best inspiration essay

The internet can be a dark and, quite often, violent place for women — many of whom are subjected to trolling, harassment, and threats on a daily basis. But it can also be a truly wonderful place, one that provides free access to news, educational resources, entertainment, communication, and wealth of incredible writing — including these empowering essays by women you can read online right now . Written by Cecile Richards, Lindy West, Lady Gaga, and more, these essays are filled with inspiration and wisdom to guide you through your day.

For female readers, the online world can sometimes feel like a minefield, one that is littered with destructive words meant to tear women down or shut them up. But for famous authors and writers, beloved celebrities, and popular athletes, it can also serve as the perfect platform to share their empowering stories, which often include plenty of inspirational anecdotes and practical advice that makes the whole mess of the internet worth it.

Whether you’re looking for a bit of guidance in your own life, or hoping to inspire your friends with some sage advice from more experienced women, here are nine empowering essays you can read for free online right now .

"The Most Daring Women Don’t Always Make Headlines" by Cecile Richards

"Today, women across this country are doing her proud. The earth is shifting under the force of millions of women standing up for themselves, for each other, for their daughters and their mothers and sisters," writes the former president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund Cecile Richards in her inspiring piece about women and activism for Harper's Bazaar . "Women are no longer asking for permission. They’re just diving in and taking risks. They know we can’t afford to sit this one out."

Read the full essay here .

"Rebranding Motherhood" by Diksha Basu

"If anything, so far being a mother feels quite delightfully self-indulgent. I have a daughter in whom I can constantly look for and find little bits of myself or, better yet, improved bits of myself," writes Windfall author Dikashu Basu in a moving essay for The New York Times about redefining motherhood. "Recently a construction worker called out to me on the street in Lower Manhattan and I got my angry anti-catcalling face ready to respond but he very respectfully said, 'You have a beautiful daughter, ma’am.' My vanity now has two bodies within which to reside — the sacrifice looks more like narcissism from certain angles."

Read the full essay here.

"This Is Survival" by Aly Raisman

In a heartbreaking but incredibly powerful essay for The Players' Tribune , American gymnast Aly Raisman opens up about her experience with sexual abuse, and offers some words of encouragement to anyone else who has gone through the same thing. "I am not a victim. I am a survivor. The abuse does not define me, or anyone else who has been abused. This does not define the millions of those who’ve suffered sexual abuse," the two-time Olympian writes. "They are not victims, either. They are survivors. They are strong, they are brave, they are changing things so the next generation never has to go through what they did."

"What I Learned at War" by Tammy Duckworth

Senator Tammy Duckworth has often spoken out about her time serving in the U.S. army, including in this persuasive essay about the price of war and what it can teach us that she wrote for Politico. "That day, I lost both of my legs, but I was given a second chance at life," she writes, recounting her experience fighting in the Iraq War. "It’s a feeling that has helped to drive me in my second chance at service—no one should be left behind, and every American deserves another chance."

"The 'Perfect Body' Is a Lie. I Believed It For a Long Time and Let It Shrink My Life" by Lindy West

If you have read Lindy West's memoir Shrill , you know that she has a lot of incredibly insightful things to say fat acceptance and body positivity. In an essay for The Guardian, she shares some of them, saying "The 'perfect body' is a lie. I believed in it for a long time, and I let it shape my life, and shrink it – my real life, populated by my real body. Don’t let fiction tell you what to do. In the omnidirectional orgy gardens of Vlaxnoid, no one cares about your arm flab."

"Bring It On" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

The first Muslim American to medal in the Olympics, fencing champion Ibtihaj Muhammad opened up about what it is like to compete in an sport where so few people look like her. "One day, during a fifteen-hour flight to a training camp in Beijing, I arrived at a moment where I said enough is enough — I’d spent years fighting for every win, every opportunity, every ounce of respect on my path to becoming an Olympian, and I was no longer going to allow other people to affect how I perceived myself or restrict what I was capable of," she writes in Lenny Letter. "When people stared me down at a tournament, I didn’t know if it was a race thing or a religious thing or that they weren’t ready for change, but I finally realized: Why was that burden on me to figure out? I didn’t have the time to acquire their baggage or analyze why anyone wanted to make me feel inferior. I had a job to do on that team, and that job was winning a medal."

"Why It's So Important That CEOs Like Me Speak Out Against Trump" by Reshma Saujani

In an essay about corporate responsibility in the age of Trump by Reshma Saujani, the Girls Who Code founder and CEO reminds readers that individuals have a lot of power to enact change. "But if every American has the power to sway a CEO," she argues in a piece for Teen Vogue, "then every American quite literally has a chance to sway public opinion, to shape the way we talk and think and act on our values system — to change the way we treat our fellow Americans and those who come here seeking a better life for their families."

"Ava DuVernay on How to 'Pivot Towards Positivity' in Trying Times" by Ava DuVernay

There are few creatives as wise, or as giving when it comes to advice, as A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay. "These days I’m a lot less competitive, a lot less concerned about what other people do. I’m much more focused on the things that make me happy," she writes in an inspirational essay for InStyle. "I believe that good comes when you put out good, and so I just try to emanate joyful vibes. Why not? I’m not going to spend my day hating on someone else. I’ve got so many better and more joy-filled things to do."

"Portrait of a Lady" by Lady Gaga

In her 2016 essay on being a woman in the modern world, Lady Gaga opens up and offers a truly refreshing and inspiring perspective. "Being a lady today means being a fighter. It means being a survivor," she writes. "It means letting yourself be vulnerable and acknowledging your shame or that you're sad or you're angry. It takes great strength to do that."

best inspiration essay

73 Inspiration Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best inspiration topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ good research topics about inspiration, 👍 simple & easy inspiration essay titles.

