High School is different for everyone. For some, it's a walk in the park, for others its one big panic attack waiting happen. Learn how to walk through the doors with your head held high and cope with the trials and tribulations of everyday teenage life.
So many topics pop into my head when I think about all the hardships I endured as a teenager. It could be so confusing at times I didn't know whether I was coming or going . I remember getting so stressed out by the littlest things sometimes I just wanted to run away. Looking back now I realized its not the little things that mattered, it's the way they were dealt with that taught me life's lessons.
Rule #1
The number one rule when entering high school is you have to have confidence! And I'm not talking about the “ I look good” confidence you have, as your smirk in the mirror while making sure your hair is flawless on the way out the door. Although that is good, and you shouldn't ever lose the ability to look at yourself and be more than satisfied with your beauty, I was thinking more along the lines of really respecting yourself and loving yourself for whom you've become as a young adult. The best ways to learn how to respect yourself is learning who you are. Sit back and think for a minute about the small decisions you've made throughout your day today that define who you really are. Whether it was feeding a pet (taking care of your responsibilities), Taking a shower (taking pride in your appearance), or making lunch plans with that special someone (showing compassion towards others).
Now sit back and think about if you are happy with the decisions you made. Do you feel that you did the right thing? Don't settle for anything less. Live by your conscious 90% of the time, change the things tomorrow you weren't satisfied with yourself today, and your attitude and self confidence could only skyrocket from here. You can't learn to respect anyone else if you don't respect you first. Learning to not just accept who you are but not being afraid to let yourself SHINE is the number one rule. You're beautiful. Your ideas and your compassions in life are beautiful no matter how different they may seem. This isn't something you can just look into the mirror and change over night. This is an ongoing process. You have to wake up everyday and find an ambition to fix your mistakes. Just remember Experiences is when life happens.
Your Support System
The second most important factor in being successful in school is the support behind you. Your family is your backbone. Acceptance with each other and strong communication is the key to a healthy relationship as well as the support you NEED.
Lets face it we don't have super powers to block out tragedies, and overcome hardships in our past all on our own. Your “support system” is the single most important thing that helps you to love yourself. Realize you are part of a family and your decisions not only affect you and your life, it also molds those minds around you. Don't live to please your guardians but take in their advice, listen when they have a suggestion, learn to get over the teenage ego trip of “knowing it all”. Wanting your family's support will help you gain it 100%.
Confide in Your Mentors
Once you really realize how important your family is in your support system, you need to know that your teachers are second most important. And I know how that sounds, no one wants to be tagged as the teachers pet. Think about it though, how many years or generations for that matter of teenage drama filled days do you think these people have seen? They're the experts. They've experienced first hand the same problems you'll hide, year after year with thousands and thousands of young adults similar to you. And they are still there, everyday, awaiting your problems to walk through the classroom door. Learn to confide in your teacher. They are your mentors, your hope, and your access to your future. So don't second guess them before you trust them.
Friends!! The most exciting part of school! Making friends is the best experiences you'll ever have in your life. The people you become closest to influence your life and help create your future with you. You need to sit back and think again. What qualities do you think a person should have in order to be GOOD ENOUGH to influence your life? Honesty, loyalty, compassion? These are just to name a few. The saying “you are who you hang out with” really does have some truth behind it. Remember when I said you have to respect yourself, you have to respect your best friends and the people you surround yourself with to be truly happy with the influence they do have on you. So weed out all the bad influences yourself. Don't surround yourself with people whom you feel only bring you down. Or bring you down more often than up. Good friends also create confidence; confidence is what you need to be happy. I'm not saying don't ever talk to the people again you feel make bad choices. Acquaintances is what we call these people. People you consider friends but you wouldn't see regularly. Just make sure when you think about who you consider your best friend to be its someone who will always have the best intentions for you at heart in everything you do together. These are the people who truly care about you and your future. So don't be so blinded by the opinions that don't really matter, that you cant see the happiness true friends possess for you.
The same values you cherish in a close friend are the qualities you should look for when you chose a boyfriend or girlfriend. Everything I just said about choosing a friend is the exact same in this situation. You have to be able to respect each other before you can ever really love. But you'll have many flings. And this is the most fun part, getting to know all the people and experience different people before you actually do find that right one. Don't just have a boyfriend or girlfriend for the mere fact of saying it. Don't judge those who want to get to know you though before you take a closer look. Besides, they noticed you had something special about you so they may have good taste.
All these things to consider in your “social life” part of high school, but don't let that steer your attention away from the prize. Graduating school and creating the future and life you chose. Take control of your life now. Write down the five most important goals you want to achieve for yourself this year. And while you're brainstorming take into consideration everything we discussed about bettering yourself and your future. When you get this right, you'll have your priorities straight. When you have your priorities straight your relationships with your family and friends will prosper. Your relationships are good, your grades are good, your self-confidence is at an all time high and you're enjoying every moment of your adolescent life and making good decisions for your future all at the same time. A stress free year is what you've created. You can walk into school with your head held high and a clear conscious.
