Whew. So, it's over. 2016--the year of...well, there are really too many adjectives, verbs and hyperbolic phrases that could be inserted there, so that's where I think we should start.
I am a huge fan of moving forward--I don't even like to put my car in reverse if I can help it--true story--but I also recognize the value of taking a backward glance from time to time. I mean, how else can you see:
1) how far you've gone
2) how much you've left to go
3) where the twists, turns and pot holes in the roads were
Now, for me, of all of those, #3 means the most. Like I said, I am a fan of moving forward, but most of the time, the natural enemy to forward thinking or really any kind of positive progression, is repetition. The repetition of a mistake is the most obvious deterrant to progression because it usually means going backward, but even repeating things that worked out for you can be detrimental to progress because it could mean that you are comfortable and not taking any more risks, and then, consequently, you can't "really" progress. Personally, I like to see where things went bananas for me, or where I made a wrong turn, or how taking the shortcut would've helped me had I only listened to someone else.
So, usually right around now, I allow me the time I need to take stock of my personal and professional situations.
I should do this more often than just the start of a new year, I know this, but something about the symbolism of starting at 1 just speaks to me, so here I am.
What I noticed I did way too much last year was to let things that were either out of my control, or not really fixable in the first place, define who I was. As a result, I spent too much of 2016 feeling like a colossal failure. Thus, for 2017, I have decided to form BOTH an interpretation and a life plan from something I read by accident over break. It was a quote from a long-dead German author named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (that G name is actually pronounced "Gert-A), and it states: "Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least."
I am trying to find a sign that says that, but so far, no luck.
Now, its your turn.
First--I want you to fill in that sentence I started at the beginning: "2016--the year of ____________". Explain your choice.
Second, of the three reasons I listed for why looking back is good, which one do you see the most value in and why? Explain in detail.
Finally, moving forward in whatever area of life you want to focus on, how would you like to proceed that is AT LEAST marginally different then whatever you did last year?
2016- the year of growth. My focus shifted immensely from things that I thought mattered, to things that actually mattered. I find myself managing my time better- yes, I occasionally fall apart sometimes, but who doesn’t? I pulled myself together, and realized who and what was important to me. My mind is becoming more and more open to different possibilities, and I feel my power growing within me. I know who I am, and a new year doesn’t really mean much to me. It is just another year of growing.
ReplyDeleteHow much you’ve left to go. What you have already accomplished is so small compared to what you have left to accomplish-at least for me it is. At 17, the majority of people have a job, middle school “diploma”, and maybe even a license. I have received awards, but they are not something I dwell upon and congratulate myself for everyday. I always focus on how much I have left to go, so that I am on track for a better future. Life is about the “now” because in a blink of an eye you’ll be 80 with dentures- I’ve heard it all before. An average person lives to about 79 years old. We aren’t even halfway there! There is so much left to learn and discover, and so much time left to do so.
To me, a new year is like a new day or week or month, except people like to make resolutions that they keep for a solid couple of days. I stopped making resolutions, and started focusing on how to improve daily. I push to make everyday better than the last. That being said, I do not focus on my yearly progression. That is 365 days of trying to improve. However, one thing I would like to do differently in any day, month, or year that is to come is to trust myself. I often do not have faith that I made the right decision or put the right answer on a test, but later on it turns out that I was right. I want to have enough confidence and trust in my decisions because I do not want to be pondering everything that is thrown my way.
2016 year of realization. 2016 made me realize that I didn't need anyone. The people I allowed in my life is because, I wanted them there not because, I needed them. Prolonging relationships that were toxic just because, I felt like I needed that person for my life to run smoothly. However, I didn't and I still don't I was living and breathing before, having friends or a boyfriend and that will continue after. It's not like I'm going to kick the bucket tomorrow just because, someone tells me they don't want to be my friend anymore. I also, realized I need to be more stingy with my time something I can never get back. A terrible thing to waste because, we never know how long we are going to be on this earth for so, its best we make the most of it.
ReplyDeleteHow much you have left to go. In all actuality with everything I wish to accomplish in my life I know my journey has just started. Since, I've decided to graduate early that just gives me a shove at the next chapter of my life COLLEGE. The college process is so, tedious but, I know once, I commit to a school I'll feel a little better. I still want to jump start my own online business so, I don't have to work throughout my college career and be able to make money in my sleep.
Moving forward with my life I plan to be move with aggression and use my mind as a weapon.No longer dwelling on the negativity just using the bullshit that life throws at me as just another stepping stone to get to where I have worked so hard to be. I want to stop procrastinating and utilize my time to my advantage. This year will be the year of shifting my focus on to myself. No longer caring about, the next persons life more than my own. Because, nobody wants to see you succeed more than yourself I repeat no one. No one is going to go harder for you than yourself. Sometimes we have to focus on ourselves to get ahead in life.
2016- the year of heartbreak. In January, my favorite Aunt was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. She is still alive but every time I see her take her wig off reminds me of how strong she is and how I need to keep moving forward. On February 18th 2016, my cousin Andy passed away. He fell asleep behind the wheel coming home from work and hit a tree. Although Andy was 7 years older than me, he was a key part to my life. He kept the family laughing. I’m never going to forget when I called my mom and she said the words: “Andy got in a car accident” my heart dropped to my feet. Losing Andy meant I was losing a brother like figure. There was no one to crack inappropriate jokes at big family dinners, camping trips were going to be filled with tears instead of memorable moments and his daughter would not see how influential her father was. Exactly 3 months after Andy passed away, my grandmother passed away from Leukemia on May 18th 2016. My grandmother was my other half. I was insanely close to her, I always went to her if I needed anything; life advice, laughs. Anything. She made everything better. She was hospitalized for two months and her body could not take the treatments anymore. To this day, I still feel like something is missing. I still feel the sadness from 7 ½ months ago. I simply cannot get over the fact that I lost the most important person in my life. I never expected to lose these two in my life so quickly.
ReplyDeleteHow far I’ve come is the reason why I still have hope for myself. I was a horrible student and person in seventh grade; I was disrespectful, getting bad grades, selfish. After I got a wakeup call, I got my nonsense together and decided to change for myself and myself only. Within one grade change (7th into 8th) I went from C’s and D’s to straight A’s. To many people that’s not impressive but to me, I showed myself how smart I was. I have had many people call me stupid but now, they can’t. Freshman year was another bad year but again, I got my shit together. My sophomore year is a year I will not forget (unfortunately). I survived two deaths, friend fall outs, crying every night from stress and drama all within a 5 month time span. I was the youngest rower on the varsity team and only had two B’s in the second half of the year even with all that trouble. My hardships from last year is what keeps me going because I tell myself everyday “You got through all that bullshit, you can get through this”.
A lot of people say mental health but I really do want to be physically healthy. The last two years, I really slacked in the health department and now it’s catching up on me. My eating habits aren’t too good and since I’m not rowing this year, I’m not pushing myself physically. This year, is the year I get my ass into better shape. Clean eating, working out almost every night, feeling good about myself is what I want to accomplish for this year. I also want a prom date, damn it. I started eating better and working out more late December and it’s been working so I know if I keep going at it, I will get the results I want. I’m going to have swap my greens for rice (gross), exercise for sleeping (yikes) and sleep for stress (oh dear). It’s not a rather of hoping I can do this, I KNOW I will do this and take no L’s for 2017.
2016- The year of gradual learning.
ReplyDeleteIt is very alleviating to me that 2016 is now complete. Though I experienced great things such as exploring Times Square for the first time, traveling to Toronto, or seeing my baby cousin, 2016 had its arduous moments: the election, general hostility, school issues, depression, etc. However, I eventually came to the realization that through both the good and the bad experiences, I learned major lessons, lessons in which I am able to apply to this new year. For example, the election edified me that in spite of what any of us believe in, the issues of this country are still apparent, and it should be a “wake up call” to the problematic areas of our world (ex. racism, sexism, etc.). On the other hand, going to New York and Canada taught me to appreciate and enjoy all my experiences to embark on voyages and explore the fascinating parts of this place. Different experiences such as the scenarios mentioned taught me various things in which I should do to improve myself.
Of the three rationales for looking back, I see the most value in how much you have left to go. It is equally significant to reflect on all the developed achievements from the effort, hard work, and perseverance of previous years. However, there is still a long road ahead to reach the destination of where we wish to be in our lives, and analyzing this pushes us to work even harder to accomplish our goals of whatever they might be. As most of us, I am planning on attending college to then advance in my career, and solely finishing high school up to this point is not enough, especially in this era, as a college education of at least a bachelor’s degree is necessary. It is definitely challenging, especially with the new transitions and changes, but we should look at the commencement of a new year as the motivation to be successful where our situations from the hardships of the past will be enhanced and where our dreams of the past years will become reality.
This year, I am planning to move forward by staying on top of all my academics and studying even harder. Last year, the chaos of everything in my life academically and non-academically resulted in myself forgetting assignments, losing motivation, and believing that things were too difficult to execute. In this new year, however, I am beginning with a clean slate and forgetting all of those unpleasant, painful memories as if they did not occur, and I will push myself to be the best that I can be. I will also dismiss whoever thinks less of me, hurts, or insults me as I do not have time for the cynicism of people who essentially strive for the downfall of others.
2016 -- the year of love. 2016 was the year that I learned how to love different character. On February 9, 2016 I realized that I couldn’t love my love the way that I thought I could. I realized that because of our age difference and his life experiences, I had to satisfy his interests as well as support him more than I usually would. 2016 was also the year that I had to learn self love. My love and I broke up in May, but officially ended things in the end of June. This left me depressed. Eight months with my love and he just up and leaves. I didn’t want to talk to anyone or do anything. I just wanted to lay in bed. Eventually, I listened to my best friend about learning how to love myself. I learned to love myself by forcing myself out of bed at 6:30 to go to Oakcrest and run on the track. I started running 1 mile then 2 then eventually I was running 6 miles. Running helped me forget about him. Forgetting and thinking about him less helped me learn to love myself. It made me see my beauty and it made me want to do things for myself. November 13, 2016 was the day my love came back.