  • Inspiration Theories in the Bible The dynamic theory holds the view that inspiration is a supernatural act or fact and it is the work of the Lord God not the work of man or any other thing.
  • My Inspiration for Reading She has since revealed to me that I was her first audience and my opinions mattered a lot. There was a time I wanted to write children’s books like my aunt. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
  • W. Somerset Maugham as the Story Writing Inspiration Maugham’s dedication to the topic and material of his writing and his ability to find a way through otherwise pessimistic situations appear to be motivating to the author of the essay.W.
  • Inspiration of “Diamonds” Song by Rihanna Sia wrote the song for Rihanna, who holds the song’s copyrights and worked on it a year prior; therefore, the song is owned by an independent contractor.
  • Special Places to Relax & Find Inspiration Museums are places where you get to feel and experience our cultural wealth in a manner that is hard to copy in the physical world.
  • The Italian Town Siena: Continued Inspiration for Urban Designers In the area of urban planning, Siena is the medieval of a medieval city and constantly rivalled Florence in urban structures.
  • “Rust Red Hills” by Georgia O’Keeffe Used for Inspiration The aesthetics and experience of art inspire modern artists and impact the emergence of new works created under the influence of past works.
  • Why Is Samsung Considered a Design Inspiration? The reimagined camera is one of the key features of the Samsung smartphone that reflects the inspirational design. Samsung employs the horizontal integration strategy in the production of its smartphones and other products.
  • Robert Kiyosaki as an Inspirational Leader He worked as the third mate on a tanker for half a year but decided that the job was not for him and returned to the army.
  • Inspirational Speech: The Last Lecture by Randolph Pausch The Last Lecture by Randolph Pausch is a good example of an inspirational speech that prompts the listeners to reevaluate their views on life, death and relations between people. The introduction of his speech contained […]
  • Fashion Source of Inspiration It needs to be said that experimentation is a critical part of the process, and some colors may have to be slightly changed.
  • Searching for the Source of Inspiration: The Image of a True Leader Indeed, as a spiritual leader, Jesus can be considered the epitome of inspiration and an eternal, perpetual source of wisdom due to His compassion and empathy for each and every one of the members of […]
  • The Catholic Doctrine of the Inspiration of Sacred Scripture For example, there is the doctrine of the Bible, the doctrine of God, the principle of man, the doctrine of salvation, the doctrine of the Church, etc.
  • The Source of Inspiration of Langston Hughes He wrote numerous poems, books, plays, and stories throughout his life, and many of them reflect the challenges of being Black in the United States in the early Twentieth century. His struggle is defined by […]
  • Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa as a Source of Inspiration In both Mona Lisa and Instafamous, Lisa del Gioconda is at the center of the composition. However, in Mona Lisa, it is Da Vinci’s gaze that determines how she is depicted and perceived, while in […]
  • Art Inspiration and Production The memes of the recent times increasingly use their platform to lambast and make fun of existing properties and the culture of the past.
  • Inspiration From Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Sox) That is beside the requirements outlined in the act on how organizations should implement and comply with each section of the act to adhere to the law.
  • Inspiration From Sarbanes-Oxley Act The benefits of adopting the act form the specific area of study, leading to the question of, what benefits inspired corporate entities to adopt the Sarbanes-Oxley Act?
  • Engineer Career and Inspirations Leonardo was the first to design a glider in the history of humanity and that glider, designed in the fifteenth century, has much in common with a glider of the twenty-first century.
  • A Genius and His Muse: The Essence of Inspiration The incredible diversity of the relationship “schemes” between a genius and his muse leads to a following idea: in the image of his woman an artist finds what he needs himself.
  • Art Appreciation. Inspiration of an Artwork The inspiration from the works of the Italian Renaissance artist such as Leonardo and Botticelli brought the idea of works that can fit within the same context.
  • 3D Animation: Main Inspirations and Personal Experience I have read that an understanding of the underlying story and a keen interest in storytelling is essential to build a good animation. This I have found that a number of institutes in the country […]
  • Renaissance as an Inspirational Era in Europe The development of crafts and trade, the rise of the role of cities, as well as political events in Western Europe in the XII and XIII centuries entailed significant changes in the whole way of […]
  • Anatomy of Leadership and Inspiration This is instrumental in ensuring that there are development and improvement in the lives of people. Division of labor will ensure the change in the organization is sustained.
  • Emotionally Intelligent Leadership Through Motivation and Inspiration Leadership, on the contrary, demands that a leader should be able to make positive changes in the society and seek positive solutions to problems in the society.
  • Edvard Munch’s Inspirations and Approach His art bears a distinctive imprint of psychological anguish and often resorts to the controversial themes related to sexuality, illness, and the origins of the supernatural.
  • Leadership: Providing Purpose, Motivation and Inspiration Purpose refers to the goals that the leader and the organization in general seek to fulfill. As such, a leader must understand and assist the subordinates to meet their personal goals.
  • Stylistics: Poetry’s Spirit and Inspiration However, this process is impossible without inspiration, some kind of an insight which helps to understand the idea which comes in the head of a poet and to put it into words. The name of […]
  • Charismatic vs. Inspirational Leadership The other characteristic of the followers of charismatic leaders is the willingness to be subordinates. Showing concern for followers is important in inspirational and charismatic leadership since it helps the leaders to win the trust […]
  • Inspiration and Inerrancy of the Bible The evidences of the fact that the Bible is the authoritative source of the Word of God are given in the biblical text itself.
  • Inspiration and Hope in the “Gone with the Wind” Gone with the Wind is a captivating love story that is set in the civil war era in America, which is a re-enactment of a literal work by the same name.
  • Where Creativity and Inspiration Originate The different disciplines of art can also be used to define humanity with religion and history being a factor, with science and technology embracing the entirety of the human nature and hindering its raw creativity […]
  • Thomas Jefferson as the Greatest Teacher and Source of Inspiration In his notes on the state of Virginia he attacked slavery and thought that it was duty of the state and society to release slaves.
  • For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology
  • Inspiration, Innovation, and Invention: Three Impossible Paradigms
  • Difference Between Motivation Satisfaction Inspiration and Manipulation
  • The Most Effective Source of Inspiration
  • Beowulf and Jesus: Sacrifice and Inspiration
  • Intense Personal Memories and Reflections as an Inspiration to Poets
  • Inspiration and Influence: What’s the Difference
  • Food Sensitivities: Inspiration, Not Deprivation
  • Inspiration: How to Discover What Inspires You in Life
  • The Contrast Between Individual Inspiration and the Influences of Age
  • Inspiration and Trust: The Moral Catalysts for True Loyalty
  • Modeling Inspiration for Innovative NPD: Lessons From Biomimetics
  • Inspiration vs. Perspiration: How to Overcome Creative Block
  • Different Ways of Inspirations: Passive and Active Inspiration
  • The Problems and Assess the Validity of the Concept of Inspiration in Scripture
  • Dante Alighieri and the Love for Beatrice Portinari as His Inspiration
  • Inspiration and Perspiration Factors in Economic Growth: The Former Soviet Union Area Versus China
  • Passion and Motivation as Parts of Inspiration
  • Culture and Motivation: Business, Employee Inspiration
  • Inspiration Throughout Life: Energized, Hopeful, and Engaged
  • Leadership, Creativity and the Arts as a Source of Inspiration
  • Design-Thinking, Inspiration, and Ideation
  • Inspiration From the Biggest Loser: Social Interactions in a Weight Loss Program
  • Answering the Call: Inspiration for Teachers
  • Inspiration and Education Achieved Through Poetry
  • Three Kinds of Inspiration: Rational, Emotive, and Serendipitous
  • Inspiration: The Most Important Leadership Trait, Fueled by Passion and Purpose
  • Getting Inspiration From Historical Sources of Fashion
  • Art: How Key Historical Events Serve as the Inspiration
  • Inspiration From Games and Entertainment Artifacts: A Rising Paradigm for Designing Mechanisms and Algorithms in Robotics
  • Leadership, Inspiration, and Motivation
  • Inspiration, Inerrancy, and Authority of the New Testament
  • Psychology: Ideas, Inspiration, and Attitudes to Change
  • Inspiration for Integration: Labor Market Policies for Refugees
  • Biblical Authority, Inspiration, and Inerrancy of the Bible and the Pote
  • Inspiration: Creativity and Context
  • Live Now: In-The-Moment Inspiration
  • Inspiration: Art Forms Increasing Culture
  • Entrepreneurial Drive Beyond the Need for Achievement: A Point of Difference Entrepreneurial Drive, Inspiration, and Motivation
  • Inspiration Prompts, Motivation Drives Professionalism
  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

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Eight brilliant student essays on what matters most in life.

Read winning essays from our spring 2019 student writing contest.

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For the spring 2019 student writing contest, we invited students to read the YES! article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age” by Nancy Hill. Like the author, students interviewed someone significantly older than them about the three things that matter most in life. Students then wrote about what they learned, and about how their interviewees’ answers compare to their own top priorities.

The Winners

From the hundreds of essays written, these eight were chosen as winners. Be sure to read the author’s response to the essay winners and the literary gems that caught our eye. Plus, we share an essay from teacher Charles Sanderson, who also responded to the writing prompt.

Middle School Winner: Rory Leyva

High School Winner:  Praethong Klomsum

University Winner:  Emily Greenbaum

Powerful Voice Winner: Amanda Schwaben

Powerful Voice Winner: Antonia Mills

Powerful Voice Winner:  Isaac Ziemba

Powerful Voice Winner: Lily Hersch

“Tell It Like It Is” Interview Winner: Jonas Buckner

From the Author: Response to Student Winners

Literary Gems

From A Teacher: Charles Sanderson

From the Author: Response to Charles Sanderson

Middle School Winner

Village Home Education Resource Center, Portland, Ore.

best inspiration essay

The Lessons Of Mortality 

“As I’ve aged, things that are more personal to me have become somewhat less important. Perhaps I’ve become less self-centered with the awareness of mortality, how short one person’s life is.” This is how my 72-year-old grandma believes her values have changed over the course of her life. Even though I am only 12 years old, I know my life won’t last forever, and someday I, too, will reflect on my past decisions. We were all born to exist and eventually die, so we have evolved to value things in the context of mortality.

One of the ways I feel most alive is when I play roller derby. I started playing for the Rose City Rollers Juniors two years ago, and this year, I made the Rosebud All-Stars travel team. Roller derby is a fast-paced, full-contact sport. The physicality and intense training make me feel in control of and present in my body.

My roller derby team is like a second family to me. Adolescence is complicated. We understand each other in ways no one else can. I love my friends more than I love almost anything else. My family would have been higher on my list a few years ago, but as I’ve aged it has been important to make my own social connections.

Music led me to roller derby.  I started out jam skating at the roller rink. Jam skating is all about feeling the music. It integrates gymnastics, breakdancing, figure skating, and modern dance with R & B and hip hop music. When I was younger, I once lay down in the DJ booth at the roller rink and was lulled to sleep by the drawl of wheels rolling in rhythm and people talking about the things they came there to escape. Sometimes, I go up on the roof of my house at night to listen to music and feel the wind rustle my hair. These unique sensations make me feel safe like nothing else ever has.

My grandma tells me, “Being close with family and friends is the most important thing because I haven’t

best inspiration essay

always had that.” When my grandma was two years old, her father died. Her mother became depressed and moved around a lot, which made it hard for my grandma to make friends. Once my grandma went to college, she made lots of friends. She met my grandfather, Joaquin Leyva when she was working as a park ranger and he was a surfer. They bought two acres of land on the edge of a redwood forest and had a son and a daughter. My grandma created a stable family that was missing throughout her early life.

My grandma is motivated to maintain good health so she can be there for her family. I can relate because I have to be fit and strong for my team. Since she lost my grandfather to cancer, she realizes how lucky she is to have a functional body and no life-threatening illnesses. My grandma tries to eat well and exercise, but she still struggles with depression. Over time, she has learned that reaching out to others is essential to her emotional wellbeing.  

Caring for the earth is also a priority for my grandma I’ve been lucky to learn from my grandma. She’s taught me how to hunt for fossils in the desert and find shells on the beach. Although my grandma grew up with no access to the wilderness, she admired the green open areas of urban cemeteries. In college, she studied geology and hiked in the High Sierras. For years, she’s been an advocate for conserving wildlife habitat and open spaces.

Our priorities may seem different, but it all comes down to basic human needs. We all desire a purpose, strive to be happy, and need to be loved. Like Nancy Hill says in the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” it can be hard to decipher what is important in life. I believe that the constant search for satisfaction and meaning is the only thing everyone has in common. We all want to know what matters, and we walk around this confusing world trying to find it. The lessons I’ve learned from my grandma about forging connections, caring for my body, and getting out in the world inspire me to live my life my way before it’s gone.

Rory Leyva is a seventh-grader from Portland, Oregon. Rory skates for the Rosebuds All-Stars roller derby team. She loves listening to music and hanging out with her friends.

High School Winner

Praethong Klomsum

  Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica, Calif.

best inspiration essay

Time Only Moves Forward

Sandra Hernandez gazed at the tiny house while her mother’s gentle hands caressed her shoulders. It wasn’t much, especially for a family of five. This was 1960, she was 17, and her family had just moved to Culver City.

Flash forward to 2019. Sandra sits in a rocking chair, knitting a blanket for her latest grandchild, in the same living room. Sandra remembers working hard to feed her eight children. She took many different jobs before settling behind the cash register at a Japanese restaurant called Magos. “It was a struggle, and my husband Augustine, was planning to join the military at that time, too.”

