In his article “Learn to Edit Life, ” Charlie Reese explains how one can change his or her life and why this modification is significant for all of us. He signifies the importance of daily life decisions one has to make throughout one’s life. The concept of being an individualist and its significance also lies in the article. The article focuses on the unpredictability of life. Therefore, it must not be lived as a pessimist, indecisive, or conformist, as it will lead to despair.
Though life is short and does not go according to our plans, the author emphasizes taking time out of our busy routines, reviewing the day spent, and planning for the next one. This will help us reflect on what we were, who we are today, and want to become.
The focus is an essential factor in leading our lives successfully. The lifespan does not matter, but the attentiveness towards the different aspects of our lives and how we should deal with their issues significantly. Some people can achieve so much in their lives while others do not. Some can accomplish different fields and are good at multitasking, but others can only focus on one task at a time. These differences lie in the amount of focus we put on our lives and our decisions. Our choices, undoubtedly, have an enormous impact on us, our experiences, and the lives of people around us. One decision leads to a whole new life. Saying a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ leads you to two different destinations. Deciding what we want to do, what we want to achieve, what we want to read, what we want to watch, where we want to go, and what kind of people to accompany, all these decisions constitute our whole life.
One thing that caught my attention in the article was how some people and institutions try to control us and our lives today. We try to prove ourselves to the world our whole life, and still get nothing from it. We conform to our friends, family, and even the adverse situations that prevail in our society. Not many people understand the importance of standing up for oneself. Charlie has taken the issue quite seriously, which is one of the article’s strengths. He says it’s easier to change a ‘no’ to ‘yes’ but hard to convert a ‘yes’ to ‘no.’ Saying yes every time whether you like it or not leads to regret. Life is too short to say yes and regret later. Why not change it by saying no and being satisfied with your decision?
In light of the article, I think that saying yes in every situation does not always mean you’re compromising. We all need to compromise throughout to keep the bond of our relations intact, but it shouldn’t be one-sided. We all are born with our individualism and have a right to say no when our inner self says no. Our tongue must go according to our inner self.
One weakness in the article is that the author should have mentioned the importance of ethics and moral values in editing our lives efficiently. There’s a lot of intolerance in us. Lack of respect and love has made our lives bitter. People get into a whirlpool of jealousy for their fellows in the name of competition.
Living in the present is also an important edit of our lives. If one learns how to get out of the past bitterness, instead learn from it and avoid thinking too much about the long-term future, his or her life will be at peace.
To apply all the edits the author has mentioned in the article, one must ponder the present state of his life and where he is standing. What needs to be done first? Being a highly indecisive personality, the first edit I would like to make in my life is to make decisions on my own without being convinced by other opinions. My choices may be wrong, but this is the only way to learn and improve decision-making. These decisions may be small like going for a hangout or resting at home, and big, such as pursuing a career or getting settled with a partner. All of these decisions must have my 100% focus on what I want to do, what my top priority is now, and which aspect has a significant part in my life that needs the most attention.
On the professional ground, the application of the essay lies in saying yes to the job you want to do, something you have a passion for, and then doing it with full determination. I should not let jealousy come in my way and get contented with what I have.
All of these edits are important to make for all of us. Life isn’t smooth and predictable. As the author mentioned, when we’re young and healthy, life seems endless, but as we grow older, we realise its real face. Therefore, these edits must be made in the document of our life.
Works Cited
Reese, Charlie. “Learn to edit life.” King Features Syndicate, 2002. Print.
