AN ESSAY ON MY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE BY Margaret Omotola Osunrinde tola.osunrinde@yahoo.co.uk

Life is beyond a state of physical and biological existence; it is also a platform for self-realization, which is viable by self-determination, improvement and socialization. This is why I ensure to always strive hard and apply the principle of excellence in whatever I do. I know that my motivation would keep me in tune with life dynamics such that the harder I work, the better I score and the more fulfilled I become. Everyone has their own personal outlook on life, but whatever one’s opinion is, excellence is in tandem with life fulfillment as fulfillment results to happiness. Aristotle once expressed that “Happiness is the most desirable thing in the world”. It therefore comes as a result of self fulfillment. As for me, living in excellence is what gives me happiness. If I were to write about the philosophy of my life in the last decade, it probably would have been to “Live life as it comes”. However, in this decade, I have adopted and realized that achieving excellence in whatever one does forms a strong basis for life fulfillment. Excellence is not relative, it requires a lot of hard work and this is the reason behind why quite a number of people would prefer to take shortcuts. To attain the height of excellence requires a price to pay, it is a result of being meticulous, focused, hardworking, determined and highly committed. The word “excellence” has been defined as the quality of possessing good skills and value in high degree. It’s about developing a winning mindset that constantly believes in becoming the best at what one does and in all circumstances. While developing excellence is a deliberate process; it takes time and is achieved by creating a personal strategy that puts one on the road to success. Excellence can be personally defined and will vary across