ReplyDeleteHow much I have left to go. I remember when I was 10 years old I walked in the living room, my mom was on the coach and I looked over at the screen and saw tall women posing in front of a photographer. I was curious as to what my mom was watching, so when I asked her and she told me it was “America's Next Top Model”. At the time I never knew what a model was ,so I went on my computer and googled it. Still interested as to what a model is and does whenever it came on I watched it with my mom. After watching a few episodes I fell in love and decided that I WILL become a model. As a result at age 11 my mom and I started to applying to agencies. I began to receive callbacks, but I couldn’t sign because of the cost or they didn’t want to sign me when they saw me person. Finally, on August 16, 2013 I got scouted at the Hamilton Mall and started to work with my placement agency!!!!!! At 14 I began to book fashion shows such as Atlantic City Fashion Week and at the end of the summer my mom entered me in one of my agencies competitions so I can get placed. Seeing how far I have left to go is so important to me because it will make me work harder. I always envisioned that I’ll sign with an agency in New York, LA, Chicago and Milan. Knowing that I am not signed in those areas is going to make me work on my body more to get down to a size 2 (I’m a size 4), take more pictures to add to my portfolio and to submit (pictures weigh more than ⅓ of your score). Knowing how far I have to go creates a hunger that I need to feed.
When it comes to modeling last year I was more focused on my losing fat off my body which resulted in lowering my calorie intake and intense cardio workouts. By living that lifestyle I lost 25 lbs (I went from 165 to 139) . However, this year I am still going to focus on my body ,but I’m going to do it differently. One of my goals is to walk in Miami Swim Week. This means that I need to start toning my body and increasing my calorie intake. Even when you are toning your body and building muscle fat will be lost and your waist will trim. I’m also, going to focus on auditioning to fashion shows such as New York Fashion Week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I am going to do this by getting new comp cards and adding more pictures to my portfolio.
2016-- the year of struggle, changes, fun, and maturity. Quite honestly, I have mixed emotions about the year of 2016. On one side, I ventured out more than I ever have before. I discovered a group of friends that I will have for a lifetime. I got my permit, so I was finally able to experience driving… I mean, with my mom or dad in the car, but still. I went to parties and had fun and just lived life. I learned lessons over time- lessons that made me more mature and adult-like. I started to recognize my worth and purpose. On the other side, I had some struggles. I quit playing soccer, something I have done since I was 3 years old. I got rid of a lot of negative people in my life, resulting in only a slim few of people that I could trust. I experienced a lot of anxiety as well. While there were amazing things I experienced in the year of 2016, there were also some bad things that I have decided to leave behind me. Looking back is important in order to see how far you have gone. It is easy to get caught up in life and to not give yourself enough credit. Many people focus on what they DIDN'T do, rather than what they DID do. Realizing how far you've come is extremely important, especially when you have goals set for your future. Progress is key, not perfection- and nothing feels better than realizing that you have made progress. I hope 2017 is a year free of worries, stress, and tragedy. While it always has been hard, and will continue to be hard, I have always attempted to rid myself of worries. I tend to be someone who stresses and worries to the point where I make myself sick. In this new year, I want to be able to receive an assignment in school without having the urge to breakdown. I want to be better at looking on the bright side of things whether it involves my social life or my academic life. Additionally, I hope that there is no tragedy. And, if by chance there is some type of tragic event, I hope to be able to move on and continue to live life- happily.
ReplyDelete2016 - the year of realization. I am a shy and quiet person who likes to keep things to herself. I am not a fan of displaying my emotions, may it be good or bad. I always try to make things work even if it seems oddly impossible. The year 2016 made me realized that there is nothing wrong of expressing what I truly feel. There's nothing weird about appreciating someone's efforts. Yes, I find it immensely awkward showing people how much I appreciate their efforts, even though I know that by showing my appreciation will truly make them happy. Basically, I just suck when it comes to emotions. In addition to that, 2016 made me realize that if something doesn't work, learn to let go. There is no use of holding on to someone who doesn't want to be hold on to. This goes to any type of relationships -- romantic relationships, friendships, family-related relationships, etc..
ReplyDeleteHow far you've gone. It feels like it has only been yesterday when I was in the fifth grade, the year I moved to the United States. I’ve always thought that time goes by so slow, like it's never even moving, however upon reading this blog, it dawned on me how scary the time flies. Today, I am a Junior in high school, then the next thing I know I’ll be in my graduation gown saying goodbye to a great chapter in my life in order to welcome a new one. A chapter where I will have to face reality; a chapter of no parents, but just me -- a me against the world kind of thing; a chapter where I can no longer depend on anybody but myself; a chapter where challenges, limitations, independence, self-reliance, and maturity comes into play.
For 2017, my goal is to take it easy on myself. I learned that last year I have been too hard on myself. I over-think on the simplest things causing me to be stressed-out; I panic when I find myself not doing anything; and I drown myself with homework that I forget to have a little fun. This year, I just want my school and my social life to be equally balanced because I don’t want to regret not relishing on the fun high school offers.
2016- the year of wow. Just wow. And maybe some ow. Depending on your perspective, 2016 could have been one of three things. 1) everything went right and life feels great. 2) things got out of control and you want 2016 to leave as soon as possible and take that horrible taste in your mouth with it. 3) you could care less. 2016 was the year where Donald Trump got elected, people worshiped a dead Cincinnati Zoo gorilla, we had gender issues, and riot and chaos ensued in Ferguson. 2016 made me laugh at our own stupidity or wonder how much faith I have left in the future of humanity. But it doesn't matter now, does it? 2016 was last year, and 2017 has rolled around the corner like a software update. Let's just hope in this update we fixed the bugs glitches.
ReplyDeleteOf the three, I probably value looking forward the most. After taking a look back at last year, I realized that I still have 60-ish more years of life to live. That's a long time, considering how long it took to get to where I am now. Sure, the past is awesome and all, but there are always some things we wish we could forget. I realized that if I kept staring at the past, it would stare back, and I could never look forward. 60 years is a long time, and it dawned on me that the 16 years I have lived now pale in comparison. I learned to take things a bit easier on myself while I still can and sit back and enjoy the ride that life takes you on. Next thing I know, time is flying and I'm starting life on my own, so might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
Even though we all make resolutions for the new year, we never keep them, but I guess it's the feeling that you get of starting fresh that motivates people. My goal is to balance my time. Even though I like to take it easy and slow down a bit, I end up cursing myself for not giving myself enough time to do what I need to do. Time is the most valuable thing in the world, and it seems that I can't control it, so I better start now before I run out.
2016--the year of adversity. Personally I faced many adversities throughout 2016. It seemed that as we got closer to the end of the year the more things weren't going my way. Facing adversity is tough, at times I wanted to just accept my fate and go with it. I realized as time passed, sitting back and doing nothing is not who I am. I adjusted, made the best of situations, and played the card I was dealt. I learned a lot about myself and life, especially how time passes and we change. Sometimes those changes are self inflicted, when I realized that I stopped them in their tracks. Unfortunately this solution didn't come until the start of 2017. It is a shame, because it wasn't the ending I wanted to the year, but it is in the past and now I have to move forward. Some of those hardships carried into 2017 but I look at them differently now. I value all three of those aspects on going through life. I pay attention to the past to learn and reflect. I reminisce on past trials and times where I faced adversity. So if I had to pick, I'd say 3) is the most important. It relates closest to my views on life and my morals. Looking back and seeing where things went awry and learning from them. Also they help me be grateful, looking back and seeing how times where makes me appreciate how well things are going. It colluded always be worse and sometimes I think back to worse times and I am proud to say I got through it and am a better person from it. I'd like to better myself this new year in the aspect of football. My attitude was to say the least lackluster. My attitude transitioned into my performance. I disappointed my team, coaches and most importantly myself. It is a process, I must mature and grow to make sure that I don't amount to the same outcome next year.
ReplyDelete2016-the year of change, fun, and realization. This past year, I adjusted to many new and different things such as, becoming a junior, driving, a new soccer team, and a different group of friends. All these things have changed me and have made me realize how important my grades are and how much harder I have to work in order to get where I want to be; they made me realize that I’m not interested in playing the sport I used to love at a high level anymore; and they made me realize how much I love and appreciate being around my new group of friends. When I first started driving, I was absolutely terrified but now that i have adjusted to it, I always want to drive and I am more comfortable. It also made me realize that I’m growing up fast and I’ll soon have my license, which means that I have to be very responsible when it comes to driving by myself (not getting distracted). In regards to soccer, I was so excited to move on and start with my new team, but after a bunch of practices, games, and tournaments filled with a ton of learning, I realized that this isn't for me anymore. I also realized that if I want to pursue a job in the medical field, playing soccer in college will give me no time whatsoever to focus and study.
ReplyDeleteLooking back into 2016 makes me notice how many things I have accomplished, which is significant if you want to see your progression. Seeing how far you have come gives you an aspiration to do even better. You can set and accomplish bigger goals for yourself. Looking back into what my habits were regarding school, I have realized that I need to focus and study a lot harder. I always tend to zone off then have no idea what the teacher had just explained or what the instructions were. And usually, I study what I’m supposed to study but not hard enough according to my grade. But, last year I took all honors as opposed to my freshman year and I ended pretty well with all A’s and two B’s. Looking back and seeing how far you’ve come gives you a sense of hope of what’s to come and how you are going to accomplish it.
Now, I’m not the person who is big on making resolutions for the new year or who celebrates when the ball drops; it all feels the same to me. January 1st of the new year is just another day in my life. Why make a new year's resolution when you can just make a resolution any day? I’m always looking for ways I can improve my lifestyle, whether it’s to stop worrying about every little thing, to start exercising and eating healthier, or to be more positive, but it only really lasts for about a couple days. So, in this new year, in this exact point in my life, I would like to proceed by eating much, much healthier. If you haven't noticed already, I am a girl who absolutely loves food, I mean who doesn't? But when I say love, I mean so much that I would be willing to marry a huge bowl of Wawa mac and cheese. When I come home from school, I raid my kitchen cabinets and eat at least one of everything we have. Now this may seem completely unhealthy, which it is, I sometimes seem to think differently because I just say to myself, “Oh I’ll just burn it all off at soccer practice.” But deep down inside I knew that this wasn't the way to go about my eating style. So, I vow to eat waaaaaay more healthier and to not invade my kitchen everyday after school. I also promise that this WILL last than more than a couple days :)
2016--the year of oscillation. I can very honestly say that 2016 was the greatest year of my life. I have made friends that one day will stand behind me at the alter as my bridesmaids, and some that will one day be considered an uncle to my children. I have learned to appreciate all that life has to offer me and to dwell less on the past. I have found a kind of love in a man that I don't think I could ever possibly find in another. I have found happiness. And although I could go on for days about how incredible 2016 was, I could also very honestly say that 2016 was the worst year of my life. I have had my heartbroken like never before. I have seen the worst family issues I have ever experienced, both in my home and in others. I have lost friends who once meant the entire world to me. 2016 was the year oscillation. The year of constant change. The year that was almost as bipolar as the weather that came along with it. The year that I was crying myself to sleep on Tuesdays and Thursdays, yet so giddy with joy that I couldn't sleep on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and the weekends were a free-for-all. As sad as I am to see 2016 go, I'm relieved to watch it leave.
