This might be cliche but when one door closes another one opens and in my case my door is closing on my high school career. My time at sdss has been nothing short of an amazing time combined with tons of highs and lows. I’ll never forget the endless memories with friends and teachers and I can not wait for the next chapter of my life. I am sure one day ill sit down and reminisce on these days where all that was on my mind was my bio final. I am so thankful for all the amazing people I had an opportunity to work with. Sd will forever hold a special place in my heart especially the evergreen program where even if I was having a bad day I could walk in and be greeted by the most wonderful people with the biggest hearts. I am so excited for the future ahead of me I am sure it will not be easy but I am up to the challenge to make history as the first girl ever to catch at college level baseball. Here are a list of things I kept in mind through my high school career!
Thank you to anyone reading this now and thank you Mr. Hortness \ for assigning blogs this year and for helping me find who I am as a leader. This has been nothing short of a blessing and I will forever be thankful for all the wonderful stories and people I met in this class!. Till next time SD,
Marika lyszczyk
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Everyone makes mistakes in their life. The way we handle and learn from them is how we as humans will grow. The hope that you are able to change your attitude, learn from your mistakes, deal with your consequences and take responsibility of your actions, is what will show others what you are really made of. So you messed up, but no ones perfect. Perfect is unrealistic. I once read: “The important thing is that when you mess up you accept responsibility”. Instead of trying to hide what you did, own up to it because there is really nothing you can do about it. Time machines do not exist and there is no undo button in the real world. Your mistake has already been done. How you choose to handle it, is what makes you grow as a human. The best way to fix your mistakes is by reflecting on what you did and then moving on. Those who will forgive what you have done and see the best in you, are the ones you need to be thankful for. They pointed out the mistake in the first place because they want to see you grow as an individual and be the best version of yourself. So do not be angry at them, try and see their perspective and to understand what they are saying. I believe that when you make a mistake, you just need to remember these two important steps: 1. Acceptance: Although no one intentionally means to make a mistake, the first step to moving on would be to recognize what you have done. If you are in denial then you will not be able to put it behind you. 2. Action: Making a mistake is not fun for anyone, but when you learn from them and take responsibility for them, then you are growing as a human being. You cannot change who you are, but you can change what you do. As Tony Robbins once said “By changing nothing, nothing changes”. If you do not take action to fix what you have done, you will not see any form of change. So prove to others and yourself, how you handle your mistakes.
Making a change in your life can be scary. However, often we are more scared before the change then while making the change itself. In just over a month, I will have moved onto the boat for the next two years of my life. Everything is going to change, my daily routine, the way I do school, the countries I visit, the activities I do, and all the new wildlife I will get to see and take their photos It’s exciting and it’s also a big adjustment and for me, I will need to handle this change well. While you are in the middle of creating a new normal here are some things that will make it feel normal faster. I have to keep reminding myself that after a while, this will become regular and not doing these things would be weird. Whatever significant change you may be making remember that eventually this change you have created will become routine, kind of like building a habit. For example, if I write with my right hand, then writing with my left hand will be weird, but overtime writing with my left hand would be regular. 1) Remind yourself that you are either going through a change, have gone through a change or are about to. Repeat “I am changing _______ in my life, and that is okay. This sentence will stop yourself from denying that things are changing in your life and move forward in life.
2) If this change is stressing you out, make sure you handle that stress properly. You can do things like slow down your breathing or try and avoid procrastination during your transition. Here is an excellent website with more suggestions. Handling stress well will make you feel more in control of your life, even when going through a big transition. 3)Create a regular schedule and stick to it. Will help things start to feel normal again. Make sure that you're creating a plan which is livable and realistic. When you make a schedule make it as if it was for someone else, you have to have some fun things in there otherwise the person you are making a schedule for is not going to do the hard parts. Start by creating your g schedule around the most important things that need to get done and work around it. 4)Exercise more to reduce stress and stay healthy. Also, incorporate it in your schedule to make it a regular activity. 