing else in life, I've learned that bitterness only consumes the vessel that contains it. And for me to permit bitterness to control or infect my life in any way whatsoever, would be to allow those who imprisoned me to take even more than the twenty-two years they've already taken. Now, that would make me an accomplice to their crime..."

Life is not a still or short-lived event. It is a process of travel, a journey with many ups and downs. The characters in both On the Road and The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter went through many different emotions. Both novels had unique journeys through life, with both ending in a positive way.