ReplyDeleteAs a survivor of the constant battle within myself and one who lives to encourage others to overcome the same obstacles that I have, the most important reason to look back is to see how far you've come. It's so important to look back and see all that you've accomplished. It's so important to be able to turn around and know that you did it, and that even though it was hard, it was your perseverance that got you sitting here today. To me, seeing how much further you have to go doesn't matter. Looking toward a distance with no definite end can make it seem impossible to reach the finish line. For some people, that may be the perfect escape--knowing that they have an endless about of time to create something new and to do something different. But for someone like me, it only makes it harder to believe that I will find a light in the darkness that surrounds me. It's hard to think that its been 17 years, and I still haven't found someone that I can relate to. We live in a toxic town full of closed-minded people who will never understand. But when you look back and realize how far you've come, and that you've been trying to find somebody for 17 long years, 2 more just to get you through to college where you will find the change you wish to see doesn't sound so bad.
Going into 2017, I won't hit you with that cliche resolution to eat healthier and work out more and get straight A's for the rest of the year!!!! No, this year, I refuse to see the down side of any situation. And I don't mean that in the sense that I'm going to pretend that my entire life is a bowl of cherries and that everyone that enters my life is going to be exactly what I am or what I need, or that no harm will ever be thrown my way, because I know better than that. But by that, I mean that in the short 4 days of 2017, I have been forced to learn that life is too beautiful to dwell on the lesser things in life. I've been forced learned that regardless of what you believe in, it's a blessing to be here, and that life is too short to do anything less than move on, work harder, keep fighting, and love with everything that you have. Moving forward, I will alter my mindset to one in which is always optimistic, and by the time 2018 rolls around, I hope to be the girl that everyone can turn to in their time of fear and shock and hopelessness to give them at least one positive outlook to ease their minds.
2016 was the year of transition. ‘Transition’ speaks to me because that’s basically what each major occurrence that happened did, it helped me understand certain things better, or even figure some things out. Coming into 2017 I have a better idea of what I want for my future, what I’m looking for in the people I surround myself in, and my own beliefs and opinions. Not to say that 2017 isn’t going to do the same for 2018, and I won’t change, but from where I am right now looking back on the last year I am definitely more certain about things and not as...indecisive, or questioning.
ReplyDeleteNumber one speaks to me the most because sometimes when I feel like I’m not moving, or making progress it’s not only good, but healthy to look back and see how far I’ve come. I try not to worry too much about where I’ll end, or the things that will get in the way, mostly because it’ll affect me to much, and make me scared to go out and make the mistakes I will learn from in the long run. Looking back also allows me to evaluate my last mistakes and understand where I went wrong, and learn from them. But it also gives me a chance to look at the good memories, and admire the good times I’ve had with the intention of having even better experiences. As far as where I’m trying to go this year, I know academically I wanna do something far more impressive than I’ve been doing the past two years- because I’ve been slacking- and I want to be pleased with my progress. As far as socially I want to make more memories with friends and family, enjoy the time while it’s slipping away, not really thinking too much about where we’ll end up, but how to spend the time we have together. I want to smile more, ten times more than I do now, and I want to take more pictures...although I’m the type of person to live in the moment, I’m beginning to think it’s good to stop, and take maybe just one picture so you could look back and let the memories be refreshed.
There is no denying that there were some unbelieveable changes that took place in 2016. These changes (whether good or bad) not only affected our state, or our country, they affected the world population as a whole. For example, The United Kingdom left the European Union, ISIS attacks 20 countries killing thousands of people, American businessman and TV producer Donald Trump has been elected to run the country, etc,. Which is why 2016 is the year of change.
ReplyDeleteDepending on your point of view, your year could have gone in many different directions ranging from great, to worse than ever before. Personally I think 2016 was a year of great advances technologically and medically.Due to recent research we are so much closer to curing diseases such as cancer. Due to recent discoveries we may have found planets identical to Earth which may be able to stain life.
These advancements would not have been remotely possible if we did not take time to look back and realize how far we have come with our accomplishments. Looking back to see how far you have come is most important because that is what motivates us to keep moving forward, at the same rate. When we first landed on the moon in 1969 that was the only goal we had in mind. Present day, we are trying to find a way to get to mars. Why? Because it's what's next. But if the scientists at NASA never looked back to see how far they've advanced with their technology and techniques, they would never be as close as they are now. It is also good to look back at how far you’ve come in order to learn and progress. This is also what I would like to work on coming into the new year. I want to learn from my mistakes instead of rolling with them. Lack of responsibility is my biggest mistake, always holding things off until last minute even though I tell myself i won't. I want to end this school year off the right way, by completing what I need to when i need to do it. That is my plan to start and follow through until the end of the new year.
2016 was the year of change and realization. As a sophomore I was naive and unaware of many things. And so as a result, I was not prepared for most of the problems and drama coming towards me. I was treated like shit and everyone took me for granted, i mean they still do but absolutely not as much as before. For example, one of my closest friends stopped being friends with me and told all of my secrets to my enemy. I was naive to have put my all and trust into this person but you can't blame me. I was still learning the difference between a real and fake friend. Also, besides that asshole, I put trust into so many others which one should never do! People generally are not to be trusted, especially if you don't really know them. Besides all this, I also became more active with schoolwork and stopped being lazy. Going into my Junior year, I began to trust less, gain more common sense, and get better grades. However, don't be fooled, I didn't realize my mistakes and change on my own. The beginning of a new relationship began which changed my life for good. This relationship happens to be one i'm still in with my current boyfriend. My boyfriend taught me a lot of things; some helpful and some unnecessary. Don't get me wrong though, any type of advice or help is good, no matter what it is. I can not thank God enough for the many great lessons and changes made which made 2016 a roller coaster for me.
ReplyDeleteFiguring out where the twists, turns and potholes in the roads were is one of the best reason for why looking back is good. Many times there are situations that pop up in life, which we have no idea how or where it occurs. However, once you figure out where the problem suddenly abrupted, your answers are revealed. To continue, figuring where the twists, turns and potholes were allows us to prevent making the same mistakes by running into the same recurring problems we face. It is always good to know why or how something happens because it could benefit you in the long run.
In all honesty, the new year doesn't excite me or motivate me to do much as it once did when I was younger. In the past I have made many resolutions for the New Year, which after a couple weeks fail or just don't work out. So as for me, the only focus for improvement this year would have to be school. As my senior year is slowly approaching, I am trying harder and harder to increase my grades and raise my GPA. By 2018 I want to be accepted into at least one college and have my GPA raised at least by one point. Lastly, I would love to clear all drama from my life and be stress free so that I could focus on my education.
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete2016-- The year of learning how strong I am. I think we can all agree that 2016 was not all sunshine and rainbows for any of us, so it should be no surprise when I say that 2016 was not a year that goes down in the books as one of the better years of those that we have lived. For me, 2016 started out with the loss of someone that had me convinced I was going to spend several more years with down the road, so this year was an automatic “L” for me. As the year progressed, I let go of more people in my life that meant a lot to me. And finally, at the end of 2016, I lost another major person, so it’s pretty safe to say that this year didn’t treat me too well. In the midst of all of this loss and pain and struggle, I had the chance to learn how good I am at holding my ground. How mature I am in situations that don’t usually call for maturity. How strong I am, and that I will be okay. 2016 was a year full of trial and error and at times I felt as if I was in the ocean with no one around me to help, constantly being knocked down by huge waves without getting breaks to grasp some air. But I learned something special; I learned how to swim to the shore without the help of anyone, where I am now able to breathe all I want without being knocked down again. So thank you 2016, for being the year that taught me the depth of my strength.
Of the three reasons that make looking back a positive thing to do, I believe that how far you’ve gone is the reason that holds the most value. Although knowing how much you have left to go is important as well, I find pride in looking back and reflecting on how far I’ve come. To me, that in itself is enough motivation to continue when I am aware of all of my accomplishments and understanding how I accomplished them, and when I am faced with the realization of what I am capable of, I feel as though I can do anything.
2017 is the year that I focus on not holding grudges. Earlier in the year I mentioned that I tend to not be phased by the concept of forgiveness. It’s not something I would say I’m proud of, but it’s no secret. Throughout all of these years in which I have experienced pain when it has come to relationships or friendships or people just “doing me dirty”, I have continued to store little bits of anger in the back of my head that I have not yet found a reason to get rid of. Yes, I know, what a terrible way to live, holding anything anyone has done to me against them for the rest of their/my life...Which is why I have made it my #1 focus for 2017. My goal isn’t to just let people walk all over me and hand out forgiveness like it’s Halloween candy, because like I mentioned above, I’m strong and I sure as hell know how to hold my ground. But my goal is to focus on not holding grudges years after something happens, not because I’d be doing the other person a favor, but because I need to start freeing myself from the anger and hurt that I continue to let rest inside of my head.