In the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” author Nancy Hill states that one of the most important things is “…connecting with others in general, but in particular with those who have lived long lives.” Sandra feels similarly. It’s been hard for Sandra to keep in contact with her family, which leaves her downhearted some days. “It’s important to maintain that connection you have with your family, not just next-door neighbors you talk to once a month.”

Despite her age, Sandra is a daring woman. Taking risks is important to her, and she’ll try anything—from skydiving to hiking. Sandra has some regrets from the past, but nowadays, she doesn’t wonder about the “would have, could have, should haves.” She just goes for it with a smile.

Sandra thought harder about her last important thing, the blue and green blanket now finished and covering

best inspiration essay

her lap. “I’ve definitely lived a longer life than most, and maybe this is just wishful thinking, but I hope I can see the day my great-grandchildren are born.” She’s laughing, but her eyes look beyond what’s in front of her. Maybe she is reminiscing about the day she held her son for the first time or thinking of her grandchildren becoming parents. I thank her for her time and she waves it off, offering me a styrofoam cup of lemonade before I head for the bus station.

The bus is sparsely filled. A voice in my head reminds me to finish my 10-page history research paper before spring break. I take a window seat and pull out my phone and earbuds. My playlist is already on shuffle, and I push away thoughts of that dreaded paper. Music has been a constant in my life—from singing my lungs out in kindergarten to Barbie’s “I Need To Know,” to jamming out to Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” in sixth grade, to BTS’s “Intro: Never Mind” comforting me when I’m at my lowest. Music is my magic shop, a place where I can trade away my fears for calm.

I’ve always been afraid of doing something wrong—not finishing my homework or getting a C when I can do better. When I was 8, I wanted to be like the big kids. As I got older, I realized that I had exchanged my childhood longing for the 48 pack of crayons for bigger problems, balancing grades, a social life, and mental stability—all at once. I’m going to get older whether I like it or not, so there’s no point forcing myself to grow up faster.  I’m learning to live in the moment.

The bus is approaching my apartment, where I know my comfy bed and a home-cooked meal from my mom are waiting. My mom is hard-working, confident, and very stubborn. I admire her strength of character. She always keeps me in line, even through my rebellious phases.

My best friend sends me a text—an update on how broken her laptop is. She is annoying. She says the stupidest things and loves to state the obvious. Despite this, she never fails to make me laugh until my cheeks feel numb. The rest of my friends are like that too—loud, talkative, and always brightening my day. Even friends I stopped talking to have a place in my heart. Recently, I’ve tried to reconnect with some of them. This interview was possible because a close friend from sixth grade offered to introduce me to Sandra, her grandmother.  

I’m decades younger than Sandra, so my view of what’s important isn’t as broad as hers, but we share similar values, with friends and family at the top. I have a feeling that when Sandra was my age, she used to love music, too. Maybe in a few decades, when I’m sitting in my rocking chair, drawing in my sketchbook, I’ll remember this article and think back fondly to the days when life was simple.

Praethong Klomsum is a tenth-grader at Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California.  Praethong has a strange affinity for rhyme games and is involved in her school’s dance team. She enjoys drawing and writing, hoping to impact people willing to listen to her thoughts and ideas.

University Winner

Emily Greenbaum

Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 

best inspiration essay

The Life-Long War

Every morning we open our eyes, ready for a new day. Some immediately turn to their phones and social media. Others work out or do yoga. For a certain person, a deep breath and the morning sun ground him. He hears the clink-clank of his wife cooking low sodium meat for breakfast—doctor’s orders! He sees that the other side of the bed is already made, the dogs are no longer in the room, and his clothes are set out nicely on the loveseat.

Today, though, this man wakes up to something different: faded cream walls and jello. This person, my hero, is Master Chief Petty Officer Roger James.

I pulled up my chair close to Roger’s vinyl recliner so I could hear him above the noise of the beeping dialysis machine. I noticed Roger would occasionally glance at his wife Susan with sparkly eyes when he would recall memories of the war or their grandkids. He looked at Susan like she walked on water.

Roger James served his country for thirty years. Now, he has enlisted in another type of war. He suffers from a rare blood cancer—the result of the wars he fought in. Roger has good and bad days. He says, “The good outweighs the bad, so I have to be grateful for what I have on those good days.”

When Roger retired, he never thought the effects of the war would reach him. The once shallow wrinkles upon his face become deeper, as he tells me, “It’s just cancer. Others are suffering from far worse. I know I’ll make it.”

Like Nancy Hill did in her article “Three Things that Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” I asked Roger, “What are the three most important things to you?” James answered, “My wife Susan, my grandkids, and church.”

Roger and Susan served together in the Vietnam war. She was a nurse who treated his cuts and scrapes one day. I asked Roger why he chose Susan. He said, “Susan told me to look at her while she cleaned me up. ‘This may sting, but don’t be a baby.’ When I looked into her eyes, I felt like she was looking into my soul, and I didn’t want her to leave. She gave me this sense of home. Every day I wake up, she makes me feel the same way, and I fall in love with her all over again.”

Roger and Susan have two kids and four grandkids, with great-grandchildren on the way. He claims that his grandkids give him the youth that he feels slowly escaping from his body. This adoring grandfather is energized by coaching t-ball and playing evening card games with the grandkids.

The last thing on his list was church. His oldest daughter married a pastor. Together they founded a church. Roger said that the connection between his faith and family is important to him because it gave him a reason to want to live again. I learned from Roger that when you’re across the ocean, you tend to lose sight of why you are fighting. When Roger returned, he didn’t have the will to live. Most days were a struggle, adapting back into a society that lacked empathy for the injuries, pain, and psychological trauma carried by returning soldiers. Church changed that for Roger and gave him a sense of purpose.

When I began this project, my attitude was to just get the assignment done. I never thought I could view Master Chief Petty Officer Roger James as more than a role model, but he definitely changed my mind. It’s as if Roger magically lit a fire inside of me and showed me where one’s true passions should lie. I see our similarities and embrace our differences. We both value family and our own connections to home—his home being church and mine being where I can breathe the easiest.

Master Chief Petty Officer Roger James has shown me how to appreciate what I have around me and that every once in a while, I should step back and stop to smell the roses. As we concluded the interview, amidst squeaky clogs and the stale smell of bleach and bedpans, I looked to Roger, his kind, tired eyes, and weathered skin, with a deeper sense of admiration, knowing that his values still run true, no matter what he faces.

Emily Greenbaum is a senior at Kent State University, graduating with a major in Conflict Management and minor in Geography. Emily hopes to use her major to facilitate better conversations, while she works in the Washington, D.C. area.  

Powerful Voice Winner

Amanda Schwaben

best inspiration essay

Wise Words From Winnie the Pooh

As I read through Nancy Hill’s article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” I was comforted by the similar responses given by both children and older adults. The emphasis participants placed on family, social connections, and love was not only heartwarming but hopeful. While the messages in the article filled me with warmth, I felt a twinge of guilt building within me. As a twenty-one-year-old college student weeks from graduation, I honestly don’t think much about the most important things in life. But if I was asked, I would most likely say family, friendship, and love. As much as I hate to admit it, I often find myself obsessing over achieving a successful career and finding a way to “save the world.”

A few weeks ago, I was at my family home watching the new Winnie the Pooh movie Christopher Robin with my mom and younger sister. Well, I wasn’t really watching. I had my laptop in front of me, and I was aggressively typing up an assignment. Halfway through the movie, I realized I left my laptop charger in my car. I walked outside into the brisk March air. Instinctively, I looked up. The sky was perfectly clear, revealing a beautiful array of stars. When my twin sister and I were in high school, we would always take a moment to look up at the sparkling night sky before we came into the house after soccer practice.

I think that was the last time I stood in my driveway and gazed at the stars. I did not get the laptop charger from

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my car; instead, I turned around and went back inside. I shut my laptop and watched the rest of the movie. My twin sister loves Winnie the Pooh. So much so that my parents got her a stuffed animal version of him for Christmas. While I thought he was adorable and a token of my childhood, I did not really understand her obsession. However, it was clear to me after watching the movie. Winnie the Pooh certainly had it figured out. He believed that the simple things in life were the most important: love, friendship, and having fun.

I thought about asking my mom right then what the three most important things were to her, but I decided not to. I just wanted to be in the moment. I didn’t want to be doing homework. It was a beautiful thing to just sit there and be present with my mom and sister.

I did ask her, though, a couple of weeks later. Her response was simple.  All she said was family, health, and happiness. When she told me this, I imagined Winnie the Pooh smiling. I think he would be proud of that answer.

I was not surprised by my mom’s reply. It suited her perfectly. I wonder if we relearn what is most important when we grow older—that the pressure to be successful subsides. Could it be that valuing family, health, and happiness is what ends up saving the world?

Amanda Schwaben is a graduating senior from Kent State University with a major in Applied Conflict Management. Amanda also has minors in Psychology and Interpersonal Communication. She hopes to further her education and focus on how museums not only preserve history but also promote peace.

Antonia Mills

Rachel Carson High School, Brooklyn, N.Y. 

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Decoding The Butterfly

For a caterpillar to become a butterfly, it must first digest itself. The caterpillar, overwhelmed by accumulating tissue, splits its skin open to form its protective shell, the chrysalis, and later becomes the pretty butterfly we all know and love. There are approximately 20,000 species of butterflies, and just as every species is different, so is the life of every butterfly. No matter how long and hard a caterpillar has strived to become the colorful and vibrant butterfly that we marvel at on a warm spring day, it does not live a long life. A butterfly can live for a year, six months, two weeks, and even as little as twenty-four hours.

I have often wondered if butterflies live long enough to be blissful of blue skies. Do they take time to feast upon the sweet nectar they crave, midst their hustling life of pollinating pretty flowers? Do they ever take a lull in their itineraries, or are they always rushing towards completing their four-stage metamorphosis? Has anyone asked the butterfly, “Who are you?” instead of “What are you”? Or, How did you get here, on my windowsill?  How did you become ‘you’?