5) Ask for help or support from people who may have been through something similar this will help make this transition feel more natural for you. 6)Write down all the positives you can think of that this change brings. How does this change benefit you? 7) Being under stress can cause you to make maybe more mistakes than you usually would. Make your mistakes and learn from them. Learning from them will make you stronger than you would have been without making that mistake. in the first place Hayley C About 3 months ago I endured a rather traumatic breakup that did and still does affect me everyday. No, it wasn't my own breakup. My older brother Jack decided to break up with his girlfriend, Mihaela, after almost 4 years of dating with only one break in the middle of their relationship. To this this day she is the most caring, hard working and selfless person I have ever met, so it’s not hard to see why over the years she became my best friend and still is. Mihaela is a year older that Jack so she graduated a few years ago. The day she graduated was the same day that her parents and 2 sisters moved to the island without her. She was starting at SFU that fall but had nowhere to live for the entire summer so she came to live with us. For the next 3 years she lived with us on and off and the longest I wouldn't see her was about a week, but usually she would be over every couple of days. After the break up I didn't see her for over 3 months, and the first month I really didn’t respond well. I was in a constant depressed state, didn’t want to do anything, and my relationship with Jack was damaged because I blamed him for the whole ordeal. I wasn’t sure how to bring it up but I really wanted to talk about it because things became awkward and I knew that Jack wanted to talk about it as well. I decided to look up how to bring up tough conversations and I came across this blog that I used for help because I really didn’t want to mess up my relationship with my brother. So one night when the opportunity presented itself, we ended up having a long and really nice conversation- one of the best and most impactful conversations I can remember ever having with him. I realised that this conversation was needed and the end result was better than I expected, we’re a lot closer and I can now get to know Jack’s new girlfriend without feeling guilty or mad. “Real talk” will come up in everybody's lives multiple times for different reasons, so it’s better to be prepared than to not know what the hell to do. “Fake it till you make it” won’t always work, especially when it involves important relationships. When one of these inevitable conversations comes up, here are some tips to help you through it:
In the end, you can’t control the other person’s behavior and how they’re going to act but you can control yourself and hopefully improve the situation by considering what you want to do. Ultimately, if this person is really important to you, like how my brother is to me, you don't want to lose them in any way so having these conversations are necessary. Not addressing a situation can get really awkward and end badly, so might as well keep it real and talk about it. Georgia F Do you have that one thing in your mind that pushes you on? That one thing forever tattooed into your mind that keeps you going, even when all you want to do is eat food and fall asleep and not have to face tomorrow. With the end of school coming up faster than I can eat McDonalds cheeseburgers and apple pies, I find myself drowning in schoolwork and just wanting to go to bed as soon as I get home. I get overwhelmed, my mind goes blank and nothing gets done. At times like this, this one thing is sometimes the only thing that keeps me going and pushing on. I must have been about 12. We had friends over for a fondue dinner and my dad was talking about my brother and sister, something about soccer and whatever they were doing. He was having a proud dad moment saying how great his kids were and when he was done I jokingly said “ya and all I do is sit on a horse”. He then said “ imagine trying to be proud of that”, that phrase slapped me right in the face and shut me up. For a long while that knocked me down and I felt like a worthless piece of shit, wasting my life. Worst of all it made me feel like my parents aren't proud of me and that my sibling were way more loved. I mean I can't blame him, I hadn't really done much to be proud of and I didn't support his favourite sports etc. Over the last couple years I have started to show my horse along with shetland ponies and different breeds of draft horses. Not to toot my own horn or anything but i'm not all that bad. Last year my dad was around for one of the shows I was showing at, he got to watch me show in many classes and I won a good many of them with my horse then with the daft horses as well. He was all excited and congratulated me warmly. I cant explicitly remember him telling me that he was proud of me but he may have, I just don't redeem, but i'll always remember that night when he implied that he wasn't. Later in the show season when I came home with six 1st place ribbons and three 2nds and a big trophy from the IPE, he was very excited and proud. So is that all it took, doing well at horse shows or a check to prove my efforts? I’m no parent but I dont think its a good thing to show your children that you will be proud of them once they have won something and only then. I believe showing your children that you love them and are proud of them no matter what place they come in to be important and ya that means actually saying it. If you're a parent or want a tip to help be a good parent, I strongly suggest reading this.