2016--the year of self love. I have always been confident, but it was almost like a fake confidence. I acted like I didn’t care what people thought, but deep down I did. I needed approval. Who the hell knows why. Throughout the year, I have become more genuinely confident and happy, for the first time I can honestly say that I have been genuinely happy. It took a little bit of tough situations to truly become the independent happy person that I am today. Towards the end of the year my sophomore year, I would sit on my desk in homeroom talking to Kaitlyn. I talked about how I always wanted to audition for a musical or a play, but was always afraid or never had the time. And she always told me not to care what others think, as long you’re happy and proud that’s all the matters. I started taking her advice into real life situations that I’ve unfortunately faced. Whether it be face planting in public, or completely missing the ball every time, I found myself wanting to crawl into a hole and pretend it never happened, but I reminded myself that everyone makes mistakes and everyone has those days (lol shout out to Hannah Montanna). I reminded myself that no one will remember me, and I’ll never see these people again, so I might as well laugh it off and live a little while I have the chance. I guess you could say that I literally didn’t care. Haha that sounds so wrong and rude, but not caring has made me the happiest I have ever been. However, I’m not going to sit here and talk about the amazing 2016 that I had, there’s still a lot of areas in my life that I could improve. That is why I chose “how much you’ve left to go” as the perfect reason to reminisce on the past. As I look back at 2016 I’m thankful for the positive outcomes, but also wish to change and work on some subtle characteristics. I realize what I have to work on to improve myself. I spent my 2016 stressing out. I put an extreme amount of pressure on myself to be the best at everything I do, whether it be field hockey, or academically, I find myself with a sore jaw and head from clenching my teeth and over thinking. That is what I want to focus on throughout the upcoming year. I have a lot left to go until I can find the perfect balance of pressure to put on myself.
ReplyDelete2016- The year of lessons learned. The year where I was forced to come to terms with things I refused to let go of. The year that I believed has mentally shaped me into the person that I am in this very moment. Though I am relieved that 2016 is finally over, I can’t help but to already look back to the beginning of the year and notice how so much can change in a short 365 days. I’ve had some pretty awful things happen to me in this year, but I’ve also had some amazing things happen to me as well. Even though in the moment I didn’t think so, I’m so extremely thankful for all of it--every last bit. Everything has provided me with a new perspective on things, and how I should go about certain situations.
ReplyDeleteI’m hanging on at the thought of looking forward to how much I have left to go. What’s in store for me isn’t even going to compare to what’s already happened, and I have great confidence in that. Someone once told me to look at my life as a timeline. Where I’m at right now doesn’t even reach to the “halfway point”, that both scares the hell out of me, but makes me itch with such curiosity and excitement. I have new people to meet, new places to visit, and new things to experience. I look forward to all of it, even though I know not everything is going to come so easily..but I’m okay with that.
This year, and more years to come, I want to be happy and gain self control. Not that I’m a sad person or anything, but I’m always so angry and negative. I want to come across difficult situations, and leave with an optimistic attitude, rather than wanting to scream my head off and potentially create the urge to want to hit someone. I want my happiness to do nothing but fill others with happiness, so much that they want to vomit at my uncontrolling happiness. I want to have to the ability to brush off the small things that would normally cause me to much anger. I simply want to get better at being happy.
2016—was the year of progress. For me lots of things happen last year. I learned how to drive, had a girlfriend, starting to see the value of college, knowledge accumulated from my sophomore year, Becoming a Junior, and of course who can forget Trump being elected. I can go on and on about what new thing I've discovered in 2016, but I've also seen the world as a whole make progress. A good example of progression is Technology. A few notable examples of developing technologies are the Google cars, robots, weapons (unfortunately) and 3D printers. Not to mention social issues like illegal immigrants and labor making resurgence in American politics. So really for me 2016 was a stepping stone year. This to me means a year not of completion but big steps forward to our many progresses.
ReplyDeleteI value seeing what you've got left to go whenever I take a step back. I do this because I like to see the progress I've made. It brings me either a sense of pride or shame when I look back like this. See how much I've left to go also give me more motivation to finish what I have started, because from what I learn from my martial arts master "you have to finish what you've started"
For 2017 I hope I learn what jobs I want have for college. 2017 is now the year I’m a junior. And with being a junior i have to think about careers and college. Up to this point I still have no clue what I what to be. Sure I have plenty of think to think about it, but that time is fading away rapidly that I anticipated. Hopefully as the more time I talk to my Dad I start to realize what I what to be. My Dad has a lot of insight on my strengths so that will help.......I hope.
2016--the year of disaster. My depression got so bad I hit rock bottom. I was kicked out of my father's house. I got my heart broken multiple times. My acne got so much worse. Although 2016 has taught me a lot. I learned that you can’t get worse than rock bottom, you can only climb back up from rock bottom. Having the fresh start of 2017 as I’m climbing back up from rock bottom is truly amazing.
ReplyDeleteOut of the three reasons why looking back is good , number 1, “how far you've gone” , has the most value to me. Ever since I could remember I always look back to the past just to remind myself I’ve made it past all the many trials. Looking back for this reason helps give me strength to go on. This reason also gives me strength when going through a new trial in my life, and reminds me that I can get through the new trial as well.
For 2017 I wish to put myself first. I’ve been told by multiple people that I always put others feelings before my own. I don’t see anything wrong with making sure everyone is happy but in the meantime I have forgotten about myself. For this year I’m gonna continue to make sure everyone is doing okay but I will refuse to put myself last. It’s been so long that I’ve been putting myself last and I’m ready for this change.
For me, 2016 was the year of maturity. This was the first word that popped into my head because I, for the first time in my life, have had to have a different approach to life. In 2016, I endured a lot of unique situations from disconnecting myself from family members to learning how to deal with my first AP class. Because 2016 was just a rollercoaster of amazing and tragic events. If I want to think about 2016 as a whole for me personally, it was probably the most successful as far as starting a life for myself and my future family. I got selected to go to a media conference at George Mason university in November which will give me one college credit and something special for me to put on college resumes, I applied for multiple colleges this year including Seton Hall and Rowan and I have to take the SATs in a couple of weeks. Some wouldn't really call these things achievements, but for me it's finally introducing myself to the real world and that is maturity in my opinion, in a nutshell.
ReplyDeleteLooking back at the past can sometimes be difficult to do because we've all done something either wrong, good, or mixture of both that might affect us to this day. That why it is essential that you continue to realize how much you've left to go. The successful people of this world realize they can never stop working for what they want or what they need. Or in simpler terms, the grind is never done because you never know what you have until it's gone. The greatest hockey player to ever live named Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.” And that quote doesn't just apply to hockey, it applies to life and taking chances on things you think you don't have a chance against. When you come far in life, you have to realize that this burning passion to do something must never go out.
Moving forward in life is a major key because the people that dwell on the past can't move forward to the future. That's why I've decided to make a change to my body, just to get myself more into shape. I'd say I'm pretty insecure about my body as far as seeing every boy in this school be skinny or have abs and I wish to be like them. I want to have that type of body and I know that means working out more and eating more healthy and that is just another thing that is apart of the grind. And the will to be a better me.
2016 was the year of realization. Throughout my life, people have always told me that you'll lose friends in life, specifically high school. I was always told that no matter how people act,
ReplyDeletethey don't always act like that and people are selfish. I'm one of those people who sees the good in the wrong people. I choose not to believe in rumors about people and it usually comes back and bites me because the rumors are usually right. I realized in 2016 that seeing the good in everyone isn't a good idea. I'm not saying I learned to ALWAYS believe in rumors, but I learned that it's important to keep those rumors in mind and not completely ignore them. I learned that people who I thought would never turn on me.. will eventually turn on me. The people that were once my close "friends" will tell lies to make sure they get what they want.
Looking back is good because you can see how much you have left. Whenever I want to give up, I always look at how far I've come to accomplishing my goals and how much I have left. Looking at how much I have left, it gives me a lot of motivation because it helps
me prove to myself that if I've come this far, I can go even farther. Of course it'll get harder throughout the years, but challenging myself has always been one of my favorite things. Everyday, I absolutely despise waking up to go to school early in the morning and in some classes I just wonder why I'm in there. I realize that I need to pass them to get into college so I can become some bigger and better in life.
Something I want to focus on is keeping myself without worrying about how other people will react to my decisions. I'm not the person who always makes the right decision, but I choose to learn my mistakes myself. I don't want other people telling me to not do something because I think I'm mature enough to know what's right and what's wrong and old enough to learn on my own. Whenever I want to do something for myself, I always think about how other people won't like it or how I'll be judged by it. The way I think keeps me from doing things I wish to do. This year, I wish to do what I want and not sacrifice that for anybody anymore.
2016 - the year of disaster
ReplyDeleteEverything about 2016 went wrong for me. I went into 2016 with the idea that my life was complete. I had a boyfriend that I adored, friends that I couldn’t live without, and family that was always there to support me. About a month into 2016 my relationship with my boyfriend began to go downhill. I was crying every night due to our constant fighting and his constant manipulation. I started to fight with my parents also because I felt they couldn’t understand me. I lost all of my friends because I pushed them away. I had terrible rumors spread about me that the whole school believed. I felt as if my whole world was tumbling down slowly but surely. In my relationship nothing got better, just worse. So worse that it got to a point where I let myself get cheated on and experienced my very first heartbreak. I lost my parent’s trust because I refused to open up to them on how my life outside of home was going. My grades dropped because I was so concerned about everything else that was happening around me, rather than what was most important. My best friends turned their backs on me for some reason that I’m still, to this day, not aware of. The last couple months of 2016, around September, I tried my hardest to pick myself back up.
The twists, turns, and potholes of 2016 are what help me move on because I get to reflect back on them and pat myself on the back for getting through them. They also changed me for the better. I love knowing that I am a better and stronger person now because of my experiences. I think of them as motivation. Of course at the time I didn’t, but now that those things are over, I can see them as motivation to keep going, get stronger, and move on. I am a strong believer of the phrase, “everything happens for a reason”. That’s my way of staying positive about the bad things that happen to me. Otherwise, I may be going insane by this point.
I have years left ahead of me, so the best thing I can do for myself is grow as a person. To do this I have decided to keep my focus on what is most important. I no longer will let my distractions get the best of me. I don’t need to be “in the loop” of what is going on socially. I don’t need to rely on someone else to keep me happy. I don’t need to be friends with everyone because, at the end of the day, who really are your true friends? 2017 is hopefully going to be a turnaround year for me. I hope to stay as positive as I can, that way, I can always have something to look forward to, and that is my future.
2016: The year of ups and downs. 2016 was a year that had a lot going on in it all the time. With all the stuff going on around the world, it was a very crazy year. I felt stressed basically everyday and 2016 had a bad vibe. Everyday felt like a repeating cycle of bleak with no happiness. It was rare when I would be super happy about something or something would go my way. 2016 always seemed to have something in it to ruin my happiness. It was always lurking around every corner just waiting to ruin my day. Every year has its ups and downs, but 2016 felt like it had way too many downs and not enough ups. I am going to just forget 2016 and leave it behind because I can’t really remember too many good things that were very memorable about it. All I can remember was a bunch of stress and crazy stuff going on all over. I hope for 2017 to bring some brighter days to me.
