2+-+This+I+Believe

= **This I Believe** = = ** A Public Dialogue about Belief--One Essay at a Time ** = **" This I Believe ** is an international project engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing __the core values that guide their daily lives__. Over 70,000 of these essays, [have been] written by people from all walks of life..." -- www.thisibelieve.org



=“This I Believe” Guidelines =

1. __** Tell a story **__ : Be specific. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Write about you and your thoughts. Tell us your story in the first person: “I believe….”

2. __**Name your belief**__ : If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Rather than writing a list, consider focusing on one core belief.

3. __**Be brief**__: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words, and shouldn’t be more than three minutes long when read at a normal speaking rate.

4. __** Keep it personal **__: Make your essay about you. Don’t try to use words or phrases you wouldn’t normally say. Remember, if you wouldn’t be comfortable saying the words out loud, it is probably too formal.

5. __** Say what you do believe, not what you don’t **__—Write about what you think, but not at the expense of others. Keep the focus on you, and what you believe, not what you disagree with.

6. __** Have fun! **__ How many times are you allowed to be 100% free with your choice of topic, and what you want to say about it? This is your chance to write about your personal philosophy of life—so don’t be shy—let it out!

= Sample "This I Believe" Statements =

"Creating Our Own Happiness" -- Wayne Coyn