I would consider myself a hard worker. I strive for success on my own accord, and I don't expect to receive benefits for slacking off. As I am maturing, I see more and more why I want things to be earned.

Even in regards to my college education, I want to accumulate any scholarships or grants because I worked hard in maintaining a high GPA. Or because I participated in extracurricular activities. Or because I studied long hours for standardized tests. Or because I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. Or because my parents and I contribute to society in a fair way by working and paying our taxes.

I want to be a supportive citizen. I don't want to rely on the government as my means of livelihood. And I won't. I will not be waiting for a welfare check. I will not be living off of other taxpayers' dollars. That is unjust, and I am not a scrapper. If that means that I live below ideal means, so be it. But, that is exactly why I am pushing myself through college- so that I can contribute back to our society. However, I am not working so hard now to pay for someone else to not work at all in the future. That is not right. I understand that people find themselves in tragic circumstances. I will want to help those people; WANT to, not be indirectly forced to. The government has no right to tell me that my tax paying dollars should fund someone else's needs because they deserve it. Why do they deserve to not work if they're perfectly able to but instead live off of those who do? Because they were treated unfairly? The real injustice is letting them off easy; that doesn't fix wrongs, it just creates more tension. The government cannot fix our weaknesses by giving monetary handouts to people who feel like they don't have to contribute. There are jobs out there, but because we are a people obsessed with status and idealism, they are left unoccupied because they are below our standards. We cannot afford to be greedy. In order to strengthen our society, we have to contribute to the economy by taking advantage of job opportunities. The government needs to provide opportunities and incentives, and the people need to utlize those to generate cash flow. This is a system of exchange, and we need to restore that. We have to be active decision makers, not takers.

I will not grow stronger by watching a trainer lift weights, but I will build my strength if I decide to lift the weights he/she places in front of me. I am deciding to take advantage of the opportunities in my life that God provides me with to prosper, whether I love the circumstances or not. I will play my respective role in this society. I might be a broke college student writing an article from a youthful, naive perspective, but I promise I don't want a handout.