ReplyDeleteWhere the twists and turn were is the most important to me when it comes to looking back. It is very important to see the mistakes you have made and where you went wrong, so you can learn from them and not continue to make the same mistakes. People will always make mistakes and we have to look back on them, in order to improve our lives and become better people. The people who don’t look back on their mistakes, will continue to make these mistakes which will probably lead to outcomes that aren’t desired. I have always been a person that looks back on my mistakes, so I don’t repeat them. I can go back on a moment when I made a mistake or wrong choice and remember the feeling I got when I made this mistake, and then thinking that I don’t ever want to have these kind of feelings again. This allows me to correct my mistake for the future and I will never have to face the bad feelings and emotions caused by a certain mistake.
I would like to change the way I go about things in 2017. I need to not let distractions cloud what I would like to accomplish. If I have a goal, I need to accomplish it no matter what and not lot things that don’t matter, get in my way. I need to focus on the important things and the things that will benefit me in the future. I would also like to be more confident in what I do and not always second guess myself. I expect a better year than 2016 regardless, but you never know what’s going to happen.
2016-the year of bittersweetness. As my horoscope stated, the year of 2016 brought some good times. I made some new friends. I strengthened already existing friendships. I had obtained some really nice fortunes such as, “You will inherit a large sum of money” and “You will stumble into the Happiness of your Life”. Although the fortunes haven’t come true yet, I will patiently wait for the day. In this new(now old) app, I obtained bragging rights for being number one in the group. Throughout the year, I found some really nice motivational quotes that influences me greatly. During the summer I had a blast with my brother, with all the fighting and caring that brothers do. I established relations with new people. After getting ranked 11 for freshmen year, I had gotten into the top ten. However, even though I had all these good times, there was always bad or sad times. While emotions have positive aspects, there are also the negative aspects and those aspects made the bitter part of the year for me.
ReplyDeleteOut of the three reasons, I pick the first one. Albeit all the quotes about looking back is a bad idea, it is actually important to look back. When looking back, one should never look back at the regrets they made. The reason why I picked, “How far you’ve gone,” is because of the people in my young life. Thanks to my family, I have a place to live and food to eat. My family has taught me important rules and morals to follow by. They have helped me stay in the right lane. Thanks to the friends I made in the past, they have helped me through tough times and made treasurable memories. Where I am at now is because of the family and friends that helped me. Without a past you cannot have a present. And the past decides how you act and what you do at present.
From the events of last year, I would like to be more courageous. Because of being afraid of the repercussions, I don’t take the chances, if there are any, that, for all I know, may end up as successful. Most people, if not everyone, is afraid of doing something for the very reason that it may ruin their life. Not taking the chances may lead a person to a scenario in the future that would lead them to regrets. Regrets are a big No-No in my 2017 resolution. Therefore, I want to be more brave and take these chances without succumbing to the fear. For all I know, the outcome may be what I wanted.
2016: the year of learning from mistakes and who I was. To start this off I would like to say that 2016 really wasn't the greatest of years I have experienced as a young adult. Many bad things happened to me during the year of 2016 that will be hard but hopefully I can eventually forget. I made a lot of stupid mistakes during the year of 2016 that I would do anything to go back and change but can't. While some of these mistakes were very bad some were actually beneficial to me. These mistakes allowed me to reflect on what I had done wrong in the first place and allowed me to learn how to not make them again and during 2016 I learned a lot from making many of these mistakes.
ReplyDelete2016 also taught me more about who I truly was as a person. 2016 was the year I started to come out of my shell and comfort zone more than any other year. I learned about what kindness could bring to the daily lives of people as well as my own. I also gained many new friends during the year of 2016 which is really one of the things I appreciated about the year. 2016 really did uncover a big chunk of who I am as a person today.
Out of the three things my most important thing I reflect upon is what I have left to go. What I have accomplished during my life in the past is a near fraction of things I wish to accomplish in the future. Of course I will always appreciate the things that I have achieved in the past. But the future will always hold more than the past in my opinion.
Now moving on and going into 2017, I would like to proceed into this year trying harder at everything I do. 2016 wasn't the year that I tried my best at everything I did. This needs to change. Doing this will make me a better and worker and I will be a more disciplined person than before. This is something I have always wanted to change but I never had so now that 2017 is here it is time to kick it up a notch.
2016, aka the dumpster fire, aka the year of taking action. The year didn’t start off so great with crew, but I did, or attempt, what I wanted: becoming a coxswain, so I could be my own ideal cox because I was frustrated with the ones I had when I was rowing. We all know how that turned out. Next, I decided to be a captain for my section in marching band and I could finally do the things that I wanted, though it wasn’t exactly how I had imagined it. In the summer, it was really fun putting together some blessing bags to give to a shelter using my own money and time. And last but not least, I did a lot more to be more environmentally involved. I started collecting water bottles at band practice to recycle them after feeling guilty for just staring at people when they threw them away for the past two years. With more time on my hands, I could join SEA Club and actually stay for the whole meeting. Finally, after seeing the email from the guidance department about the Environmental Exploring Post, I joined and I’m learning about careers and going to the actual field once a month.
ReplyDeleteI want to dedicate 2017 to giving:
-Giving my parents my time to help out in the kitchen, in the garden, or just to talk and hang out. I spend most of my time at home holed up in my room and I feel guilty, but with all of the school work and the amount of media that I could consume, it’s okay to relax sometimes, right? They barely know anything about me and vice versa, and with graduation and college coming up, our time is limited in person.
-Giving my support to my brother and my friends. This isn’t one of my strong suits. It’s not that I don’t support them; I’d like to be there whenever they need it. I just don’t know how to or how to express it. But, I’ll figure it out. Also, while I’ve gotten closer to my friends over the past year, I’d like to have the same relationship and closeness with my brother.
-Giving my resources to charities. My parents have never really supported anything outside of the family financially, besides the church. I mean, they give whenever there are coin drops, but that’s about it. I don’t have much, but I’d like to donate more with whatever I can, whether it’s buying products, donating money, or making something with my mediocre craft skills. I’m lucky to have a lot, but I can live with only a little.
Life is fragile. It could end at any moment. Time also flies by fast, even though it might not feel like it.That’s why you should do things now, instead of later. You say you want to do it “one day”, but you keep pushing it back. Next thing you know, you’re forty years old and when you look behind, you ask yourself, “What have I been doing with my life?”. All of those dreams that, it seems like, you just dreamt of are too late to realize. You should’ve done those things when you had the time; should’ve gotten over the fear and just do it; should’ve, should’ve should’ve. Then, it hits you. There’s still one more thing that you could do that your teenage self had wanted...
It’s important to look at how far you’ve gone because you never know how much you have left.
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ReplyDelete2016- the year of realization, learned lessons, and fun. 2016 has been a very good year for me because of all the bad things and only because I was able to learn from them. But, it was also fun. I was able to experience new events and meet new people I never thought I would be associated with today. Throughout 2016 I made a lot of mistakes that I cannot go back and change. I try to look at things without regret because I feel as though that It will make me miserable thinking about the fact that I did such a stupid thing. Although, I have made a lot of mistakes I was able to use them as lessons learned. 2016 has by far made me such a strong individual. It’s sad to say that I was once upon a time weak. It was very easy for people to take advantage of me because of my kindness and naïve mindset. After experiencing a ton of betrayal from people I thought I would never be betrayed by, has made me learn how to deal with the fact that nobody is promised to be real and genuinely you friend or even “soul mate”. The year has made me learn how to deal with a lot of situations as well as helped me grow up. I feel as though that the year was a great year for me because without it I wouldn’t have made any progress in my life yet.
ReplyDeleteI see the most value in how far you’ve gone. I feel as though that when you are able to look back and remind yourself of how far you have gotten, it’s a great way to help you motivate yourself to keep going. Looking back and seeing how far you’ve gone can give you interest into seeing how much you have left. Being able to see how far you have gone is a way to increase your confidence and it will help you believe that you can keep doing anything you put your mind to. Being able to realize how much you have progressed in life is great. It personally makes me feel better as a person because I know that I worked hard to become better and to make a change for myself or even others. Even though I think it can be insignificant to look onto your past, progress is something different and beneficial towards your future. Tomorrow is never promised, therefore it’s important to realize all of the great things that you have accomplished.
Last year I honestly had no plan for myself. This year I plan to stay away from all the negativity. I plan to focus on Track and becoming better and stronger every day. I plan to learn how to use my time wisely and focus on what’s more important rather than what’s going on in my phone. I don’t want to waste any time because I’m running out of time. I plan to use every day wisely to improve on the things that I need to improve on to get accepted into the college I want with a full scholarship. Other than school and my sport, I want to focus on loving myself more. I want to be able to not focus on satisfying others and just worry about if I’m making myself happy. I want to spend every day enjoying and realizing how great my life is even though I have a few bumps here and there. I also plan on changing my attitude as well as being able to appreciate everything that I have. I have a great life and my attitude sucks for no reason. I’ve come to realize that life is too short. I should be spending every second of the day smiling, even if it’s for nothing. Your attitude can always change the attitudes of others and it can make a huge difference. I am looking forward to 2017. I have a feeling that it’s going to be a great year.
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ReplyDelete2016-the year of realization. While 2016 might have been a sucky year for the world, it wasn’t a bad year personally. That’s not to say it was a great one either. It was a normal year with nothing too major happening in my life but, I began to fully grasp some concepts that hadn’t really come to me before. After the end of last school year I was finally hit with the thought that I was junior in high school about to move on to college. This would be one of the biggest changes in my life and it’s coming quick. Another realization that happened in the beginning of this school year was that I have no idea what to do with my life. For years now, even before high school, I had always wanted to be a computer programmer so that I could work with video games. This would be my first year taking a course featuring programming and it revealed to me that I wasn’t too fond of it. I liked to program a little but I have no desire to learn more or perfect myself in the subject. It doesn’t give me a sense of happiness I was hoping for which has led me to a point where I’m about to pick my senior courses as well as prepare to apply to colleges yet I don’t know what my major will be. Life is no smooth ride but to have confidence that I knew what I wanted with my life t then have it stripped away right before the decision is made is not the best feeling.