Maybe he was proud of me back then and only joking. Regardless, I work hard to do better and win more, to make him proud. I work at this as if I was trying proving him wrong, because I love proving anyone wrong and surprising people that think I can’t do something. But I guess I’m just trying to make my dad proud- just like most other kids out there, trying to prove themselves worthy and feeling like they are falling just short. I wonder if this will always be a driving force for me and if I will ever get over that time he said that, or will it always be at the top of my memories of him. Whatever it was or will be, it’s just fuel to the fire. Matthew F Throughout the final term in this school year I have been more laid back and enjoying myself outside of school more than focusing on my schoolwork, which hasn’t really taken a hit, but with me taking more time for myself, I have found that I have become a much more positive and relaxed person. Maybe it is due to the new people that I have met outside/inside of school, or maybe it is just that I am more happy with myself as a person. I’ve found myself searching for people who have just a good vibe/energy to them, people who aren’t fake and like you for the person that you are. I don’t want to write some sappy blog because that isn’t the person that I am, some of the things that make me more positive are very simple. I find myself having these “holy fuck” moments, now these moments can be simple, or just a sudden realization, such as me listening to music differently and going “holy fuck I didn’t know it was about that”, or hanging out with friends and looking back like “holy fuck that was fun”. Looking back at these moments make me laugh and realize that I have started to appreciate the small things in my life, and enjoying the time I have left in high school. The people that I have recently met over the past school year, have been people that I see as friends when I am an adult, people that I can trust, who I know will be there for me. I found out this year that some of my closest friends weren’t truly my friends, which hurt a bit, and left me confused, but ultimately searching for more real people. I think that this experience has taught me a lot about people, but it taught me that I am better than fake friends. This experience will lead me into adulthood and hopefully make me a better man. I don’t think the search is all that difficult, because most of those people have been
there the whole time, you just had to get to know them more. I kind of glad this happened, because if it didn’t, I still be in that same spot, with friends who I was just kinda friends with, and that was it, not people that I talked to outside of school, went to parties with, or did things with, I wouldn’t be as positive if I was in that same position. Now with university and graduation around the corner, I’ll start to meet new people and will have a different perspective when it comes to choosing who I associate with, and who I am friends with. Still, I love my “holy fuck” moments, and when I realize I am having one, I instantly have a slight chuckle, and I hope I have have many more in the future. Jake V What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word trust? Maybe a certain person, specific scenario or just the feeling of being able to tell someone anything knowing it will stay between you two. It's an assured reliance on the character and truth of someone. For most people trust is something that is earned, not just given because the act of trust involves a lot of personnel details and actions therefore it shouldn't be giving out randomly. Trust is one of if not the most important parts in any relationship. It doesn't matter if it's between parent and child, boyfriend and girlfriend, teacher and student, trust is a big factor. I personally value trust alot and have a strong feeling of it with all my friends and family members. My closest friends are the people I talk to about all my problems and issues in life, and they are always there for me. My parents are also extremely trustworthy and know pretty much everything about me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVeq-0dIqpk In order to gain someones trust you need to be honest and loyal to them. Be real and don't give them any reason to doubt your authenticity by lying or screwing them over. On the contrary, when it comes to you trusting someone it all comes down to personal opinion and views.You might trust someone with your deepest secrets while someone else doesn't trust them at all. All in all, trust is something that is earned not given. It is extremely important in every relationship and it can separate the real from the fake.
Jack C It’s easy to get caught up in today’s modern world. Starting off as primates a million years ago, we have evolved into homo sapiens, modern-day humans. A million years ago, we were simple beings that lived to survive. Today, we are complex beings that speak more than six thousand languages worldwide and walk upright on two feet. Though life itself has been invariant, lifestyle has adapted relative to the evolution of man. As we have developed, so have our needs. In the 21st century, technology and materialism are vast consumers of our precious time on earth. In a million years, humans developed from living for survival to living for luxury; however, some aspects of life never will change. We all live. We all learn. We all laugh. We all cry. We all love. We all win. We all lose. No one has control over what life gives them, and whether it is in moderation or excess. We are brought into this world to make a change. Life is not just a race for survival anymore. I believe that one is brought into this world with a purpose; it is that individual’s life mission to fulfill that purpose. Birth is the beginning of life. Life is a beautiful thing. But no one lives forever. Life comes to an end; sometimes you are warned that departure is upon one, and sometimes you are not. Within a split-second, your life changes. You lose. As the clock moves a minute forward, you lose. As you take a step closer, you lose. As you touch the hand but still feel the soul, you lose. You lose mentally and physically. Because you have been stripped of a piece. Bare. Bare is what one feels when they are at a significant loss. It doesn’t feel normal. It doesn’t feel right. One is empty. You wish for more time. One thinks of all that could have been said during the times which they remained silent. One more story. One more look. One more visit. One more memory. When you suffer a loss, grief takes over. Guilt. Sadness. Sorrow. These all mentally, physically, and spiritually affect a person on an individual level. Some will laugh. Some will cry. Some won’t do either. You will continue to learn. Because learning is invariant, just as life itself is. Some will not hold the capacity to bear a single thought. That’s okay. You are okay. Express yourself. Remember. Laugh. Cry. Fall. Everyone grieves differently. There is no standard when it comes to this gray area. Don’t feel ashamed. Don’t blame yourself. We hope for the best, and that’s all we can do. It can go on for days, hours, years. A lifetime. Everywhere you go, you will be reminded of the piece that you carry. As if they were still here. An ode to the beautiful soul. May the river stream the course of one’s eternal life. We will win again. Our collective purpose is to contribute to changing the world for the better. We control our effort and will.
