4 Things I Wish I Knew Then
I received a response ( see below) to my recent post: Reunion: To Go or Not to Go from a high school student who writes blog posts on Medium. The student suggested I read The Average Student posts. “They might even remind you of some of your experiences!”
Reading the Average Student posts made me think about what I wish I knew then that I know now and how my perspective has changed over the years.
The Religious of the Sacred Heart instilled an expectation that we would graduate and some day be leaders in the world, make the world a better place and be stewards of the Earth. We learned to question the world around us. Curiosity was valued as was debate, discussion and discernment. We had been the recipients of an excellent education that was not to be wasted. Our exams were blanks pages to be filled with answers to questions that revealed critical thinking and analysis and of course a bit of pooh.
It was the 70s and I believed in peace not war, flower power, women’s rights and caring for our planet. The first Earth Day occurred during my high school years. I believed it was my responsibility to make the world a better place.
Looking back after 51 years, with gratitude for a superior education, there was more to learn. I wish I had learned these lessons in high school and avoided some of the hardships of limiting beliefs.
- Self worth is about knowing that you are enough without any external validation from grades, sports, performances, social media status or membership in any club or group and whether or not you save the world. You are enough just as you are. If you have failed at something, made a mistake, felt embarrassed or shame, know that those are just parts of the day not the whole picture.
“You are enough, always have been and always will be.” Marisa Peer
2. Life itself is not a competition. We are all making our way through day by day and there is no prize money or trophy. Competition is huge in high school. You compete in class, on the field or on the court. You compete to gain entrance to the top college or university. Even the arts, dance and music become competitive. But life itself is not a competition and sometimes cooperative efforts take you and others down a better path.
3. Kindness matters. Learn the names of the other students in your classes and know at least one thing about each person. Tragedies happen, even to teenagers. A kind word can make the difference between despair and hope.
4. High school is just a snapshot in time. The boy with acne will someday have clear skin and kids of his own. The pregnant girl will give birth, go to college and become a teacher. The heartbroken sophomore will have many romances before marrying her future partner.
What seems dire morphs into something new and better. Adopt a philosophy that you tell yourself over and over again such as life always works out for me because in reality it really does. Victimhood can sneak into your thoughts and it is such a waste of time.
Your future is limitless and so are you.
Finally, be your best self at 15, 16, 17 and 18 and ever more. Not perfect. Just your best .
“You are a co-creator of your life, and every thought, feeling, intention and emotion you have is creating the road ahead. With that being said, you don’t need to know every single detail of what is going to unfold before you.” Kyle Gray
Wishing you, The Average Student, all the best.
The Average Student
I am in high school right now, and reading about your reunion experience was really cool! Hopefully I get to have the same experience one day! I am actually writing about my high school experiences right now, so if you’d like to, feel free to check them out on my page and let me know what you think in the reponses! They might even remind you of some of your experiences! Lovely piece by the way.