Humans are similar to butterflies. As a caterpillar

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Suzanna Ruby/Getty Images

becomes a butterfly, a baby becomes an elder. As a butterfly soars through summer skies, an elder watches summer skies turn into cold winter nights and back toward summer skies yet again.  And as a butterfly flits slowly by the porch light, a passerby makes assumptions about the wrinkled, slow-moving elder, who is sturdier than he appears. These creatures are not seen for who they are—who they were—because people have “better things to do” or they are too busy to ask, “How are you”?

Our world can be a lonely place. Pressured by expectations, haunted by dreams, overpowered by weakness, and drowned out by lofty goals, we tend to forget ourselves—and others. Rather than hang onto the strands of our diminishing sanity, we might benefit from listening to our elders. Many elders have experienced setbacks in their young lives. Overcoming hardship and surviving to old age is wisdom that they carry.  We can learn from them—and can even make their day by taking the time to hear their stories.  

Nancy Hill, who wrote the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” was right: “We live among such remarkable people, yet few know their stories.” I know a lot about my grandmother’s life, and it isn’t as serene as my own. My grandmother, Liza, who cooks every day, bakes bread on holidays for our neighbors, brings gifts to her doctor out of the kindness of her heart, and makes conversation with neighbors even though she is isn’t fluent in English—Russian is her first language—has struggled all her life. Her mother, Anna, a single parent, had tuberculosis, and even though she had an inviolable spirit, she was too frail to care for four children. She passed away when my grandmother was sixteen, so my grandmother and her siblings spent most of their childhood in an orphanage. My grandmother got married at nineteen to my grandfather, Pinhas. He was a man who loved her more than he loved himself and was a godsend to every person he met. Liza was—and still is—always quick to do what was best for others, even if that person treated her poorly. My grandmother has lived with physical pain all her life, yet she pushed herself to climb heights that she wasn’t ready for. Against all odds, she has lived to tell her story to people who are willing to listen. And I always am.

I asked my grandmother, “What are three things most important to you?” Her answer was one that I already expected: One, for everyone to live long healthy lives. Two, for you to graduate from college. Three, for you to always remember that I love you.

What may be basic to you means the world to my grandmother. She just wants what she never had the chance to experience: a healthy life, an education, and the chance to express love to the people she values. The three things that matter most to her may be so simple and ordinary to outsiders, but to her, it is so much more. And who could take that away?

Antonia Mills was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and attends Rachel Carson High School.  Antonia enjoys creative activities, including writing, painting, reading, and baking. She hopes to pursue culinary arts professionally in the future. One of her favorite quotes is, “When you start seeing your worth, you’ll find it harder to stay around people who don’t.” -Emily S.P.  

  Powerful Voice Winner

   Isaac Ziemba

Odyssey Multiage Program, Bainbridge Island, Wash. 

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This Former State Trooper Has His Priorities Straight: Family, Climate Change, and Integrity

I have a personal connection to people who served in the military and first responders. My uncle is a first responder on the island I live on, and my dad retired from the Navy. That was what made a man named Glen Tyrell, a state trooper for 25 years, 2 months and 9 days, my first choice to interview about what three things matter in life. In the YES! Magazine article “The Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” I learned that old and young people have a great deal in common. I know that’s true because Glen and I care about a lot of the same things.

For Glen, family is at the top of his list of important things. “My wife was, and is, always there for me. My daughters mean the world to me, too, but Penny is my partner,” Glen said. I can understand why Glen’s wife is so important to him. She’s family. Family will always be there for you.

Glen loves his family, and so do I with all my heart. My dad especially means the world to me. He is my top supporter and tells me that if I need help, just “say the word.” When we are fishing or crabbing, sometimes I

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think, what if these times were erased from my memory? I wouldn’t be able to describe the horrible feeling that would rush through my mind, and I’m sure that Glen would feel the same about his wife.

My uncle once told me that the world is always going to change over time. It’s what the world has turned out to be that worries me. Both Glen and I are extremely concerned about climate change and the effect that rising temperatures have on animals and their habitats. We’re driving them to extinction. Some people might say, “So what? Animals don’t pay taxes or do any of the things we do.” What we are doing to them is like the Black Death times 100.

Glen is also frustrated by how much plastic we use and where it ends up. He would be shocked that an explorer recently dived to the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean—seven miles!— and discovered a plastic bag and candy wrappers. Glen told me that, unfortunately, his generation did the damage and my generation is here to fix it. We need to take better care of Earth because if we don’t, we, as a species, will have failed.

Both Glen and I care deeply for our families and the earth, but for our third important value, I chose education and Glen chose integrity. My education is super important to me because without it, I would be a blank slate. I wouldn’t know how to figure out problems. I wouldn’t be able to tell right from wrong. I wouldn’t understand the Bill of Rights. I would be stuck. Everyone should be able to go to school, no matter where they’re from or who they are.  It makes me angry and sad to think that some people, especially girls, get shot because they are trying to go to school. I understand how lucky I am.

Integrity is sacred to Glen—I could tell by the serious tone of Glen’s voice when he told me that integrity was the code he lived by as a former state trooper. He knew that he had the power to change a person’s life, and he was committed to not abusing that power.  When Glen put someone under arrest—and my uncle says the same—his judgment and integrity were paramount. “Either you’re right or you’re wrong.” You can’t judge a person by what you think, you can only judge a person from what you know.”

I learned many things about Glen and what’s important in life, but there is one thing that stands out—something Glen always does and does well. Glen helps people. He did it as a state trooper, and he does it in our school, where he works on construction projects. Glen told me that he believes that our most powerful tools are writing and listening to others. I think those tools are important, too, but I also believe there are other tools to help solve many of our problems and create a better future: to be compassionate, to create caring relationships, and to help others. Just like Glen Tyrell does each and every day.

Isaac Ziemba is in seventh grade at the Odyssey Multiage Program on a small island called Bainbridge near Seattle, Washington. Isaac’s favorite subject in school is history because he has always been interested in how the past affects the future. In his spare time, you can find Isaac hunting for crab with his Dad, looking for artifacts around his house with his metal detector, and having fun with his younger cousin, Conner.     

Lily Hersch

 The Crest Academy, Salida, Colo.

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The Phone Call

Dear Grandpa,

In my short span of life—12 years so far—you’ve taught me a lot of important life lessons that I’ll always have with me. Some of the values I talk about in this writing I’ve learned from you.

Dedicated to my Gramps.

In the YES! Magazine article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age,” author and photographer Nancy Hill asked people to name the three things that mattered most to them. After reading the essay prompt for the article, I immediately knew who I wanted to interview: my grandpa Gil.      

My grandpa was born on January 25, 1942. He lived in a minuscule tenement in The Bronx with his mother,

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father, and brother. His father wasn’t around much, and, when he was, he was reticent and would snap occasionally, revealing his constrained mental pain. My grandpa says this happened because my great grandfather did not have a father figure in his life. His mother was a classy, sharp lady who was the head secretary at a local police district station. My grandpa and his brother Larry did not care for each other. Gramps said he was very close to his mother, and Larry wasn’t. Perhaps Larry was envious for what he didn’t have.

Decades after little to no communication with his brother, my grandpa decided to spontaneously visit him in Florida, where he resided with his wife. Larry was taken aback at the sudden reappearance of his brother and told him to leave. Since then, the two brothers have not been in contact. My grandpa doesn’t even know if Larry is alive.         

My grandpa is now a retired lawyer, married to my wonderful grandma, and living in a pretty house with an ugly dog named BoBo.

So, what’s important to you, Gramps?

He paused a second, then replied, “Family, kindness, and empathy.”

“Family, because it’s my family. It’s important to stay connected with your family. My brother, father, and I never connected in the way I wished, and sometimes I contemplated what could’ve happened.  But you can’t change the past. So, that’s why family’s important to me.”

Family will always be on my “Top Three Most Important Things” list, too. I can’t imagine not having my older brother, Zeke, or my grandma in my life. I wonder how other kids feel about their families? How do kids trapped and separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border feel?  What about orphans? Too many questions, too few answers.

“Kindness, because growing up and not seeing a lot of kindness made me realize how important it is to have that in the world. Kindness makes the world go round.”

What is kindness? Helping my brother, Eli, who has Down syndrome, get ready in the morning? Telling people what they need to hear, rather than what they want to hear? Maybe, for now, I’ll put wisdom, not kindness, on my list.

“Empathy, because of all the killings and shootings [in this country.] We also need to care for people—people who are not living in as good circumstances as I have. Donald Trump and other people I’ve met have no empathy. Empathy is very important.”

Empathy is something I’ve felt my whole life. It’ll always be important to me like it is important to my grandpa. My grandpa shows his empathy when he works with disabled children. Once he took a disabled child to a Christina Aguilera concert because that child was too young to go by himself. The moments I feel the most empathy are when Eli gets those looks from people. Seeing Eli wonder why people stare at him like he’s a freak makes me sad, and annoyed that they have the audacity to stare.

After this 2 minute and 36-second phone call, my grandpa has helped me define what’s most important to me at this time in my life: family, wisdom, and empathy. Although these things are important now, I realize they can change and most likely will.

When I’m an old woman, I envision myself scrambling through a stack of storage boxes and finding this paper. Perhaps after reading words from my 12-year-old self, I’ll ask myself “What’s important to me?”

Lily Hersch is a sixth-grader at Crest Academy in Salida, Colorado. Lily is an avid indoorsman, finding joy in competitive spelling, art, and of course, writing. She does not like Swiss cheese.

  “Tell It Like It Is” Interview Winner

Jonas Buckner

KIPP: Gaston College Preparatory, Gaston, N.C.

