There are many things that I did in my youth that I regret, many mistakes made, many roads that I shouldn’t have gone down. It’s hard to have to go back and right the wrongs, more often than not, we cannot do it. Sometimes, we have no choice but to leave the wrongs the way they are and allow them to provide for us a mark, a lesson mark, from which we can learn not to do them again.

The first mistake I regret is caring about what everyone else thought of me. The opinions of others have a tendency to weigh us down, big-time. We can get sucked into a vacuum of their sweltering thoughts of us, causing us to lose control of who we are and what we are called to be. This was a constant battle for me, like quicksand, and it was hard to escape.

The second mistake was not being authentic. This actually stems from the first mistake, in the sense that the fear of others’ opinions swayed me to become something I was not. It pressured me into being fake, even lying so that people would “accept” me. Everywhere I went, I was tempted to put on a facade, to hide the struggling man inside. I learned that if we are true to ourselves, this would in turn, cause us to be true to others, allowing trust to build in relationships, and integrity to become a part of our character.

The third mistake was not watching my finances. I would recklessly spend money on things I didn’t need, like constantly going to the convenience store to buy a Gatorade and some candy. Or buying extra clothes, or getting gifts for some fancy girl. I learned quickly that there were a lot of things that I could do without.

I learned that work was a very valuable thing and unless one was lucky or blessed, almost nothing can be attained without work of some sort. Life would have been easier if I would have spent time to know my worth. It is way better to spend time being real, because in doing this, a man can discover who his real friends are, who actually cares about him. And if he stops to think before he acts, he can prevent a lot of foolishness and setbacks along the way.

There are two popular views on life and how it pertains to this world and these views are rather simple: those who view life as meaningless and others who view life as meaningful. Now, the conceptual perceptions of religion have always crept their way into these viewpoints but, nevertheless, these views are the most popular. While it can be said that a lot of aspects of life can be baffling and confusing, if one can find his purpose… and utilize his gifts, he can make the most of his life, and find meaning in what he once disregarded.

The most prevalent perception of life, most particularly in modern society, is that life is seemingly meaningless and to make the most out of it, one has to be “in tune with himself” and “one with nature”. These ideas are not archaic in a sense, but they are somewhat expressed in William Wordsworth’s poem, “The World is Too Much With Us”. Wordsworth seems to be in a state of agony and exhaustion, and he starts by stating, “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers” (line 2). This is the implication of the everyday affairs of mankind, how humanity engages in the seemingly endless cycle of gaining and losing, wasting ability, intuitiveness, and spirituality. This is true as many have regrets on how they have misused (or not used) their “powers” on things that are not necessary. After coming to the realization that mankind is not in control of nature nor is he in possession of it, Wordsworth tells the audience, “We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!”, a suggestion that whenever men have given their hearts away, it is utterly to no avail and it is pointless. Wordsworth continues, saying, “For this, for everything, we are out of tune” (line 8); as a result of giving the heart away unconsciously and seeing how nature is flowing perfectly without the involvement of man, Wordsworth makes the diagnosis that men are simply “out of place” but this does not seem to bother them. The poet goes on to what seems his solution, preferring to be a pagan who has been given principles that are no longer acceptable, alluding to God, to whom he is crying out in anguish.

The contrast to what is a rather bleak outlook on life is the hopeful optimist who, once he realizes his purpose, finds meaning. John Milton, author of the poem, “When I consider how my light is spent”, begins with a reflection on his earlier days, “And that one talent which is death to hide/Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent” (lines 3-4). Milton is paying an ode to his sight, which he lost, which would have been his grave mistake if he had not used it, which is now useless because he does not have it any longer. This affects his initial claim that his days are inane, and his soul is vexed as a result of blindness. But then hope appears to Milton, this seems to be given to him by God Himself, and he explicates his sudden change into patience, saying, “…God doth not need/Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best/Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best” (lines 9-11). When Milton got himself out of the picture and discovered himself as part of a divine plan, he enlightened himself on how life can become plentiful. The problem was never about his sight, it was about Milton’s incapability to find God’s will up to this point.

Both poets have very deep analysis on life and their concepts provide intellectual insight on the minds of both sides. The tones of both poems begin in misery as Wordsworth and Milton question their worth, they are found lying in despair and confusion. Wordsworth and Milton allude to God, yet one cries out to Him in vanity and the other has humbly accepted his role as a tool is the hands of a divine worksman.

Therefore, this is the conclusion to the whole matter that readers can come to: it is not about man or how he boasts in his own works, it is how he subjects himself to the will of God so that he can become useful, as Milton knows this now; this is the duty of man and this is what makes life worthwhile.