Laws of Life Contest

Your objective is to create a written or video response to the following prompt.

In his book, The Essential Worldwide Laws of Life, Sir John Templeton outlines a basic approach to finding purpose in one’s life.

There is a simple way you can discover your special purpose in life. Draw up a list of all the qualities you value in yourself and that other people admire in you. If you’re a humorous person, you have the ability to uplift and entertain. If clear thinking is your strong suit and you’re skilled at developing ideas, accept this as a gift that can benefit those around you in many ways. Since we sometime think of ourselves as lacking in good qualities, it is important to dig a little to unearth those skills and talents that may lie hidden.

Next, examine the ways in which you interact with other people and make a list of those ways that work the best. Does it excite you to teach someone a skill that will help him? Do you enjoy simply listening while someone shares a problem with you? Are you happiest when organizing a group for a project, or perhaps when encouraging someone who feels hopeless about herself and her life?

Finally, imagine what your world would be like under the best of all possible circumstances. Would it be clean, peaceful, and productive? Form a mental picture of the world that you’d like you and your loved ones to live in, and write down that vision in as much specific detail as possible.

Your mission in life is to have a “why” to live for, to use your best qualities in the service of the kind of world in which you would like to live. That is your purpose. This is what life expects of you. And when you live according to your purpose, setting goals that support that purpose, you may find the pieces of your life drawn together into a strong internal whole. Then, no matter how difficult life’s experiences may prove to be, you will be able to endure and even prevail.

Using the steps described above, consider your purpose. How might you fulfill it in the next five years? What guiding principles and goals will help you live according to your purpose in the next five years and beyond? If you keep your purpose in mind, where do you think you will find yourself in five years?

Judges will look at the quality of the ideas presented, the creativity of entry, and your command of the medium chosen for the entry.

Entrants must be high-school seniors graduating with either the class of 2012 or 2013 and planning to be enrolled part- or full-time in an undergraduate degree program at an accredited college,  university, or trade school in the United States or its territories. Winnings will be paid through the financial aid offices of the winners’ respective institutions. In order to receive your winnings you will need to be enrolled somewhere no later than the start of the Fall semester of 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: This eligibility requirement was updated on July 26, 2012 to allow the class of 2013 to enter. Earlier eligibility requirements stated that the contest was only open to the class of 2012.

Written entries should be between 500 and 1,000 words.

To submit written entries, contestants must either send:

• An electronic submission, saved as a Microsoft Word file (.doc or .docx) or a PDF file to tpinfo@templetonpress.org.
• A printed copy to: Laws of Life Contest, Templeton Press, 300 Conshohocken State Road, Suite 550, West Conshohocken, PA 19428

Be sure to include your full name, e-mail address, and graduation year.

Video entries should be two minutes or less in length. Entries must be published to one of the major video hosting sites such as YouTube, Dailymotion, or Vimeo.

To submit video entries, contestants must send a link to tpinfo@templetonpress.org.

Be sure to include your full name, e-mail address, and graduation year.

By entering in either format, you give Templeton Press the right to use your submissions for promotional activities.

Essay contest:

• First prize receives a $5,000 scholarship and a session with a professional purpose coach
• Second prize receives a $3,000 scholarship
• Third prize receives a $1,000 scholarship

Video contest:

• First prize receives a $5,000 scholarship and a session with a professional purpose coach
• Second prize receives a $3,000 scholarship
• Third prize receives a $1,000 scholarship

UPDATE: The deadline has been extended. The new deadline is 11:59 pm EST on December 31, 2012. All entries must be received by that time.