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Lessons My Nana Taught Me

I walked into the house. In the other room, I heard my cousin screaming at his game. There were a lot of Pioneer Woman dishes everywhere. The room had the television on max volume. The fan in the other room was on. I didn’t know it yet, but I was about to learn something powerful.

I was in my Nana’s house, and when I walked in, she said, “Hey Monkey Butt.”

I said, “Hey Nana.”

Before the interview, I was talking to her about what I was gonna interview her on. Also, I had asked her why I might have wanted to interview her, and she responded with, “Because you love me, and I love you too.”

Now, it was time to start the interview. The first

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question I asked was the main and most important question ever: “What three things matter most to you and you only?”

She thought of it very thoughtfully and responded with, “My grandchildren, my children, and my health.”

Then, I said, “OK, can you please tell me more about your health?”

She responded with, “My health is bad right now. I have heart problems, blood sugar, and that’s about it.” When she said it, she looked at me and smiled because she loved me and was happy I chose her to interview.

I replied with, “K um, why is it important to you?”

She smiled and said, “Why is it…Why is my health important? Well, because I want to live a long time and see my grandchildren grow up.”

I was scared when she said that, but she still smiled. I was so happy, and then I said, “Has your health always been important to you.”

She responded with “Nah.”

Then, I asked, “Do you happen to have a story to help me understand your reasoning?”

She said, “No, not really.”

Now we were getting into the next set of questions. I said, “Remember how you said that your grandchildren matter to you? Can you please tell me why they matter to you?”

Then, she responded with, “So I can spend time with them, play with them, and everything.”

Next, I asked the same question I did before: “Have you always loved your grandchildren?” 

She responded with, “Yes, they have always been important to me.”

Then, the next two questions I asked she had no response to at all. She was very happy until I asked, “Why do your children matter most to you?”

She had a frown on and responded, “My daughter Tammy died a long time ago.”

Then, at this point, the other questions were answered the same as the other ones. When I left to go home I was thinking about how her answers were similar to mine. She said health, and I care about my health a lot, and I didn’t say, but I wanted to. She also didn’t have answers for the last two questions on each thing, and I was like that too.

The lesson I learned was that no matter what, always keep pushing because even though my aunt or my Nana’s daughter died, she kept on pushing and loving everyone. I also learned that everything should matter to us. Once again, I chose to interview my Nana because she matters to me, and I know when she was younger she had a lot of things happen to her, so I wanted to know what she would say. The point I’m trying to make is that be grateful for what you have and what you have done in life.

Jonas Buckner is a sixth-grader at KIPP: Gaston College Preparatory in Gaston, North Carolina. Jonas’ favorite activities are drawing, writing, math, piano, and playing AltSpace VR. He found his passion for writing in fourth grade when he wrote a quick autobiography. Jonas hopes to become a horror writer someday.

From The Author: Responses to Student Winners

Dear Emily, Isaac, Antonia, Rory, Praethong, Amanda, Lily, and Jonas,

Your thought-provoking essays sent my head spinning. The more I read, the more impressed I was with the depth of thought, beauty of expression, and originality. It left me wondering just how to capture all of my reactions in a single letter. After multiple false starts, I’ve landed on this: I will stick to the theme of three most important things.

The three things I found most inspirational about your essays:

You listened.

You connected.

We live in troubled times. Tensions mount between countries, cultures, genders, religious beliefs, and generations. If we fail to find a way to understand each other, to see similarities between us, the future will be fraught with increased hostility.

You all took critical steps toward connecting with someone who might not value the same things you do by asking a person who is generations older than you what matters to them. Then, you listened to their answers. You saw connections between what is important to them and what is important to you. Many of you noted similarities, others wondered if your own list of the three most important things would change as you go through life. You all saw the validity of the responses you received and looked for reasons why your interviewees have come to value what they have.

It is through these things—asking, listening, and connecting—that we can begin to bridge the differences in experiences and beliefs that are currently dividing us.

Individual observations

Each one of you made observations that all of us, regardless of age or experience, would do well to keep in mind. I chose one quote from each person and trust those reading your essays will discover more valuable insights.

“Our priorities may seem different, but they come back to basic human needs. We all desire a purpose, strive to be happy, and work to make a positive impact.” 

“You can’t judge a person by what you think , you can only judge a person by what you know .”

Emily (referencing your interviewee, who is battling cancer):

“Master Chief Petty Officer James has shown me how to appreciate what I have around me.”

Lily (quoting your grandfather):

“Kindness makes the world go round.”

“Everything should matter to us.”

Praethong (quoting your interviewee, Sandra, on the importance of family):

“It’s important to always maintain that connection you have with each other, your family, not just next-door neighbors you talk to once a month.”

“I wonder if maybe we relearn what is most important when we grow older. That the pressure to be successful subsides and that valuing family, health, and happiness is what ends up saving the world.”

“Listen to what others have to say. Listen to the people who have already experienced hardship. You will learn from them and you can even make their day by giving them a chance to voice their thoughts.”

I end this letter to you with the hope that you never stop asking others what is most important to them and that you to continue to take time to reflect on what matters most to you
and why. May you never stop asking, listening, and connecting with others, especially those who may seem to be unlike you. Keep writing, and keep sharing your thoughts and observations with others, for your ideas are awe-inspiring.

I also want to thank the more than 1,000 students who submitted essays. Together, by sharing what’s important to us with others, especially those who may believe or act differently, we can fill the world with joy, peace, beauty, and love.

We received many outstanding essays for the Winter 2019 Student Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we’d like to share some excerpts that caught our eye:

Whether it is a painting on a milky canvas with watercolors or pasting photos onto a scrapbook with her granddaughters, it is always a piece of artwork to her. She values the things in life that keep her in the moment, while still exploring things she may not have initially thought would bring her joy.

—Ondine Grant-Krasno, Immaculate Heart Middle School, Los Angeles, Calif.

“Ganas”
 It means “desire” in Spanish. My ganas is fueled by my family’s belief in me. I cannot and will not fail them. 

—Adan Rios, Lane Community College, Eugene, Ore.

I hope when I grow up I can have the love for my kids like my grandma has for her kids. She makes being a mother even more of a beautiful thing than it already is.

—Ashley Shaw, Columbus City Prep School for Girls, Grove City, Ohio

You become a collage of little pieces of your friends and family. They also encourage you to be the best you can be. They lift you up onto the seat of your bike, they give you the first push, and they don’t hesitate to remind you that everything will be alright when you fall off and scrape your knee.

— Cecilia Stanton, Bellafonte Area Middle School, Bellafonte, Pa.

Without good friends, I wouldn’t know what I would do to endure the brutal machine of public education.

—Kenneth Jenkins, Garrison Middle School, Walla Walla, Wash.

My dog, as ridiculous as it may seem, is a beautiful example of what we all should aspire to be. We should live in the moment, not stress, and make it our goal to lift someone’s spirits, even just a little.

—Kate Garland, Immaculate Heart Middle School, Los Angeles, Calif. 

I strongly hope that every child can spare more time to accompany their elderly parents when they are struggling, and moving forward, and give them more care and patience. so as to truly achieve the goal of “you accompany me to grow up, and I will accompany you to grow old.”

—Taiyi Li, Lane Community College, Eugene, Ore.

I have three cats, and they are my brothers and sisters. We share a special bond that I think would not be possible if they were human. Since they do not speak English, we have to find other ways to connect, and I think that those other ways can be more powerful than language.

—Maya Dombroskie, Delta Program Middle School, Boulsburg, Pa.

We are made to love and be loved. To have joy and be relational. As a member of the loneliest generation in possibly all of history, I feel keenly aware of the need for relationships and authentic connection. That is why I decided to talk to my grandmother.

—Luke Steinkamp, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

After interviewing my grandma and writing my paper, I realized that as we grow older, the things that are important to us don’t change, what changes is why those things are important to us.

—Emily Giffer, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.

The media works to marginalize elders, often isolating them and their stories, and the wealth of knowledge that comes with their additional years of lived experiences. It also undermines the depth of children’s curiosity and capacity to learn and understand. When the worlds of elders and children collide, a classroom opens.

—Cristina Reitano, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.

My values, although similar to my dad, only looked the same in the sense that a shadow is similar to the object it was cast on.

—Timofey Lisenskiy, Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica, Calif.

I can release my anger through writing without having to take it out on someone. I can escape and be a different person; it feels good not to be myself for a while. I can make up my own characters, so I can be someone different every day, and I think that’s pretty cool.

—Jasua Carillo, Wellness, Business, and Sports School, Woodburn, Ore. 

Notice how all the important things in his life are people: the people who he loves and who love him back. This is because “people are more important than things like money or possessions, and families are treasures,” says grandpa Pat. And I couldn’t agree more.

—Brody Hartley, Garrison Middle School, Walla Walla, Wash.  

Curiosity for other people’s stories could be what is needed to save the world.

—Noah Smith, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Peace to me is a calm lake without a ripple in sight. It’s a starry night with a gentle breeze that pillows upon your face. It’s the absence of arguments, fighting, or war. It’s when egos stop working against each other and finally begin working with each other. Peace is free from fear, anxiety, and depression. To me, peace is an important ingredient in the recipe of life.

—JP Bogan, Lane Community College, Eugene, Ore.

From A Teacher

Charles Sanderson

Wellness, Business and Sports School, Woodburn, Ore. 

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The Birthday Gift

I’ve known Jodelle for years, watching her grow from a quiet and timid twelve-year-old to a young woman who just returned from India, where she played Kabaddi, a kind of rugby meets Red Rover.

