The Five W's of Life

As a student majoring in Broadcast Journalism, I have become very familiar with the five W’s of journalism, which remain a cornerstone of news gathering today. The W’s, including who, what, when, where, and why, are the questions asked by journalists to provide the necessary details about a news story or event. Just as the five W’s play a very important role in journalism, there are 5 W's that can play a very important role in your life, and help guide you in the right direction!

I found these five W’s to be very interesting, and here's how I broke them down:

The first W states, “Who you are is what makes you special. Do not change for anyone.” I’ve learned throughout the past few years that people are going to try to bring you down, and some are going to try to change you, but you have to remember that each and every one of you are unique in your own way, and despite the opinions of others, that’s what sets you apart and makes you special. You’re not going to please everyone, so do not change for anyone. Be yourself, and if someone has a problem, well, let them have a problem. 

The second W states, “What lies ahead will always be a mystery. Do not be afraid to explore.” I hear people say all the time that they are scared to death of what the future has in store for them. They’re scared of being alone, not finding a job, not being successful, and much more. As a Senior in college and graduating in just a few short months, it’s often frightening to think about the next stage in life. My parents refer to it as the “real world.” Even though it is quite frightening to think about being on my own, especially paying my owns bills and completely providing for myself, I don’t let it hold me back. Instead, I continue working hard, knowing that God is in control and HE already knows exactly what's next in my life!

The third W states, “When life pushes you over, you push back harder.” We are all human beings, nobody’s perfect, and we are going to fail at some point in our lives. However, it’s how we react to the failure that shows our true character. When things don’t go our way, and life pushes us over, we must push back harder, knowing that everything happens for a reason and the best is yet to be. Don’t give up, and have faith in knowing that God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.

The forth W states, “Where there are choices to make, make the ones you won’t regret.” There are four human elements that make a good choice good. These elements include your emotions, yourself, a vision, and your surroundings. The choices you make must fit in with your positive emotions, and you must avoid negative ones. Your choices must also match who you are as a person. By having a vision when making the right choices, you must make sure that your choices are in accordance with your long-term goals. Lastly, you must pay attention to your surroundings and make sure your choices are compatible with the situation you find yourself in. If you put these four elements into consideration when making choices, you’ll be more likely to make the right ones.

The fifth W states, “Why things happen will never be certain. Take it in stride and move forward.” Nobody will ever understand why bad things happen. I am a firm believer of the saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” Even though we sometimes don’t understand what the reasoning could possibly be, we have to have faith in knowing that it did happen for a reason, and everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. Even though it’s hard to understand why bad things happen, such as heartbreak, death, illnesses, and much more, we must move forward in life and not dwell on the things we can’t change. If you experience heartbreak, have faith in knowing there’s somebody else out there that’s better for you. If you lose a loved one, find comfort in knowing that you will see them again one day.

I hope you all enjoy reading about how I think we can apply the five W’s to our lives. Think about how they apply to yours, and how you can enjoy life even more while putting these Five W’s of Life into perspective.