This I Believe Introduction

THIS I BELIEVE: Create an Effective Personal Essay

From 1951 to l955, Edward R. Murrow hosted This I Believe, a daily radio program that reached 39 million listeners. On this broadcast, Americans—both well known and unknown—read five-minute essays about their personal philosophy of life. They shared insights about individual values that shaped their daily actions. The first volume of This I Believe essays, published in 1952, sold 300,000 copies—more than any other book in the U. S. during that year except for the Bible. In fact, these Murrow broadcasts were so popular that American high school students are being encouraged to compose essays about their most significant personal beliefs.

Fifty years later, This I Believe, Inc., and NPR are again inviting Americans of all ages and all perspectives to examine their belief systems and then write a 400- to 500-word personal essay.

I believe in the power of simple questions.

I believe government is a verb: the collective effort of well-intentioned individuals.

I believe government is a verb: the collective effort of well-intentioned individuals.


Brainstorm: Personal Writing Prompts
Choose one as a prompt for an entry on your blog. Give it a title, copy and paste the prompt, and then answer the questions.

1. Most of us have been in a situation where we made a promise that for one reason or another we were unable to keep.
When were you disappointed because someone made you a promise that they failed to keep? Or when did you break a promise that you made to someone else?

2. We all tend to judge people by their appearances, even though looks can be deceiving.
Have you ever prejudged someone incorrectly based on their appearance or has someone ever prejudged you unfairly based on how you look?

3. All of us are works in progress with a long way to go before we reach our full potential.
In what skill or area are you still working to make progress?

4. Everyone has problems or challenges to overcome.
What obstacles are you proud to have faced and conquered?

5. Our society uses the word hero in many different ways?
How do you define hero, and who is a hero in your life?

6. There is a famous adage: "To err is human, to forgive divine.”
When did you feel divine because you were able to forgive someone for their mistake? When did someone act divine by forgiving you when you were wrong?