ReplyDeleteThe best reason for looking into your past is to see how far you’ve come. I can be filled with fear of new things to come but to see how far I’ve already come helps to ease my worries. The actions I have taken in the past allow me to see myself for who I really am. I know that whatever gets thrown in my way is not going to stop me forever, nothing has before. We all have friends and family, ones who we hold close, that shape our lives yet the only person who has ever walked your same path is yourself. Your road, your memories, your experiences, the very fabric of who we are as a whole is only known to ourselves.Looking back to see our past also allows us to stay humble. We must never forget where we came from or else we risk losing sight of what is right. “But 'tis a common proof / That lowliness is young ambition's ladder, / Whereto the climber-upward turns his face; / But when he once attains the utmost round, / He then unto the ladder turns his back, / Looks into the clouds, scorning the base degrees / By which he did ascend.”- (II, i, 21-7)
All my life I have been going through the motions. Living a daily routine that may differ but usually leads to no change. With big decisions ahead it is time that I find out who I am. I know myself quite well but I have never put myself out into the world. I like to stay at home, contained in my personal bubble. I’ve started to wonder about how maybe not wandering away from the daily road of life has led me to a point where all I know is the road. This road will soon be over and in order to move on I must begin another. My goal for this year is to take some detours instead of the straight path. To put things in perspective, giving me the opportunity to understand myself better than I ever have.
“2016--the year of procrastination and laziness.”
ReplyDeleteLooking back all the way to 8th grade, every year was the year of procrastination, except that as the years pass, it becomes less of a joke. My procrastination and laziness had worsened as I realized that I always have time before homeroom and now, unfortunately, I rarely ever finish an all my assignments completely, deciding that I will somehow have enough time to finish all of them. And I keep doing it because I do finish all my assignments. I told myself in the beginning of school year that I would start assignments on time. That lasted for about a week or two. I literally had nothing to do today, and I am writing this very sentence at 10:29 pm. The amount of procrastination and laziness this school year has escalated so much from my sophomore year and I honestly fear what it is going turn into once I become a senior, even more so when I become a freshman in college where my parents money and hard work is at stake. This year was honestly just me falling deeper into something in which I have no idea how I ended up getting into.
I see the most value in looking back and seeing how much I have left to go. If I look back and see how far I have come, I will become complacent with where I am while others are moving forward. I do understand looking back to see where all your problems were to make sure you avoid them, but new problems will always arise. If I see how much I need to do, hopefully it will inspire me to keep moving forward. And I know that there is so much I need to do by the time I become a senior or at least before my senior year ends so that I can keep moving forward in the future.
As I said above, I have a problem with procrastination and laziness. For 2017, I wish to, at the very least, to stop procrastinating as much as I do. My mother yells at me constantly about my procrastination and laziness and she thinks I ignore her because when she is yelling at me for this, I usually just look at her blankly and say “okay” to what I need to to leave the conversation. However, this is because I know I have a problem and her yelling is for nothing. I also would like to change my perception of time. I have so many problems with being on time and I also have problems writing quickly which negatively affects me when I have to deal with timed standardized test. I know it seems like such a small thing but it’s impact on me are immense.
2016-- the year of new experiences. Very famously, 2016 has been dubbed "20L6" because of the bad memories of the year and all of the "Ls" that were taken. Personally, I too have taken Ls but I don’t look back at the year as a whole year of straight losses and bad memories. I see the year as a year of learning and new experiences. For one thing, I had surgery for the first time in my life and for the first time in my life, I was knocked out. Also, I had someone other than my family, take care of me. This new experience honestly trumps all others. With the new experience of a relationship also came new experiences of joy, self-evaluation, and an incredibly new experience of openly singing.
ReplyDeleteOut of the three choices, I see the most value in the first one, "how far you've gone." This is because this choice is the most encouraging and it shows you how you grew and progressed. For example, when I'm in a group for anything and if the group ever loses the will to keep working, I'll tell them something like "yo look how much we already did we can't quit now what" because I know that showing them how much there's left to go will only discourage them because that's how I am. If I were to look at how much is left, then I wouldn't want to keep going. Even in running, I will look at how much of the workout I already did and tell myself that I can't stop now, look how much I've progressed.
I want to focus more on time management and being lazy. I would like to proceed by actually thinking about why I would want to be lazy when I've worked my butt off all my life to get to Johns Hopkins. This is marginally different because last year I took things easy and I slacked off a bit more but in the new year I really want to lay down the law on myself to actually push myself to the status of "Johns Hopkins graduate." I really do want to focus on this aspect because I know that I need to.
2016 the year of understanding who I am. 2016 for a lot of people was a very bad year especially if you didn't want Donald Trump to win the election. The year of 2016 for me wasn't a terrible year for me but also wasn't the best year for me. It took me a while to realize who I really am until 2016 where I feel I have a very good understanding of who I am. I started thinking of myself a lot more when I transferred to Oakcrest for some reason and the remainder of the year I really wanted to know who I really was. I know my strengths and weaknesses more and I know what I can handle in my life. At ACIT I never really thought about that too much and just focused on school and other things. Something about when I transferred to Oakcrest sparked that urge to think more of who I am and not so m uch the people around me. 2016 wasn't the best year but it was a year that I started to really understand myself more and who I want to be in the future.
ReplyDeleteI do feel that looking back and seeing how far you've gone is the best of the three options. I always stop and think about how far I've gone in life and how close I am to getting to where I want to be in life. It sparks a sense of hope to keep pushing and to not give up now due to how far you've gone in life. No matter the age anybody should think like this and never give up on everything you have worked so hard for.
2016 was very laid back for me and never really worked extremely hard but I did work hard at school and tried to get good grades. But this year is different for me and I must work a lot harder for the future that I want in life. It's not a matter of grades but just working hard at the things I need for the future and being prepared. 2017 will be a new year for me and will be a year hard work and determination.
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ReplyDelete2016--the year of taking risks
ReplyDeleteThe year of 2016 brought many changes upon me. The first one I would like to take off my chest was picking my classes for Junior year. After hearing so many rumors about how stressful Junior year was going to be, the 16-year-old me was unsure of what classes I wanted. Usually, when I must pick a choice I would choose the safest route, but at that time, I really wanted to challenge myself for some reason and decided to take 3 AP classes in one go. I remember asking Ms. Klein what she thought about me taking 3 college level classes at the same time. I asked her if she thought I had the ability to take on AP classes at all, since it was my first time trying out an AP class and it was 3 at that.
The second biggest risk I took on in 2016 was tennis. Ever since I was little, I often had foot cramps due to my flat feet. Every time I went out for recess in elementary school, the second I took off to play, I would feel electricity go up in the middle of my left or right foot, which caused me to sit out during the entire time of recess. When it came to sports or any exercise, I used to restrain myself from doing too much because I knew of the pain that would soon to come. However, due to my Vitamin-D deficiency last year, Karla and my mom encouraged me to try for tennis and I did. Putting the feet issues I had after joining tennis aside, I had the most exhilarating summer ever. By playing tennis, I overcame my fear of sports, crossed over my restraining line, and realized that I should not be afraid of something before trying it out.
Out of the three, looking back is good because you can see how far you have gone from Day 1 to Day 365 (or 366). From looking back, you can see how much you had overcome to be at the place you are in today and how much improvement you have made over the year. Not only can you learn a life lesson from the experience, but looking back at the memories can also motivate people to push forward and achieve their future goals or overcome their fears, just like how I did with tennis.
In 2017, I would like to at least have an idea of where I want to go for college and know what I want to major in the future. I know people say that you should not rush these things if you are still undecided of what you want to do, but I do not like the idea of roaming around aimlessly, especially without a goal.
2016: The Year of Hope. Unlike most people and their social media posts about how “terrible” and “disgusting” 2016 was, 2016 gave me hope for quite a few reasons. After the 2015 marching band season certain members of the band as well as instructors thought that with that senior class leaving we'd be nothing, “nothing” without them of course. That they were the whole band and without them there would be no band. This past season we were undefeated until ACCC. We set records no other band in the history of our division had ever set before. I would personally like to laugh in each and every person who thought we would fail this year. This, this gave me hope. Hope in our band and as a new captain. I recently just auditioned for the All South Jersey Senior High Band. Out of 60 trumpet players, only 6 made it into the Orchestra. I made it. Only 20 made it into the Symphonic Band. I made it. This being the first time making it my past 3 years, this gave me hope. Hope that miracles can happen. Hope in being a musician, my musicianship. I don't want to give to much away for the purpose of my upcoming OP. Furthermore, 2016 was extraordinarily filled with hope in my perspective.
ReplyDeleteThe most important aspect of my year of the three choices I had to choose from would have to be “how far you've gone.” You'll never be done, in my eyes you can never picture “how much you have left” or that you're “done.” There'll always be room for improvement in all areas. But how far you've gone, to me, is something to really reflect on. Realizing that the entire year was not filled with sorrow and failure. Being forced to realize how you've grown as a person and all of the new things you've learned, for the better. How far I've gone this year is the most valuable thing I could reflect on. I don't want to focus on where things went wrong, the “bumps in the road.” I want to focus on the things I have accomplished and how that affects me and my future. For me musically, I really can just reflect on how much I've grown as a musician. The new skills I've learned, the things I couldn't do before now have become second nature. The big accomplishments and little successes I've had that contribute to how far I've gone.
Thinking of something I'd like to accomplish this year that's different than last year is hard. Most of my accomplishments are music related. So I figure that I might as well still have a “musical goal” but in a different area of that study. Pushing myself to be a better musician being the only thing I actually will do. Not like every other New Year’s resolution, to get all A’s, to eat healthier, and all of the other basic goals that don't last a week you see online. My goal for this year is to get better at another instrument, French Horn. I've had a French Horn for about 4 or 5 years and didn't really get to play it that much because of it breaking a couple years ago. I even went out to buy the stuff to fix it, months ago, and it's still laying in the case. French Horn is such a pretty instrument. I might even like how it sounds more than trumpet. I can play scales and a lot of other basic things you learn right away. But I really just want to get better at it. Playing it in the musical last year really made miss it. By the end of 2017 I would like to be better at playing French Horn.