One of my core beliefs as an educator is to show up for the things that matter to kids, so I go to their games, watch their plays, and eat the strawberry jam they make for the county fair. On this occasion, I met Jodelle at a robotics competition to watch her little sister Abby compete. Think Nerd Paradise: more hats made from traffic cones than Golden State Warrior ball caps, more unicorn capes than Nike swooshes, more fanny packs with Legos than clutches with eyeliner.

We started chatting as the crowd chanted and waved six-foot flags for teams like Mystic Biscuits, Shrek, and everyone’s nemesis The Mean Machine. Apparently, when it’s time for lunch at a robotics competition, they don’t mess around. The once-packed gym was left to Jodelle and me, and we kept talking and talking. I eventually asked her about the three things that matter to her most.

She told me about her mom, her sister, and her addiction—to horses. I’ve read enough of her writing to know that horses were her drug of choice and her mom and sister were her support network.

I learned about her desire to become a teacher and how hours at the barn with her horse, Heart, recharge her when she’s exhausted. At one point, our rambling conversation turned to a topic I’ve known far too well—her father.

Later that evening, I received an email from Jodelle, and she had a lot to say. One line really struck me: “In so many movies, I have seen a dad wanting to protect his daughter from the world, but I’ve only understood the scene cognitively. Yesterday, I felt it.”

Long ago, I decided that I would never be a dad. I had seen movies with fathers and daughters, and for me, those movies might as well have been Star Wars, ET, or Alien—worlds filled with creatures I’d never know. However, over the years, I’ve attended Jodelle’s parent-teacher conferences, gone to her graduation, and driven hours to watch her ride Heart at horse shows. Simply, I showed up. I listened. I supported.

Jodelle shared a series of dad poems, as well. I had read the first two poems in their original form when Jodelle was my student. The revised versions revealed new graphic details of her past. The third poem, however, was something entirely different.

She called the poems my early birthday present. When I read the lines “You are my father figure/Who I look up to/Without being looked down on,” I froze for an instant and had to reread the lines. After fifty years of consciously deciding not to be a dad, I was seen as one—and it felt incredible. Jodelle’s poem and recognition were two of the best presents I’ve ever received.

I  know that I was the language arts teacher that Jodelle needed at the time, but her poem revealed things I never knew I taught her: “My father figure/ Who taught me/ That listening is for observing the world/ That listening is for learning/Not obeying/Writing is for connecting/Healing with others.”

Teaching is often a thankless job, one that frequently brings more stress and anxiety than joy and hope. Stress erodes my patience. Anxiety curtails my ability to enter each interaction with every student with the grace they deserve. However, my time with Jodelle reminds me of the importance of leaning in and listening.

In the article “Three Things That Matter Most in Youth and Old Age” by Nancy Hill, she illuminates how we “live among such remarkable people, yet few know their stories.” For the last twenty years, I’ve had the privilege to work with countless of these “remarkable people,” and I’ve done my best to listen, and, in so doing, I hope my students will realize what I’ve known for a long time; their voices matter and deserve to be heard, but the voices of their tias and abuelitos and babushkas are equally important. When we take the time to listen, I believe we do more than affirm the humanity of others; we affirm our own as well.

Charles Sanderson has grounded his nineteen-year teaching career in a philosophy he describes as “Mirror, Window, Bridge.” Charles seeks to ensure all students see themselves, see others, and begin to learn the skills to build bridges of empathy, affinity, and understanding between communities and cultures that may seem vastly different. He proudly teaches at the Wellness, Business and Sports School in Woodburn, Oregon, a school and community that brings him joy and hope on a daily basis.

From   The Author: Response to Charles Sanderson

Dear Charles Sanderson,

Thank you for submitting an essay of your own in addition to encouraging your students to participate in YES! Magazine’s essay contest.

Your essay focused not on what is important to you, but rather on what is important to one of your students. You took what mattered to her to heart, acting upon it by going beyond the school day and creating a connection that has helped fill a huge gap in her life. Your efforts will affect her far beyond her years in school. It is clear that your involvement with this student is far from the only time you have gone beyond the classroom, and while you are not seeking personal acknowledgment, I cannot help but applaud you.

In an ideal world, every teacher, every adult, would show the same interest in our children and adolescents that you do. By taking the time to listen to what is important to our youth, we can help them grow into compassionate, caring adults, capable of making our world a better place.

Your concerted efforts to guide our youth to success not only as students but also as human beings is commendable. May others be inspired by your insights, concerns, and actions. You define excellence in teaching.

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217 Motivational & Inspirational Essay Topics

Sometimes you just wish there was a marketplace with vendors shouting, “Topics for argument essays! Who wants inspirational topics to write about?” Well, you are lucky enough: you’ll find plenty of inspiring things here! Coming up with some argument essay topics is quite easy! In this article, you’ll find some of the brightest examples of motivational essay topics prepared by the experts of Custom-writing.org . There are also great tips that will help you make your essay or speech truly exciting.

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🔝 Top 10 Inspirational Topics to Write About

  • 🎉 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

đŸ’Ș Top 10 Motivational Topics to Write About

  • 🎓 Topics for College Students
  • đŸ« Topics for High School Students
  • 🚾 Topics for Kids
  • 🧔 Personal Essay Topics
  • 🚀 Other Motivational Topics
  • Can hard work beat talent?
  • What can failure teach us?
  • A life lesson learned at school
  • The biggest mistake you’ve made
  • The importance of positive thinking
  • Is being grateful the key to happiness?
  • How to be successful at teamwork
  • The person who has changed your life
  • Is goal-setting effective for success?
  • Meditation and work-life balance

🎉 Monroe’s Motivated Sequence: The Best Way to Inspire by Your Essay or Speech

The purpose of any motivational essay or speech is to convince the audience that they need to improve themselves and their surroundings. The ability to inspire people is essential in personal and professional life, especially in managerial positions.

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence will help you carry the day whenever you intend to persuade your listener in some statement or prompt them to change their behavior.

The method is based on scientifically justified cognitive processes. Notably, the majority of people strive for a balance, and if they face a problem, it causes discomfort. So they are ready to take any action to eliminate this dissonance. Bearing this in mind will make the following five steps more clear:

  • Grab the attention. Aristotle said that to persuade the speaker needs to establish credibility, i.e., to sound like an expert. Tell them why they should trust you: are you an expert, or are you in the same situation as the listeners? Otherwise, such simpler hooks as humor, rhetorical questions, and motivational quotes would do as well.
  • Find out the need. No problem can be resolved from the point where the problem was created. Illustrate the urgency of the subject field and make the audience engaged with it. Shocking statistics about life and society will help you do so.
  • Satisfy the need. Now you are supposed to provide a solution to the problem. Give your audience a plan of action with some interesting argumentative grounding. True-to-life examples and viable data are valuable here.
  • Explain the consequences. You can do it for one or several probable scenarios, one of which should be the maintaining of the status quo. Put in detail what disadvantages the current situation is bearing and what benefits could be drawn from the required changes.
  • Call to action. Put it simple and actionable. Make a summary of what you said in paragraph 3 and restate the best outcome achievable.
  • Can art help fight stress?
  • Is charity a moral obligation?
  • How your background shapes you
  • Is every experience a good experience?
  • Self-care as a way to deal with trauma
  • Your experience of overcoming fears
  • How to be responsible for your feelings
  • Can humility make you a good leader?
  • The importance of good communication skills
  • Physical change as a way to get out of comfort zone

🎓 Inspiring Argumentative Essay Topics for College Students

College life is rebellious and eventful. Step by step, students enter adult life. At the same time, they start asking themselves hard questions. Giving them inspirational essay topics will raise their spirits and instill confidence in their strength. Very soon they will face such problems as employment and choice of lifestyle. It is better to think before the bell rings for the last time.

  • Persistence is the crucial factor in starting your own business . Do you think that at some point, it can be reasonable to give up your business? What could be done to turn the failure into a benefit?
  • Long-term success requires daily effort. Think about how to find inspiration in life. Do you agree with the theory of 10,000 hours? What does success mean to you?
  • Which skills does a college graduate need to keep pace with the rapidly changing job market? Technologies change our lives dramatically every next decade. Does the educational system evolve as fast? How could a student get ready for the requirements that are not covered by the curriculum?
  • What does constant learning and self-development comprise? Is it only about reading, or does it include more practical things? How could people make personal improvement an everyday practice, and should they?
  • Time management can fulfill your dreams. If you lack time to become what you would like, you will always be discontented with what you are. What time management methods work effectively?
  • It takes much effort to recover from a failure , but it pays off a hundredfold.
  • A startup is better than being an employee at a big company.
  • Jobs in medicine are a perfect opportunity for extraverted people to use their social skills.
  • Small businesses are better at surviving hard times.
  • If you master emerging technologies , you will have no rival.
  • Education for students of colleges and universities should be free .
  • Should an adult person change their job if it does not make them happy?
  • Higher education teaches us to find the necessary information rather than specialized skills and knowledge.
  • How important is teamwork in a startup ?
  • Criticism is crucial for building adequate self-image.
  • All businesses would benefit from a transparent economy.
  • What could the last three generations of women empowerment teach us?
  • Being a role model for your children : key factors.
  • The most important fruit of your efforts is your personality .
  • If I love, I give; I am not a bystander .
  • Joy and sorrow are the inevitable realities of life, and we should be grateful for them.
  • Unmade choices can rob your happiness .
  • Self-motivation is the most important skill for youth.
  • The person that does not want to create intends to destroy.
  • Time has more value than money.
  • Do Computers Rule Our World?
  • Efficiency and Annoyance of E-Marketing .
  • Domestic Violence : Victims Must Fight Back.
  • Sex Education as a Necessity 
 and a Very Delicate Issue .
  • Animal Experimentation: A Cruel Way to Cure Humankind .
  • Sentenced to Death: Capital Punishment . Right the Wrongs Radically .
  • Euthanasia: Murder out of Mercy or
 Shortcut to Inheritance?
  • Advertisements Manipulate People! Restricting the Ads.

