Holy moly is it ever hard to be a teenager. Many will agree and I’d be quite surprised if they didn’t. Very few can testify to having an easy time in high school; academic wise, friendship wise and family wise as well. Teenagers each day go through mental, emotional and some physical challenges that are overwhelmingly difficult to deal with. I believe we are never given more than we can handle but through these hard experiences we learn a lot about ourselves. In high school, everyone in some way is searching for themselves, experimenting with different things, figuring out what they enjoy and what they don't, and most importantly who they want to become after leaving high school. The main difficulty is the feeling that we are not ________ enough. Not pretty enough, not popular enough, not smart enough, not fast enough, not GOOD enough.. It is so important recognize the positive things about yourself because you are enough, and you do not need to change in any way in order to be enough. Many individuals undergo this battle, and a clip from TedTalk shone light on this as well. Unfortunately there are so many factors that play a role in one's journey of discovery and often what youth lose is there sense of staying true to who they are and who they want to be. For myself I have found highschool to be one of the most challenging experiences I have been through because of this aspect. A few years ago after spending a summer away volunteering at a summer camp, I really had time to reflect on my life and learn more about myself. Coming home that summer I decided that I wanted to follow God and to start attending church and a youth group. This was a very big adjustment for my family and friends who do not share the same views as me. Entering back into my community, my school, and my friend groups, I found it exceptionally difficult to pursue the path that I wanted to follow amongst those who were close minded to my decision to become christian. This is still something I struggle with on a daily basis but I have grown in my faith through these hard moments as I have been challenged to continue staying true to myself even when it feels like I am super alone. This is only my example though and for others it may be something completely different, but I believe that we all have difficulties in high school, to stay true to our morals, our beliefs and our values. Staying true to myself hasn’t been easy as I have become distant with some of my friends, I have had conflicts with my family and I have felt quite alone at school as I am now considered different. However, staying true to what I believe in and how I want to live my life has been the most rewarding thing. I have learned more about myself, my faith and who I want to be and through it all I have been able to influence others through these experiences. A few key things to remember are:
Although my story is different than others, the tips that I have used in staying true to myself through high school, may be relatable to others who are exhibiting similar difficulties. Being a teenager in general with the everyday challenges of being yourself in your friend group, being yourself on a sports team or in a club etc. is extremely difficult, especially when facing everyday challenges. But discovering who you are and who you want to be is crucial to living a lifestyle with authenticity and originality. Do not be afraid to make mistakes but learn from them and learn more about yourself. You are you and you should embrace everything that makes you yourself. You are incredible just the way you are.
-Emily C
11 Comments
|
Categories
|