2016- the year of the sinful sloth. The year of 2016 was one of my worst years when it comes to any kind of work: schoolwork, housework, and even music, which I had sadly started to lose interest in. It was as if I had lost the motivation to do anything that I had tried to pursue or accomplish. 2016 was the year where I began to be the laziest I have ever been; procrastination became an issue for me and it started around the third marking period of sophomore year. I used to be on top of my homework at the beginning of the sophomore year, but that all started collapsing after I suddenly lost the urge to do anything; I would rather just do nothing and lie down on my bed. In fact, I spend around eight hours a day on my bed (not including sleep) either doing homework, playing games, or watch countless amounts of videos from my phone. My laziness has risen to its peak, affecting my lifestyle in numerous ways, mostly in negative ways, though. I continued to lose interest in the many things I used to find fun in and was reluctant to continue on with some of my short-lived dreams. For instance, I wanted to learn multiple songs on the piano which would then be performed to the public, but after getting the composition and learning the first few pages, I was not making an effort to finish those songs or improve at all.
ReplyDeleteIt is more important to look at how far we have gone within our lives so far. Look back upon all of the experience we have gathered and seen all of the challenges that we overcame to come this far. By looking back, we realize the effects of all of our past choices which helped affect our personalities and the events it causes. In order to get where we are now, we would have to go through a lot of difficult choices that would all affect our lives somehow. Additionally, by looking at how far we have gone, it induces the feelings of accomplishment and success because it took a bunch of work to get where we are now.
I want to move forward in my social life and actually graduate from being antisocial. I want to work on my socializing skills and actually put some more time off for my friends. I want to get off of the bed and actually participate in a more healthy social life. I need to learn how to use my time more wisely in order to allocate enough time for my friends. Life is only so long and I do not want to waste part of it without enjoying the company of the people I will most likely never see again past high school. I am afraid that would become one of my future regrets. Making memories with friends can only happen if I improve my social life with the time I have left before graduation.
2016- the year of forgiveness. 2016 was a very hard year for me. Everything in my life seemed to be going wrong and it felt like everyone was turning against me. I lost 2 great friends because of something horrible they had done to me and I thought I would never forgive them for it. Every day for weeks I thought about how much I hated them and how much I wanted revenge against both of them, but soon, I got tired of it. Even though I could never be their friend again I knew that I needed to find a way to forgive them so that I could move on. This whole year was full of negative things and negative people. Being able to just forgive and move forward was the only thing keeping me sane and keeping me happy.
ReplyDeleteI try to think about how far I’ve come when looking back on things. I love the feeling of accomplishment when you see how much you’ve gotten done. I always get the most satisfaction in knowing that I’ve come so far. A little example of that (even if this sounds stupid) is that I love writing an essay and then seeing how much I got done and how much I’ve written. I love stopping half way through my essay and just seeing that have already written so much. I become proud of myself and it encourages me to keep going because I know the feeling will get better the more I write.
Moving forward I know I have a lot I could improve on. The main thing that I think I need to do different is take more time to be in the moment. As dumb as that sounds, I really think I need to do that more. ADHD runs in my family and I have a problem with focusing on things around me and staying still to just relax and enjoy where I am or what I’m doing. I also get really anxious when I’m in an unfamiliar situation which makes it hard for me to enjoy new things. This year I really want to try and calm myself down more so that I can actually love what I’m doing and try new things.
2016 the year of triumphs and failures. It would go from being good one day to terrible the next because of something I couldn't control and that's kind of how my year went now that I "look back on it", because honestly I don't remember a good 3/4 of it but whatever. During 2016 I've felt like nothing really changed from 2015 I'm still the same kid taking shortcuts and what not to get through school just to get this time in my life over with as quick as possible. As I look back on 2016 I have gone in the right direction and I'm going to just flow with it and see where it takes me, and honest to god I have no idea how much I have left to go because my life can be taking at any given moment so I just look at it as I have to just keep moving and not so much think about the end. There was many different potholes that changed my views on a lot of things this year and I want to say it ruined me, because "what makes us love each other is what ruined us" I don't know if that had any correlation, I just like the song. I feel as if looking back on your struggles is the best part because from that you can see how you've adopted and changed because of these situations. Now in 2017 I just want to focus on being a millionaire before thirty. I know it sound unrealistic but I will do whatever I have to do to accomplish that goal, even if it means dropping out of college to become a rapper (definitely won't be the case), but I feel that's the mindset I have to have to get that accomplished.
ReplyDelete2016- the year of development.
ReplyDelete2016, contrary to others opinions, for me was a great year. The first half was amazing. The second half wasn’t the greatest but it’s okay. I chose the word development because it was a journey for me. 2015-2016 in my life would be growth, I grew a lot character and physically changed a ton. 2016 is when I applied everything and learned how to function based off of my previously learned knowledge. As you probably know by now, all of my friends left in 2016. I don’t want to sound like a wimpy youngin who depends on her friends but they did mean a lot to me. I learned in 2016 to let go of people you care about the most. It took a lot of time for me to realize it wasn’t the end of my friendships and it also taught me that one day I will move on too.
I was originally going to choose the third option for this section but I’m going to change it to number two : how far left I have to go. I became very envious of my friends in college and upset because it felt like I would be stuck in high school forever but it dawned on me recently that one day it will be my turn. One day I will be hugging my parents goodbye and stepping into a dorm room. It made me excited for all I have ahead of me. Thinking about all the possibilities I have ahead of me make me feel like I have purpose. It is important to dream about what you can do in the future because you will always have something to look forward to. I want to go to the West Coast or even Hawaii and I want to live out of a van and travel around hiking for a little while because that is what makes me happy. I want to hike the Appalachian Trail at some point in my life and I just want to make a life that makes me happy. I have so much farther to go in my life and it gets me motivated and excited to think that I only have one more year until these things are in my reach. Everyone should have a blueprint for how they want their future to be so there is always something ahead of you, and you will never be left on a road that has a dead end. Make your dreams a reality and always remember the only person in your way is you.
Since I don’t really have a ton of other people in my life to focus on I would like to spend this year focusing on myself. I want to come to peace with my natural body. I want to be confident in my natural beauty. It will be a long road because it’s not that I’m self conscious, but rather the fact that I still use a lot of training wheels. I would like to become more comfortable going braless and makeupless. I want to be happy with raw unpolished self in 2017. Last year I learned to be confident. Confident in everything that I did and I still am, but I want to be confident in myself because in the end, like literally the end (when I’m old and dying) no one will care if I wore makeup all my life or not, no one will care if I plucked my eyebrows or not, no one will care if I straightened my hair or not. Sure I enjoy all these things but I enjoy them because they are my training wheels and make me happy. I would like to be able to live without them before I live with them. I also believe it will help me save my energy and decisions for more important things (an idea inspired by my favorite book that I’ve mentioned before “The Happiness Equation”). I’m hoping my goals become accomplished for 2017 because it will make me a hell of a lot happier. In the meantime I’m going to let my eyebrows grow out.
2016 is the year of crying. I have never seen a year with so many “triggered” people. Everywhere there is someone crying about something. Now I mean crying as in complaining. So money people complain and play this victim card to gain sympathy or something. The way I see it is, you can be a victim or a survivor. Being a victim only holds you back and slows you down.
ReplyDeleteSee where the twist and turns are and pot holes. I’s all about learning something new even if its learning by an experiences that puts me through something of conflict or stress. Learning from mistakes I take serious and when I make a mistake I generally never make it again. With age comes wisdom and experience. As I live my life I can look back on all I’ve done right and wrong so that I may apply it to my future. Everyone’s history is important even the history you learn in school. Those who do not know their history are bound to repeat it. I don’t plan on repeating anything mistakes I’ve made because that would just make me a fool.
There is always improvement to be made on everyone’s life because known of us are perfect. I am nowhere close too perfect but I strive to be. My problem in 2016 procrastination. I would wait till last minute to finish everything that needed to be done. Now it got me through and I got A’s and had good work. But I often ask myself how much better my work would be if I put time and work into it. I am pretty good under pressure to get things done quick to hand in to my teachers. But in 2017 I am tired of the pressure. I want to get rid of all possible sources of procrastination and push forward to become a better me. I will not put off to tomorrow for what I can do today.
2016: The year of progression. Well 2016 was a very interesting year for me. I was starting to get into more things. One thing that I progressed in was my money. I have made a great deal of money playing poker. 2016 kinda brought a hurt in the form of poker to me. I have been blessed with a great skill and progressed my game extremely. Also I have had to go through many changes in my other type of interests. 2016 brought the phrase the darker the berry the sweeter the juice. A event in 2016 that changed my View of my attractions to certain females. A progression I thought I would never have made. I've realized that trying new things are good for progression. And that's the reason that I will have a new I look to 2017. As realization of many things can help your progression through many situations. I've also progressed in many friendships. My friend Louis rough tough and mean. He really has been a good part to a good progression. He has been a great friend and he can't really beat me in poker which can really boost up my progression in that. But you also have to make sure there are no people showing any fake love to you. A progression of life and morals.
ReplyDeleteThe main point that I vale is the point that I've started to leave many things behind. A good example would be the fact that I used to play video games at a maximum. But I haven't touched a video game in about 4 months. It is good that you have a specific and certain path that you have things you need to keep in your life and things you need to let go. Also, I have left a bunch of friends in the past. I have surrounded myself by people that I like and I know care about me. Looking back a forgetting is a big part of progression. I had to get rid of multiple habits that haunted me. You need to realize that you don't need anything to have fun and enjoy the times with your friends. Keep the people you love close and forget about the ones that could care less about you. Because progression comes with many parts.
I would like to change the way and progress the way I judge people. I am not very shallow, and I realize that if is not good. You have to make sure you open your range to many people and make sure that you try new things that can change your mind of many things. The are rules that stick with you for life. But the ones that are not set need to be changed and switched up so there are many points of view from everyone. This will maker more open to more people. It can give me more respect for the New Years upcoming and help in the progression in my maturity and manhood. Learning to accept and respect more of people's views and morales with help my progression in my own goals and bad habits. Getting rid of mad ha bits will complete the way that people view me and likewise.