đŸ« Inspirational Essay Topics for High School Students

They do not expect you to to be too academic at high school, so your creativity can have no limits! Philosophical writing will make you look profound in the reader’s eyes. Still, real-life motivational speech topics would also be a great chance for your self-expression. Try to make your essay informative, avoiding shallow phrases.

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  • How could keeping your room clean help your studies ? Does order at home influence our mental state? Why do people study at a library, in impeccable order?
  • The only purpose of life is to be truly alive. What does being alive mean to you? Is it about extreme activities and adrenaline, about love and feelings, or about achieving something significant?
  • Are rituals important when one prepares for an important event? Do you consider routines as something superstitious? Do you practice similar actions before giving a public speech or asking someone to go out with you?
  • Are we what we think of ourselves, or are we what others think about us? Is another person’s opinion important for you? Does it define you anyhow? How significant is your self-esteem in your life?
  • Money can’t make you happy . If your soul knows no peace, no material benefits will remedy it. The most satisfied people are content with what they have.
  • Life is short, and every day too valuable to procrastinate .
  • What is worse: to be fat or to be mean?
  • Funny moments make life more colorful.
  • Happiness is not God’s gift. It is a result of hard work.
  • Empathy makes us more humane.
  • Dreams are not enough. You need to act.
  • Is your life environmentally friendly ?
  • When should students make their career choice ?
  • The homeless and the poor : whose responsibility is this?
  • The environment could be saved even by small changes in everyone’s life.
  • Drones are the new era of delivery and surveillance.
  • Negative thinking is the shortest way to turn one’s life into horror.
  • What does make up a life: big days or ordinary days?
  • Never forget who you are and what is essential for you.
  • Overthinking about life distracts you from it.
  • Biographies of famous people contain lots of inspiring ideas.
  • Now or never: live your life today.
  • You know your heart more than anybody else. So better trust it.
  • If you are different , it means you have enough courage to be yourself.
  • What is the motivation of people who wish to be the best in everything?
  • Exam Nights : Why It Is Bad to Stay Up All Night Studying
  • How to Behave If You Witness Bullying
  • Why I (And More People Should) Prefer iPhone to Android
  • The Latest Transformers Movie Is the Best One in the Series
  • Education Pressures Can Be Reduced by Getting Rid of Grades

🚾 Motivational Essay Topics for Kids

Most kids adore speaking about important things: friends, parents, favorite protagonists, school, and games. The only thing you need it to pose the correct question. Thus the task will not just be educational but also engaging. Education for children is just another game, don’t forget it.

  • Kids should grow up next to nature. Do you like to spend time in the woods or parks? What games could you play there? How does it change you?
  • The best event that happened to me last summer. Where did you spend last summer? Did you make new friends ? What was the most exciting moment?
  • How do I know that I am a good son or daughter? Does helping your parents with domestic chores make you a good child? What is good and bad behavior ?
  • A pill of good mood : my recipe. How do you improve your mood? Would you prefer sweet goodies, dancing, a good joke, or something else? How often are you in a good mood?
  • How do you choose your friends? What traits of character are important for you in another person? Do you appreciate the friends that are kind, polite, well-bred, funny, helpful, or caring?
  • Music should sound in school corridors during breaks.
  • My grandparents are my best teachers.
  • The traditions of my family bring us closer.
  • Think about how to find inspiration in life if misfortune has happened to you?
  • If you could change the ending of a fairy tale , what would it be?
  • Be nice to the others if you want them to treat you nicely too.
  • What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
  • What is the best holiday for you?
  • Tell three things you would like your parents to stop doing.
  • Should we give animals more rights?
  • Kangaroos are the best mothers in the animal world.
  • What was your most significant birthday wish?
  • Which country would you like to visit, and why?
  • Is expressing yourself in English easier than in other languages?
  • Which superhero power do you consider the most useful?
  • Would you rather be rich and famous, or modest and free?
  • What does a “ comfort zone ” mean for you?
  • Sorting out trash helps the environment .
  • What is the coolest profession ?
  • How do you struggle with your fears ?
  • Me and School: I Can Get Along with New People .
  • My Favorite Sport : It Truly Makes People Happy.
  • My Pet : Reasons to Keep It.
  • My Pastime: Why I Think It Is Useful.
  • The Person I Admire : Why Following His/Her Example.
  • Praying Is Good—It Will Help You.
  • Why Keeping Zoos Is Not Cruel.
  • My Mom Works , and That Is Alright.

🧔 Personal Inspirational Topics to Write About

Your personality is unique. That is what makes us so interesting to each other. Find what distinguishes you from other people, and what makes you similar to them. Explore the effect of these features on your life. What habits and ways of doing things are expository of you? Going into these details will make your essay engaging and even touching.

C.G. Jung quote.

  • How could meditation make us more self-aware? What kinds of meditation do you know? Are they equally beneficial for the mind and body?
  • Can you master your emotions in stressful situations? What was the strongest feeling you have ever experienced? Could you overcome it, and how?
  • Are you introverted or extroverted ? How does it influence your lifestyle and relationships? What complications does it cause? Would you prefer to be different?
  • How much do your friends and relatives define your personality ? Can we choose the people we would like to surround ourselves with, or does life make it for us?
  • List the things that motivate you . Group them into categories. Why do they inspire you? Are they universal for everyone or personal to you?
  • Can crying ease the sorrow?
  • What were the biggest challenges in your life?
  • How do you overcome stress and anxiety ?
  • What means a “comfort zone” for you?
  • Which controversial issues do you like discussing the most?
  • Is keeping your house in order important for you?
  • What was your role model in childhood?
  • Are there things in your life you are grateful for?
  • Do you have specific eating habits ?
  • Is there any problem you cannot resolve for many years?
  • Do you think bullying could be eliminated at schools?
  • Could you call yourself a feminist ?
  • What could your generation teach older people?
  • What are the treasures of your family?
  • What were the milestones in your life?
  • Do you have a personal credo?
  • If we were given points for being humane, how many would you earn?
  • What would a stranger say about your character after a 5-minute conversation?
  • Are you a believer ?
  • What question would you ask a celebrity if you had a chance?
  • Why I Ride A Bike Instead of Using Public Transport
  • Is Makeup Appropriate for School?
  • Why Playing the Original Half-Life Is Still Better than the Sequels
  • Why I Do Not Wear Watches
  • Why I Decided to Have a Makeover

6. 🚀 Other Motivational Topics to Write About

  • Vegetarian Diet : Animals’ Lives vs. Your Health ;
  • Commercials on the Internet: More than Annoyances;
  • Sacrificing Animals for the Sake of People: Experimentations ;
  • Who and Why Plays Lottery: Big Chances, Small Wins.

Aldous Huxley quote.

  • A Call Worth People’s Lives : Cell Phones as a Threat;
  • How to Cope with Boredom 
 and Whether It Is any Use to Do So;
  • Religion, Wars and Religious Wars: Can You See the Pattern?
  • The Change of Male Roles: Men in Women’s Clothing.
  • Female Roles Shifting: From Housewife to Breadwinner.
  • Pregnant Teenagers and Society : Temper, Patience, Tactfulness.
  • Climate Change Is Hand-Made. The Impact People Have on Earth .

History Topics

Yes, there is, just like any other field of knowledge. History is not only about dates and events—it is also about interpreting and evaluating the connections and impacts of those past happenings.

History will give you lots of argumentative topics, and here are some examples:

  • Why World War I Was Inevitable : What Led to the Inevitability of War
  • The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bombings Could Have Been Avoided: What the Allies Should Have Done
  • Baby Boomers Were the Main Driving Force of the Sexual Revolution
  • Among All Women’s Rights , the Right to Vote Was the Most Important

Writing about history can be challenging because you need to do a lot of research, but just look into any historical topic, and you’ll see how many creative opportunities for argumentative writing it’ll give you!

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Social Media: The Topical Topic

Social media is an important part of many people’s lives today, and lots of argument essay topics can be dedicated to the various social media platforms. Think about tips for social media users, and also consider social media as a phenomenon. An example of a good essay could have one of these titles:

  • Fewer Friends on Facebook Is Better
  • Tweeting Too Much Annoys Your Audience
  • How to Be Creative in Your Social Media Posts
  • Do Not Spend More than Two Hours Daily on Social Media

For example, is there something you dislike about social media in general or perhaps about the way the people you follow behave online? Come up with arguments about why you dislike it!

Health and Medicine

In health care and the medical field, the number of argument essay topics is immense. There is a wide range of topics available, from arguments on how to manage your own health to arguments on how the entire health care system should be improved.

  • Nursing Is More About Providing Comfort than Treatment
  • Is Abortion Acceptable for First Pregnancies?
  • Children with Mental Illness Should Go to Regular Schools

Your topic can be more personal if you want—for example, argue why running is good for your health or why giving up sweets altogether would not be a good health decision.

Pop Culture

Simply look around, and you will see an incredible variety of topics about what people see on TV, on the Internet, and in movies. If you’re into pop culture yourself, you surely have things you’d like to argue for or against.

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  • Why One Direction Should Never Come Back from Their Hiatus
  • Lady Gaga’s Performance Was the Weakest Halftime Show in Years
  • Should Children Be Exposed to Pop Culture ?
  • Hollywood Blockbusters Are Channels of American Cultural Influence

Notice that your topics can be both about pop culture events or people and about pop culture as a whole.

