Contestant No.10 /age 17, grade 11th/ In
this culture that thrives on the superficial, maintaining one’s purity can be
very difficult. It requires self-determination, confidence, friendship, and
most of all purpose. One has to actively participate in the decision to keep
pure; it’s not something that can be forced on someone or engrained through
dogmatic reasoning. One has to take ownership over their purity. If something
else makes that decision for them, then that person will not be able to protect
their purity from the problems and distractions of the real world. High school is a critical time in a
young person’s life, and without a strong personal belief in the value of
purity, youths will undoubtedly fall to the wayside. The temptations of
security and acceptance are lures that can entice a person to relinquish their
standards. In a culture that does not see purity’s value; I have often found
myself standing out in the crowd because of my beliefs. However, I have found
that the only way to not be cast out as a socially decrepit person, but also
maintain my personal standards is to radiate an aura of confidence. This shows
others that I have an inner strength.
Often times, even if another person doesn’t agree with those beliefs;
they are still able to recognize and respect that strength. In the emotional turmoil of high
school, it is necessary to have strong friends you can rely on to avoid sinking
beneath the waves of social apathy. Sometimes one’s confidence can fail and
leave you vulnerable to the outside lifestyle pressures that surround us.
Friendships can provide a safety net that you can count on when you personal
strength is not enough. Undoubtedly, there will be low points in life where you
question your standards. But the journey down the road of life does not have to
be a lonely one; good, solid friends can help guide you through the darker
times. Once a person has the confidence and inner strength to resist the
mainstream culture, people will naturally gravitate towards their inner
strength and commitment to something greater. These other people may not fully
understand your motivation and reasons behind your actions, but they can sense
your greatness and want to warm up to its glow. Determination, self confidence and
friendship are all necessary aspects of maintaining purity, but they are just
the structure. The more important thing is the blueprint, or underlying purpose
and motivation that the entire belief system is built around. Without some kind
of purpose to guide and justify one’s actions, one can very easily be swept
away. For me, my reason for maintaining my
purity is so that I can be able to fully and completely love my future wife, without
any reservations and doubts. I know that when I do meet that one person, I will
want nothing more than to give everything to her, and my precious purity will
be a gift that she can cherish. This belief is so strong in my mind that it
cannot be erased, no matter what the contemporary culture may throw at me. It
is my starting point from which I try to build the complex structure that is my
life. But even if this building of life is knocked down or destroyed, I still
have my foundation belief that is embedded in the ground. In fact, this belief
is more than a foundation, it is the very earth my life is build on. Purity should be seen as a gift, not
as a burden. A person cannot go through their crucial formative years living as
a begrudged and confused outcast. In order to live a happy life and still
maintain a moral standard you must inner strength and vitality. Determination,
confidence, friendship and purpose are the tools necessary to create the life
of fulfillment everybody desires. | |
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