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Going into high school, I had absolutely no friends, which meant I had to make them on my own by socializing with others. I had already learned a lot about fake friends and bullying all through middle school, so I took those lessons in freshman year. High school is about making mistakes and figuring out who you want to be, but I wish I had a little more guidance, which is why I want to share five lessons I’ve learned so far throughout my life. high school career.
1. Be BOLD and be YOU
As cliché as it sounds, being yourself really does make a difference. Whether you’re loud and dumb or shy and quiet, you can attract the kind of people you want into your life just by being yourself. I can’t stress this concept enough, but being social and bold will honestly make you more likeable and approachable to others. All in all, we live on a floating rock in the middle of space, which means people’s opinion of you doesn’t matter. If I’ve learned anything in the past year, it’s that life is very short, so why waste it pleasing others or being too embarrassed to be yourself? The embarrassment lasts in the moment but the memories will last forever.
2. Not all friendships are meant to last.
This advice is not just for high school students but for ALL grade levels. Trust me when I say I’ve had my fair share of girlfriend drama and fallout with friends. It took me a long time to realize that half of the friends you make in elementary/middle school are NOT real friends who will stick with you even though you might not be the nicest person. “popular” around. True friends don’t care about petty concepts like your social status. They don’t try to outdo you every chance they get. Friends support each other and make you so happy that you cry at the thought of losing them. They don’t make you feel like a burden or unimportant. Most people will experience toxic friendships at some point, but it’s important to keep in mind what made them toxic and how to avoid it in the future. Some friendships may end naturally and there may be many reasons that seem unknown, but you will know just when that time is right.
3. Don’t be a spectator; RISE
Sadly, over the years I have experienced and seen racism happen in my own school. Don’t get me wrong, I love my school and a lot of people there, but that doesn’t excuse the few bad apples. I’ve always been the kind of person to stand up for others who didn’t feel able to speak up, because I have a very compassionate and nurturing heart. If you ever hear any type of bullying happening, don’t be shy and back off, say something to the bullies’ faces or remove the bullied person from the situation. No one deserves to be treated horribly. We are all the same, we are all human. When racist acts of bullying occur, I take the time to educate those who don’t know any better and, unfortunately, weren’t properly taught by their parents.
4. Enjoy the little moments
Since the first year, I have been looking forward to being in senior year and going to university. Now that the time has come, I am extremely nervous and scared to begin this next chapter of my life. Last summer made me realize that life is so precious and I will never be as young as I am today, so by breathing the air and capturing what surrounds me through my eyes, I can live fully in the present moment. I don’t know how to describe it exactly, but enjoying the little moments creates a feeling of peace and true serenity.
5. EVERYTHING happens for a reason
I never really understood the phrase “everything happens for a reason”, until now. Life hasn’t always gone my way, but in the end I learned a lot about myself and my environment. I know it is very difficult to fully grasp and understand this concept, but once you start to go with the flow and let life take its course, you will feel so much happier. Overthinking caused me to close my eyes at 2 a.m., when I could have reminded myself not to take life so seriously. The boy drama, the test scores, the loss of friends all taught me a valuable lesson that I wouldn’t have learned if I hadn’t had the experience. This is exactly why everything happens for a reason; to teach you a lesson at the end or to create memories that last a lifetime. Overall, whatever you’re going through, keep in mind that you’ll come out of it stronger, wiser, and looking your best.
