A Portrait: The Successful, Happy and Fulfilled me

[The Award-winning Essay by Onis Sampson in the annual McPherson University Essay Writing Competition . Mr. Sampson came first in the essay competition. Prizes were awarded on the 18th of August, 2013. Prize Money: $100. McPherson University is owned by Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria.] 

A few years back while a teenager, I was perusing the pages of “The Western Experience,”¹ and came across an artwork. It was the portrait of “Louis Bertin,”² a nineteenth century European statesman painted by Dominique Ingres. Flipping two pages forward I saw another artwork, titled “Self Portrait,”³ a painting by Camille Corot in which he painted himself with the aid of a mirror before him.
As I pondered over the depth of artistic mastery seen in these two works, I discovered that while the former involved an artist painting a subject, the latter was a work in which the artiste painted himself. In other words the latter is a self-portrait. In the pages of this piece, I shall be discussing my level of success, happiness and fulfillment just as Corot did a portrait of himself. To achieve utmost clarity of purpose, it is important going beyond the empirical understanding of the word “portrait” as shown in the illustration above to defining it.

The word “portrait” is defined in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary⁴ in two senses. The first relates to a painting while the second defines it as “a description or impression of something.” How do I describe my success, happiness and fulfillment in life?

First, ever since I discovered the correlation between talent and happiness, and how fulfillment comes when talent is rendered in service to mankind, I have never ceased to utilize my talents in serving and meeting the needs of others. The more I do this, the more I feel successful, happy and fulfilled. This finds expression also in my course of study, Law, at the university and even after graduation. I have a strong aversion for injustice, so I have at various times during my undergraduate years played advisory roles to intending litigants without asking for pecuniary gain.

Secondly, I have discovered from my own experience that real happiness and success in life must be rooted in observance of universal principles. By this I mean observing natural principles whether religiously or as a free agent in nature. For instance, the principle of self-discipline is paramount to me. I derive great courage from it in that I stand my ground when fighting for a just cause without giving up. This courage births happiness and fulfillment in me. Following from this continuum of thought, are self-discipline and work, time-management, personal success and goals which are defining key principles that have always guided me.

Thirdly, I understand that happiness is a gift of God possessed by those who respond obediently to Him. Secular knowledge of happiness is based on material possession; conversely as a Christian, I enjoy constant happiness through obedience. A bible scripture that underscores this is Matthew 5:3-12 on the beatitudes⁵. Sufficient to say that money is not the real determinant of success, happiness or fulfillment for me. It is important but has never been a determining factor for me whether or not I will contribute my time, resource and knowledge in humanitarian ideals. This mindset has yielded me great success. I discovered that in the process of meeting the needs of others, monetary benefits have incessantly come my way.

I have had challenges as well; nonetheless I have always overcome them through pursuit of worthy life goals, while placing service to humanity at the center-stage. A sure outcome is the great sense of fulfillment I have always felt at those times and always.