Select Entry- Martine L. Philogene, Age 27

Welcome to our Optimistic Essay category. Here you will find the $1,000 winning contest essay, 5 finalist essays and 15 honorable mention essays and a growing list of hand-picked select essays that readers submitted during our "Why Are You Optimistic About the Future?" contest.

Recently a friend and colleague mentioned that she dreaded turning thirty and that she was wedded to the idea of staying 29 for at least 10 years. I asked her why and she said, "I don't know - I just don't want to get older." My response to her was this: "Thirty - bring it on because it can only get better." She looked at me like I'd been drinking or smoking some serious stuff. But I wasn't high or drunk when I said it, just happy about what lies ahead. You see, when the past ten years of my life have brought remarkable changes my way, how can I not be absolutely thrilled about the prospect of the next ten years? I have learned so much about myself and others, I am in the best physical shape of my life, I have found true love, and I feel a sense of satisfaction and calm that I didn't know existed when I was rapidly approaching the nerve-wrecking age of eighteen.

I spent a good portion of my life being overweight. I didn't find the strength and courage to finally lose the extra burdensome weight until I was twenty-one. I woke up one day and I realized that I needed to lose weight so I could have a better quality of life. Losing two beloved family members in one year to cardiovascular diseases made it clear to me that I could miss out on all that life has to offer and die at an early age, or I could take matters into my own hands and make my future something worth looking forward to. I chose the latter and through exercise and eating in moderation I found myself forty-five pounds thinner and one hundred percent more satisfied with who I was and where I was headed. It has now been about six years since I lost that weight (and kept it off) and although the battle with weight will always be a part of my life, I am looking forward to all that lies ahead because I have very vivid memories of all that is behind me and those memories keep me going.

Don't get me wrong; during the past ten years I have had my share of challenges. At 22 I almost dropped out of graduate school due to the pressure while coming to terms with the realization that I was actually getting older because I couldn't handle liquor the way I used to. I dated the biggest loser I've ever met when I was 23. When I was 24 I quit a job working for an obnoxious supervisor who thought I was one of her 11-year-old twins and talked to me as such, and during that same year I spent about 6 months on the brink of depression because I couldn't get things together. When I was 25 I struggled with paying my bills, helping my family financially, and maintaining a long-distance relationship, and at 26 I wondered if I was following the right career path (I'm still working through that one). Make no mistake about it: Life hasn't been a giant bowl of ice cream covered brownies for me. Some days have been straight-up tough and only tears have kept me sane. But do know that life has been pretty darn rewarding despite the drama. I wouldn't give up one single, dreadful moment because without those challenges I wouldn't be the no-nonsense, confident woman I am today.

I know that challenges lie ahead. I'd be a moron if I didn't. But despite that reality, I am still excited about the future and the possibilities that come with it. Maybe I'll finally publish a book. Maybe I'll marry the love of my life and have kids who think I am the coolest mom ever (because I let them eat giant bowls of ice cream covered brownies). Maybe I'll actually get to meet Oprah Winfrey, even if just for a moment (I have to meet the queen of "getting better with time"). Luckily for me, and everyone else in this world, the possibilities are endless. I can dream my wildest dreams while continuing to make more practical goals just to play it safe. I can wake up every morning, for years to come, and just decide to do what I want to do. I can decide to do things differently, to do them over, to do them better, to do them for the first time, or to not do them at all.

Utilizing my common sense keeps me well aware of the fact that some of my wildest dreams may flop. My kids may think I am the corniest and most annoying mom ever, my husband and I may end up needing some serious counseling, people I adore may pass away, Oprah may ignore my monthly letters, and I may make terrible decisions that will totally turn my life upside-down. But I won't allow myself to be pessimistic about the future because of these possibilities. What kind of life would I be living if I didn't anticipate the good just because I know some bad will come with it?

When we are kids we always want "do overs." That was our way of saying we wanted another chance to get it right. Why lose that childhood spirit? I choose to be excited about a future full of "do overs" - even if it seems like the world is against it. This "do over" philosophy is what keeps me going. After all, it's my life so if I want to do something over, in an attempt to get it right, how dare someone tell me I can't? Maybe people try to say I can't because they don't realize that they can claim "do overs" too, all they have to do is make that decision.

If you can say that you tried, everyday, to be better than you were the day before, that is a life well-lived. In the years yet to come I am going to try and make each year better than the one before it. I am going to eat desserts I've never eaten, smell flowers I never knew existed, sleep on a brand new bed I never thought I could afford, visit countries that I've always wanted to visit, help people in ways I never thought I could help others, love more strongly than I ever thought I could love, and dance in places I never thought I would dance.

I once read that when you get to the pearly gates of heaven God will ask you, "During your time on earth, what did you do with what I gave you?" When my day comes I hope to answer, with complete peace and happiness, "God, I can honestly say that I did it all!"