Kanye's Poem: A Personal Narrative Of My Life

Although many people give Kanye West a bad reputation, a line during his speech during the 47th Grammy’s has had a profound effect on my life. His quote that I refer to when dealing with a difficult situation is, “If you have the opportunity to play this game of life, you need to appreciate every moment. A lot of people don’t appreciate the moment until it’s passed.” I have had many difficult situations in my life, between my Father passing away and fish year in the Corps of Cadets. Just finding a way to push through was hard, and trying to stay positive seemed almost impossible. To make it through, and to become happier, I kept these words in mind.
The hardest decision that I have had to make was choosing to attend Texas A&M. After my father passed away, I had grown closer than ever before to my family. Coming here meant that I would have to leave them. I was worried that the relationships that I had worked so hard to develop would weaken, and that I wouldn’t be able to help them if something came up. However, my decision was final, and I would be attending A&M in the fall. Rather than being negative, I thought back to what Kanye had said. I needed to appreciate every moment, regardless of what may come. From that point on, I made the most of every moment that I spent with my family. Whether it was

family dinners or just talking while driving to school, I made sure to appreciate every interaction. Being grateful for any opportunity I had to spend with my family, made what could have been of the most negative years of my life, into something that I will look back on happily for years to come.
In addition to giving me a positive attitude, the quote allowed me to improve myself in difficult situations.

At the end of Freshman year, I applied to be a Corps Clerk, and was accepted into the interview process, but I did not get the position. I was inclined to attribute it to my incompetence, but I instead used it as an opportunity to understand what improvements I needed to make. What I found was that I needed to work on my speaking skills. I used this to my advantage, as I was able to perform well during my Student Engineers’ Council Interview and be accepted. Referring to this quote, and using every experience as an opportunity, allowed me to better

myself.
This quote reminds me that every minute we spend “playing this game of life” is a privilege. If I had spent my time on how unfair life had been for me, I would have more regrets than positive memories. By keeping this quote in mind, and really appreciating everything that I am given, I have noticed that I have been truly happier. I cherish every opportunity and every relationship, because I know that I might not be guaranteed another.