As we approach the holiday season, we are reminded of things we should be thankful for: to enjoy the time we have with our families and to celebrate the end of another year. I have personally found this year to be eye opening, from losing someone close to me, still having to push myself to excel in school and preparing myself for the SAT in several months.
This year has really taught me many things. Losing a family member has been very stressful. It has put a strain on my family, and lately without realizing it, I feel that I have been only thinking of the negatives rather than focusing on all of the positives in my life.
While I was at a family gathering a couple days after Thanksgiving, my family had asked my cousins and I to name one thing that was going well in our lives and also to name one bad thing happening in our lives. It amazed me that out of the six cousins there, we all found it extremely difficult to name something good, and we were only able to point out the bad things in our lives. It really made me realize the negativity I carry around with me.
We have so much to be thankful for, and we often take many things for granted. I have realized that when I’m in school, it’s so easy for us to complain about being there. I hear many negative comments like,“I totally just failed that test and I don’t even care,” or “I don’t want to be here.” These comments and thoughts are contagious to others throughout the school. We have an amazing school with great teachers that help us excel on our educational journey. It’s their job to push our limits and make us the best students we can be.
I want to encourage everyone, including myself, to be more conscious about staying positive and focusing on the positives in our lives, because believe it or not, there are so many! Life is too short to be negative.