Social Issues

If you want to turn to important topics that affect the whole of society, social issues are truly an inexhaustible field. Consider these topics:

  • Legalizing Weed Is Inevitable
  • Why Law Enforcement Authorities Should Be More Aggressive During Mass Protests
  • Police Brutality : Are Mass Protests the Answer ?
  • Domestic Violence : Why Every Victim Should Report
  • Should Basic Income Be Guaranteed?

For any social issue, you will easily find many proponents and opponents with various arguments, so take a stance of your own and start writing!

Leadership is something people talk a lot about in business, education, health care, and many other spheres. Whether you want to discuss leadership in the context of interpersonal relationships or in the context of public administration and governance of countries, you’ll find plenty of topics!

John Maxwell quote.

  • Why You Should Try to Be a Leader in Your Class
  • Leadership in the Workplace: How to and What for
  • Instead of Preserving Their Own Power and Influence, Country Leaders Should Teach Others about Leadership
  • What Are the Ways for Leaders to Build a Followership?
  • Talk Like a Leader: The Adoption of Verbal Leadership Techniques

To start, try to pick a leadership topic that you’ve come across in your life—for example, argue for or against being a leader among friends or classmates. Also, check out common leadership essay requirements on our website!

Global Issues

Globalization poses a big question: Is it good or bad? By thinking about different aspects of the process, you can try to take a position and defend it.

  • The Global Market Is a New and Better Level of International Trade
  • Why Anti-Globalists Are Wrong
  • Globalization Is a Threat to Indigenous Cultures
  • Going Global : Why Adjusting Your Business to Cultural Differences Is a Poor Globalization Strategy
  • How McDonald’s Is Killing Local Food Traditions

Also, try to think about particular global issues, such as global terrorism—propose a strategy of how it can be fought and argue why this strategy is the most effective one.

Climate Change

Since there are people who do not believe that climate change is happening, you can find many interesting topics to argue that it is—or, on the contrary, to support their position.

  • Is Global Warming Real?
  • What Prompts People to Personally Contribute to the CO2 Emissions Reduction Efforts?
  • Why Fossil Fuel Producers Are Responsible for the Decrease in Biodiversity
  • Carbon Taxes or Mitigation Strategies: What Should Governments Do?
  • Why an Increase in the Sea Level Will Be a Disaster

Remember that there are many subtopics related to global warming: the greenhouse effect, water management, evidence of climate change, and many more.

Environment and Sustainability

This is closely related to the previous group of topics: think about pollution, environmental friendliness, and sustainable development.

  • Turn off the Water when You Brush: Why You Should Try to Contribute to Sustainable Development in Everyday Life
  • How Should Governments Prevent Pollution ?
  • Waste Management Profits: Waste Should Be Used to Produce Energy
  • Hybrid Cars Are Better than Regular Ones
  • Reasons to Choose Eco-Friendly Packaging

Go on and explore the many related topics—for example, deforestation, desertification, or renewable energy.

Gender Issues

Gender studies grew out of sociology long ago, and it is now a separate academic discipline that is controversial and can propose diverse topics for arguing. See for yourself!

  • Gay Marriage Should Be Legalized Globally
  • Men’s Feminism : By Definition, Can Only Women Be Feminists?
  • Reporting Harassment Is the Best Strategy to Eradicate Gender Discrimination in the Workplace
  • Rethinking Gender Roles in Western Civilization: Paternity Leave and Maternity Leave Should Have Equal Legal Statuses
  • Attributes of Masculinity: Can Men Wear Women’s Clothes ?

When looking for topics to write about in the business sphere, pay attention to these examples:

  • Reasons to Start a Business Instead of Being Hired
  • Businesses Should Engage in Corporate Social Responsibility to Build a Favorable Image
  • A Balanced Scorecard Is the Best Way to Know if Your Company is Doing Well
  • Rising above the Competition: How to Address Uncontested Demand
  • Business Research: What is the Best Way to Know What Your Customers Need ?

You may also want to turn to specific examples. Pick a business (either a well-known company or a store around the corner) and think about how it could be a topic for an argument essay: its strategies, its positioning, or its choice of communication practices—there are so many aspects to choose from!

Communications

Communication is a wide-ranging notion: It is both about texting a friend to tell a funny story and emailing an HR manager when looking for a job. According to a famous article from The New York Times, the goal for any type of communication is the same: effectiveness. So consider these examples of arguing how communication can be more effective:

  • Why You Should Avoid Sarcasm In Your Speech
  • Body Language: How to Look Confident and Trustworthy
  • In English, Why You Should Avoid Saying “Not”
  • Email or Personal Conversation: Which Is Better?
  • Giving Children a Choice: Why Prohibitions Are Ineffective

Also, perhaps you can speculate on different types of media and argue, say, that books are more (or less) emotionally appealing to people than movies.

Essay Writing

If you’ve made it this far, you’re obviously motivated to find a good topic for your argument essay. Well, funny as it may sound, the answer has been right in front of you! Write an essay on writing an essay itself. For example:

  • Why You Should Always Make an Outline Before Writing a Paper
  • Is a Personal Story the Best Hook in Narrative Essays?
  • Compare Contrast Essays: Why a Point-by-Point Structure Is Better than a Block Structure
  • Essay Types Classification: Should You Consider Different Types before Starting an Essay?
  • How to Write an Essay Faster: Never Start Writing from the Introduction Paragraph

Remember that you want to write an argument essay, so do not merely give your readers tips—instead, argue that a certain approach to composing an essay is the wisest.

This might be interesting for you:

  • Top Ideas for Argumentative or Persuasive Essay Topics
  • Best Argumentative Research Paper Topics
  • Great Persuasive & Argumentative Essay on Divorce
  • Gun Control Essay: How-to Guide + Argumentative Topics
  • Proposal Essay Topics and Ideas – Easy and Interesting
  • Free Exemplification Essay Examples

đŸ€” Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas: FAQ

This type of essay represents two and more views on a problem or reality. The author is supposed to make it clear which opinion is the correct one compared to the others. The principal methods in this piece of writing are logical argumentation, stating cold facts and reasoning.

  • Cloning and genetic engineering
  • Global warming: causes and consequences
  • Men and women, their rights and obligations.
  • Educational systems
  • Methods of raising children
  • Successful economic models
  • Industrialization VS harmony with nature
  • Money and means of earning
  • Leadership methods
  • Social media VS real life
  • Home and family VS career
  • Technologies are changing our lives.
  • Good relationships require much time.
  • Sports competitions are beneficial for the economy.
  • Pets can make us more caring.
  • What are the most important jobs for a society?
  • Failures make us stronger.
  • Computers are all around us.
  • Is vegetarianism healthy or not?
  • News is too selective and subjective to give us a real picture.
  • Legalization of guns and drugs
  • Rights of minorities
  • Homebirth VS hospital birth
  • Differences between men and women
  • Globalization VS nationalization
  • Corporal punishment
  • Fur production
  • Market economy or planning
  • Obesity and dieting
  • Military service: obligation or choice
  • Choice of disciplines at school
  • Databases for Research & Education: Gale
  • A CS Research Topic Generator
  • 200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing: The New York Times
  • 50 Argumentative Essay Topics: Thought Co.
  • Choosing a Research Problem: USC Libraries
  • Selecting a Research Topic: Overview (MIT Libraries)
  • How do I choose a research topic? UW Libraries
  • Social Media & Health Research Topics: UW Milwaukee
  • Climate Change Topics: USDA
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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Emotion / Inspiration

Inspiration Essay Examples

The person who inspired me the most: my mother.

Throughout our lives, there are individuals who leave an indelible mark on our hearts and minds, shaping our perspectives and values. For me, that person is none other than my mother. This essay delves into the profound influence my mother has had on my life,...

The Role of a Teacher: Shaping Minds, Inspiring Futures

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You Are Braver than You Believe, Stronger than You Seem, and Smarter than You Think

One fine day in April, as the shimmering, coppery sun, glowed through the pearly clouds, a ragged, quivering mass of bones staggered across the humongous and towering building. Yes you got that right, that petrified little soul was me. An innocent soul deprived off all...

An Inspiring Person Who Gained Success

There are many different ways that people define success, which makes in an exciting prospect, because you can then achieve it in many aspects of your life. In my opinion, success isn’t just about how much money you make, or how popular you are. Success...

My Inspiration to Build a Career in Engineering

As a female student, I have always received endless criticism on why I want to pursue a career in engineering. My response is that I want to use innovation and management to resolve societal challenges, improving environmental quality regardless of my gender. The range of...

The Movie Dangal: an Inspiration to All

The movie Dangal is inspired by the Phogat Sisters who are women wrestlers. The three musketeers: Geeta, Babita and Rita; have indeed showed the world that strength is not limited to males only. Talking about Ritu who is the eldest sister amongst the siblings is...

The Role of Inspiration in Worker’s Performance

Inspiration is empowering, motivating and instigating the workers to perform to their best limit. Inspiration is a basic component of representative commitment and authoritative achievement. While representatives need inward inspiration, the PR officer is additionally in charge of making a motivational culture where representatives can...

My Inspiration to Take a Course on Climate Change, Management & Finance

Climate change has received increasingly wider attention from scholars and practitioners in recent years. It does not only affect our day-to-day life, but has also been integrated into many relevant matters, such as ecosystem valuation, energy systems and policy. Climate finance is personally considered as...

Speech in 50th Anniversary of Mlk’s Historical Speech

Thank you everyone for joining our “National Action to Realize the Dream” rally, here today in the same place where our hero delivered his historical speech “I Have a Dream”, and allowing me to speak to you on this 50th anniversary of MLK’s inauguration. Many...

My Ambition to Become a Professional Financial Investment Banker

I believe the most important element in regards to being a successful student and achieving desired grades to advance to a higher level in life, is not just about having a good work ethic and being consolidated to a subject, it’s also one's interest and...

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