PNBHS NEWS

Character Education

 
Picture of Gerard Atkin
Character Education
by Gerard Atkin - Wednesday, 10 April 2019, 12:14 PM
 

“What is the meaning of life?”  A deep and thought-provoking question that many of us struggle with answering.  This question was posed to young men studying Level One English as part of the emphasis on Character Education.  While young men studying at that level will not have a complete answer, the intent of the activity is to encourage them to think critically and to begin to develop an answer – one that will no doubt be modified and developed as they do.  Thanks to the young men who had the courage to share parts of their answers – hopefully their work will help to spark some dinner table conversations in our school community.

 

“Life is like an exam, if you work hard for it and strive for excellence, you receive the rewards. Therefore achievement is strong in making life meaningful. An example of this is shown in our school motto, Nihil Boni Sine Labore, (Nothing is achieved without hard work). This motto signals what this school rewards. It is not necessarily what people achieve, or how high the achievement is, it is all about the grinding journey to reach this achievement. This grinding journey is what shows the true character of a person, and brings the best out of each person’s character. As you can see improvement is the true backbone of achievement, because it gives us the drive to strive for excellence. This shows us that achievement helps people to reach for their potential. However, through all the successes and challenges that goes into the journey to achievement, we must understand to enjoy the journey, as well as work hard.”

“Most people believe in a God or a creator of the universe. I believe that we were placed on this Earth with a purpose, and we can find meaning in that purpose. That purpose is to live our lives to the fullest and to find our meaning through God. John 10:10 says “I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest”. That says that we are not here as time wasters; nay we have meaning for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”’. This means that God has a purpose for each one of us. Living life to the fullest, and finding purpose through God: in my opinion, that is life’s meaning.”

“Life is everything we know, and everything we know is part of life. Therefore, it makes a very difficult task to answer such questions as ‘what is the meaning of life?’ as life itself is all-enveloping, with all we do, all we say, all we experience being part of it. However daunting it may seem, many a person has tried to tackle this question. One answer may be three simple things; socialising, learning, and imagination. Can you imagine living without these three key parts of life? They may not seem vital, but as soon as these are taken away you will realise how those elements are crucial. Socialising, learning, and imagination are truly the main parts of life that give it real meaning.”