Let’s go win. As we walk towards the sunset behind the forest, we are never bare. We fill our hole with that piece we once lost. Janeva S I once heard an analogy that really gave me perspective on what values I should live by and what my life should consist of. It went like this… “You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? "Well because someone bumped into me, of course!" Wrong answer. You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. Whatever is inside the cup, is what will spill out. Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It's easy to fake it, until you get rattled. So we have to ask ourselves... "what's in my cup?" When life gets tough, what spills over? Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility? Or anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions? You choose!” When I read that I really had to begin to ask myself, “what am I filling my cup with”. Especially with coffee, when spilt it leaves a stain and is difficult to clean up, so if I fill my life with anger, grudges, and hurtful words, when life shakes me it will leave a stain on the lives around me and those I have affected. It is difficult sometimes to clean up your mess when it spills. This analogy has helped me gain perspective on how I want my life to impact others. If i want others to be impacted positively by my words and actions, I must fill my life with positivity. Some people struggle with understanding how to make that change in their lives. Here are some ways that may help you gain positivity in your life that will then pour out onto those around you. Like a new years resolution, incorporating new habits or adapting to a different lifestyle and way of living can be difficult if not sometimes extremely difficult. Keeping up a positive and strong persona can sometimes become very difficult. Learning how to focus on the good things rather than emphasizing the small negative things is super important in maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself. There is that saying that says “to love others you must love yourself first”, to be able to have a positive affect on others, you must have a positive attitude with yourself and grow as an individual in these areas so that it may spread to those around you. To quote a video that gave me inspiration for this blog it says “the effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is”. So what is in your heart? Do you hold onto the hardship in your life, do you focus on the small negative things that are not going to matter at the end of the day, or do you delight in focusing on the good? How do your actions and words make an impact in the lives of others? What is in your heart will spill out onto others. People won’t remember all of your success, they will remember you by the way you made them feel and the impact you had on their life. What impact do you want to make?
I challenge you and encourage you to think about what your cup is filled with right now. Love? Hurt? Pain? Positivity? Then compare it to what you want your cup to be filled with. Next, I challenge you to think of ways in which you’re able to make small changes to either remove or incorporate new values into your life. You will notice these changes in the way that you interact with others and the impression and impact they gain from you! Continue being a light in the lives of others! Emily C My time at SDSS is almost up, and it’s quite hard to wrap my brain around that. Going into high school, everything I “knew” was all from watching high school depictions in movies. It was safe to say I was terrified because of what the movies showed me. It was also scary because I used to be a very shy kid (and still am to an extent) and my family was very worried about my social skills and whether I would get bullied or not. I didn’t let that rattle me and I just dived right in and tried my best not to overthink it. Over the course of these past five years I have gone through some of the happiest moments in my life, as well as some of the worst moments in my life. The good times are obviously wonderful, but we don’t grow if our lives are positive all the time. The only way we grow is through the struggle. I would not be the person I am today without all of my baggage, because it taught me valuable lessons and allowed me to keep a level head through all of the chaos. Everything I longed for in grade eight, I know have. A song that’s been released to the world, a solid friend group, and am the most confident in myself that I’ve ever been (to some extent). I didn’t know who I would be when I graduated, or what I would want to go into. As a backup plan, I wanted to go into sciences (which is so stupid, I can’t even work an oven) because I was too scared to go into music, which was the start of my anxiety. It used to be really bad, but nowadays it only gets triggered by very few things like being late to class, and putting myself out there, which is why I was scared to go into music. Letting people hear your thoughts is one of the scariest things I’ve ever done, but it’s something I had to do because I had to prove to myself that I was more capable than I thought I was. I got too comfortable in high school, and never pushed myself in school which made me extremely anxious doing anything remotely out of my comfort zone. As you know, I am a man of many classes (3 in school, one x block) and one of my favourite classes was leadership. Honestly, I owe a lot of my tenacity and nerve to taking leadership, as it took me out of my comfort zone, and allowed me to understand my reactions to things, why I was reacting the way I was, and to control that in order to be the best version of myself. Now I’m definitely not the best version of myself, as I feel we are all constantly growing and never truly reach our full potential. As I leave high school, I feel secure, which is extremely rare for me. I love who I am as a student, musician, and person. For years I’ve always tried to prove myself to people and this leads me to one of the most important things I’ve learned: never compare yourself to others. Everyone has their own purpose in life whether you realize that or not. Just because someone has more success than you, or is going to all these fancy schools and you’re not, doesn’t mean that they are better than you. Stay in your own lane. I know that I will never be the kid that the teacher uses an an example of the best assignment or something like that, but I will be the kid who is constantly pushing themselves to be the best artist/person they can be. And for Mr.Hortness, in January of last year I wrote on the front of my journal that I would have a song released, and look where we are now! Psychic is available on all platforms (yes shameless promo) but things really do come full circle. Thanks SD, take care. Connor N |
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