2016--the year of losses. I believe we can all agree to some extent that 2016 was not a fantastic year. I can testify that 2016 was in fact the worst year of my life. 2016 started off on a bad note once I stepped into it. In January, I found out that my so called "friends" were actually not my friends. It was the first time I had such a close group of friends and got betrayed by all of them. I tend to dwell on things for a long time so I kept this hatred in my heart up until April when I went Vietnam. Even though everyone thinks that my trip to Vietnam was all fun, it certainly wasn't. On April 29th one of my Vietnamese friends got into an accident. An accident that was all my fault. I've never spoken to anyone about this incident because it pains me too much to speak about it. Not even my closest friends know of the incident. After all that pain and heartbreak, it was already June. And that was when I lost a couple of my friends. As usual, every year in June a class graduates. The class of 2016 had a couple of my best friends. They've done so much for me and we wouldn't be able to see each other often because of them leaving for college. Some of us still stay in touch but not as much as we used to. After we lost touch I haven't felt the same. I've carried this feeling around with me until the end of 2016.
ReplyDeleteOf the three things listed, the one that I reflect most upon is how far I've gone. There a so many times I just want to quit. The pressure of living just seems too much and I just want to go away. A big thing that stops me from being reckless is reflecting upon how far I've gone. If I were to just to go away then all the progress I've made would be lost. All the risks that I took would be gone. All of the pain I had to suffer was for nothing. If I didn't reflect on how far I've gone then it's likely I wouldn't be where I am now.
A new year isn't exactly a new me. I like to think of it as a new year a more modified me. We all have flaws but the ones I see that are most significant are in my family and in my health. I have four siblings and three of them are considerably younger than me. I've never been a great older brother. I don't spend as much time with them as I like. I don't even see them on weekends because I have work to do. I'd really like to spend time with them. I want to become someone they can look to for advice and help if need be. The second thing is definitely my health. With all my heart, I hate exercise. I've most likely will hate exercise for eternity. Now how do I stay in shape? I don't. Maybe if I actually exercised I would be. Or it's time to cut down the carbs before I weight 2017 pounds.
2016- the year of new mindsets. If I told you 2016 was an easy year for me, it would be a god damn lie. It was arguably the worst year for me mentally, as I struggled to fight stress and stages of depression. I had a lot of pressure on me to find a college that I liked and a career to pursue. My parents didn't stress me, instead it was myself constantly reminding myself that I didn't have a plan for my future. I didn't have much people to talk to and I often secluded myself. All my life I had been a happy kid who saw the best in every situation, whether it was battling cancer or not being able to walk due to back problems. Instead, in 2016, I became a pessimist. I lost all hope in change, and I saw the bad in everything. Luckily I had Jana by my side to keep me sane, and not let me fall behind the rest of the pack. To be completely honest with you, to this day I battle these emotions but I refuse to let them drag me down. I'm trying to change my lifestyle and my mindset, one day at a time. How far have I gone? I've came a long way in 2016. I view the world completely different and I inherited the trait of an open mind. I don't think I'm always right like I once thought in the past, and I realized I wasn't better than most people. After going through a dark period, I humbled myself. And understood what it's like to be down, and how important it is to accept everyone and appreciate what you have. How much have I let go? Honestly, I haven't let go of a lot, which is good and bad. I didn't lose any friends in 2016. I didn't lose confidence or intelligence. I gained more friends, learned new things, and became a more advanced person. I didn't have much to lose, so I guess it's a good thing I didn't lose anything. Where did I face failures and went down the wrong path? Definitely when I tried facing my problems alone. Before I had Jana, I faced every issue alone and I became overwhelmed. I thought I was strong enough and I wasn't. It's okay to have help and reach out for it. Actually, it takes more strength to do that than anything else. It's not weak to ask for help either, by the way. I also agree that the 3rd question is the most important. If you don't take the time to evaluate where you went wrong, you cannot grow. As somebody that faces depression, it's important for me to grow, move on, and change mentally. I can only do that by looking in the rear view every once in a while and thinking about where I went wrong. This year, I want to give back to the people that were there for me. I want to help people find happiness and escape a mental prison. I think I can reach absolute happiness if I start to open up to people and help them grow as individuals.
ReplyDelete2016- The year of change. In 2016 alot has happened to me, I got a dog, and new computer, step family moved in with me. Wether I am happy about all of those changes in my life, they all happened. I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason. No matter what it is, its for a reason.
ReplyDeleteIt is very important to look back at your past in order to not make the same mistakes, but out of those 3, i find it important to look back to see how far you've come. Seeing progression is the #1 motivator to me and being able to take a look at all your progression is something that motivates the crap out of me. It allows you to realize that everything you just grinded for wasn't for nothing, and that good things are soon to be in reach.
Moving forward in my life, I want to take more risks. I have been more of a laid back and let things happen kind of guy the past few years. I didn't really "make moves" last year and this year I wanted it to be based on risks. I started off 2017 right away with a big risk for me. Usually when i'm with people, no matter how much I wanted to, I wouldn't make moves on a girl. At a party? No moves. At the movies? Still no moves. Im not going to specifically say how or what I did on new years, but just know i took a risk and it payed off. Taking risks I feel like builds confidence, and makes you more comfortable with yourself and the people around. I will for sure continue to take risks, and no longer just sit back and chill.
2016- The year of leadership. I’ve never classified myself as a leader before last year, just merely a follower or as my friends like to refer to me as “the girl who can’t speak her mind”. I’ve never been the bossy type, the one to yell at somebody, or even the one to make plans. I’m more of a just follow the crowd and just go with the flow type of person. But there’s one area where it’s MY forte and my time to step up and be the leader and that role model. It was May of 2016 and I would like to believe that’s when my life changed for the better. I remember that day extremely vividly. Woodwind Captain- Brittany Maderia. All the emotions sunk into me and all the pressure weighed me down. Well I guess I can only blame myself because I’m the one who wanted to interview for captain since freshman year. Furthermore, I quickly had to adapt and learn how to be a leader. How to lead 14 other people, and more than half of them were freshmen who had no clue what marching band was. I had to learn how to give pep talks, and motivate people, how to teach them to march and play, and how to run a sectional. Throughout the year I grew as a leader and I’m glad everyone acknowledged all my hard work. I would get compliments from my section saying, “She’s the best woodwind captain” and “I want to be just like you, I look up to you.” It makes me feel like I actually did something right...for once.
ReplyDeleteI see the value in the third one. No one wants a boring story where the protagonist doesn’t face conflict and antagonists. And frankly, everyone has these things. You wouldn’t be where you are today unless someone gave you an insult, told you to work harder, or motivated you to do better than them. Also, how boring would your story be if you said, “I wanted to be famous. I did it. The end.” That would be the shortest, more idealistic, but nearly impossible story. Everyone goes through struggles, and what’s better than looking back at your year and thinking, “Yeah, I survived that. I persevered through that. I took everything that person said about me and I made myself better.” Looking back at your accomplishments is great, but knowing what you went through to achieve it is beyond any other feeling in the world.
What I want to do this upcoming year is not be so dependent on other people. I want to be able to make my own decisions, not based on others’, and to do what I want to do. Say “no”. Say “yes”. Say “I love you”. Say “I hate you”. Say “run a lap”. Say “I’m so proud of you”. I want to just speak my mind and not ask anyone else what they think first. I want my emotions to be independent and not based on what others say to me, or what they don’t say to me. I don’t want my happiness to be based on someone else. I need my mentality to be personalized to me, or else I will most likely have a bad year.
2016- The year of pain and frustration. Many prominent people died in 2016. A certain man became the President elect. More violence, more police brutality (Or at least more made public), The world was rocked, and so many negative things happened. Despite all this, I could have went on as ignorant as happy as can be. It was my personal experiences that caused this year to be frustrating. I started off my year pretty angry, and frustrated. I did not want it to happen, but it marked my entire year. I was not doing my best in my academics, and it was affecting my personal feelings about things. I was not meeting my own goals, and I was lost. Anything I attempted would not work out, and I thought I was really suffering on the inside. Man frustrating was easily the best word for this year. Then junior year came and it only got harder. Stuff I thought I understood would randomly come back as failures. The stuff I thought I was good at ended up being lackluster and average, and I really started to self reflect. My natural disposition really does not show this. You can always find a smile on my face, but it is not all fun and games on the inside.
ReplyDeleteI think your second point, how far you have left to go, was the best point. The only thing keeping me going at this point is the destination. I would have been swamped long ago had I not kept my eyes on the prize, they said. All the stuff I do outside and inside of school has to pay off in the end, or so I tell myself. If I see the goal drawing ever nearer, it can and will act as a catalyst to make me try even harder.
I think I really want to focus on my own passions this year. I also want to take things little by little. Up to this point, I have been trying to do so much, that I lose focus on everything I want to do. Like procrastination, when I did everything at once, the result was poor. I want to take things slowly, and start with little goals until I work up to my largest ones, like the stars on the ceiling. My passions may often differ with some of my goals, that may or may not have been influenced by outside people, and so I want to give them priority. No longer will I take crap from other people. It is time to make 2017 the year of me.
I know this will probably make me seem very shallow but, in my eyes beauty does not lie within. I am not saying that I am only attracted to people who physically appear beautiful. What I'm trying to say is that the word beautiful more often than not, gets confused with being a good person. Beauty is based on an opinion. Everyone has their own definition of beautiful. While I find big eyes beautiful, someone else may not. Beauty is perception.
ReplyDeleteAs humans we naturally chase beauty. Rather than judging people on a personal level we take the artificial way out. Beautiful things are tempting, that's what makes beauty such a big deal. A lot of times we impulsively think with our eyes as opposed to our hearts. Beauty is appealing, although beauty is dangerously blinding. We don't always see the wormhole because we are so dumbfounded at the ruby-red glistening apple.
We are a country that feeds off of beauty. We worship images such a the Kardashians. The sisters, as a whole haven't once used their stage to upbuild or lift the social standing of women. These are the women we chose to represent us. Perfect hourglass figures, big lips, and perfect smiles. We love them for their beauty. In fact, we are so infatuated that we will do just about anything to replicate their beauty.
I don't consider myself beautiful. I think I have pretty features that some may appreciate more than others, but I couldn't go as far as calling myself beautiful. The most beautiful person I know is a girl I met my first year of high school. Trinity is perfect. Skinny but yet still curvy. Big brown eyes. Light brown skin. Tightly curled hair, and just about tall enough to reach the pedal in a car. She fits my description of beautiful.