Life Has Not Done Away With Winners and Losers

     In order to maintain student's self esteem and confidence, schools have gotten rid of competition between students. Not that there was any super blatant competitiveness before, but there is even less now. This removal of competitive spirit does not bear any resemblance to the real world AT ALL. Between companies, between bosses, between coworkers; there is competition everywhere. And there is always an incentive for coming out on top.
     In school we are commonly given as many tries as we need to get the grade we want. In the real world, you get one chance to get it right and if you don't, someone else gets the job, promotion, or lead on the project. A well known fact of nature is that only the strong survive. This applies to life as well (literally and figuratively). The better you do things, especially the first time, the better off you will be.
     Life is a constant competition, despite what schools may have you believe. Teachers usually want every student to do well, whether that take one time for top students or ten times for the lower.  Life gives everyone one chance to get it right and thus it separates the winners from the losers. The other side of this thought is that some people will do whatever it takes to come out on top. The end does not justify the means. You have to keep the bigger picture in mind- remember that while it's okay to do your best, it's better to ensure that you go the extra mile to prove yourself.
     Lastly, though being the winner is always seen as better, you should never aim to beat anyone else. Rather you should strive to be the best you can possibly be. When you achieve our truest potential, you are a winner.

Be Nice To Nerds

     Kids who are classified as nerds, are often the ones who are picked on or laughed at because they chose to study instead of go to the movies or parties. However, what people need to realize is that someday they will most likely be working under one of these so called "Nerds."
     In high school, there is a large distinction between the sporty "Jocks" and the smart "nerds." Kids just assume that the most popular kids in school will be the most successful bosses and business owners. While is some cases this is true, in many cases, either the nerdy kids become the successful professionals or they are the ones in the popular person's company that make it successful.
     Sports are commonly embodied as the most important aspect of high school. But how often do people's hard work in a sport during high school pay off? Less than 10% of high school athletes go on to play professionally. Contrary to this, most kids who focus on learning, have a 3.5 GPA and up and took challenging classes, will be first choice on college application lists and eventually make more money. I don't say this to downgrade the benefit of playing sports or the people who participate in them, but rather to demonstrate a difference between realistic scenarios.
     Being a nerd is not at all a bad thing. People make being a nerd such a bad thing when it really is a term inferring intelligence. "Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one." -Bill Gates

Take Responsibility When YOU Mess Up

     How often when we mess up do we come up with someone or something else to blame? In high school, we are only provided with a small example of what the world expects of us later in life. When you mess up, it looks so much better if you just accept responsibility and learn from your mistakes.
     The first step to taking responsibility for your mistakes is by acknowledging the fact that you are not perfect, despite what you may think. It is a part of life to mess up. No one is perfect and you have to be willing to realize that this also applies to you.
    The next step is to realize that when you mess up, it is not the end of the world, so why blame it on anyone or anything else. There are some exceptions where the situation could actually be really bad, but even in these situations, it would be so much more impressive for people to see someone willing to take responsibility for themselves. Taking responsibility demonstrates a maturity that is faith renewing and refreshing to see.
     Blaming others is the easy way out, which is why so many people do it. Blame, in many ways demonstrates a persons lack of self confidence. Employers are most commonly looking for someone who displays confidence in their own abilities. Parallel to this confidence is the responsibility of the individual. If someone is truly confident in themselves, they should be completely willing to accept responsibility when they make a mistake.
     Although it is hard to always take responsibility, it is so much more rewarding in the end. It also builds character. It is easier to respect a person who holds themselves accountable for their mess ups.

Instead of complaining about messing up and blaming others, take responsibility and you will most likely learn from your mistake so that you don't make it again. 

Our Parents Know Things We Don't

     How many times in our lives, when our parents advise us not to do things, do we still do them with the mind set that they don't know what they are talking about? For me, this used to happen all the time. Something we, as teens and young adults, need to realize is that our parents have done everything we have done, and perhaps they know a bit more about life than we do. I know...it's shocking!!!
      On subjects like relationships, money, jobs and just life in general, parents always know better than we do. For example, this past summer I had my first real job. Before then I had my own money, but only what I would get for my birthday and doing odd jobs for my grandparents. After making as much money as I made this past summer I was excited at the idea of going out and buying anything I wanted. However, my parents immediately stepped in and told me that I had to save my money and budget it out so that I can make it last. They were right.
     Parents are also almost always right when it comes to relationships. Since high school is so commonly about who we are "dating" at the moment,we are so concerned with maintaining our relationships.  If you are actually considering dating someone more seriously, parents can always give you advice on how to go about considering your relationships since they have been through that themselves.
     Lastly, there are issues like teenage ignorance with driving, drinking, smoking and partying in general. My family knows the reality of the dangers of driving, but so many teens today only care about driving fast and think nothing bad will happen because they are invincible. When it comes to safe driving, listen to your parents. They always know better than we do because they have gotten tickets and have been in accidents and know what that's like.  Drinking, smoking drugs and partying are also things that we are always told are dangerous, but never understand the repercussions until after we've done it. When your parents warn you not to do them, you should really listen because commonly they have made mistakes that they don't want you to make as well.
      Just as a general rule of thumb, your parents have been alive a lot longer than you have. They have done all the things you have done and will do. When they advise against things, it's because they know what will happen. They know better than we do so listen to them.

Life's Not Fair. Get Over It.

     In the American education system we are only taught what we need to be able to graduate. Students do gain social experience through making new friends and having to communicate with teachers and coaches, but besides that and classroom learning, what has school actually taught us about going into the adult world?
     Probably one of the most important things I have learned, that I was not taught in school, is the fact that LIFE IS NOT FAIR. I constantly find myself saying, "That's not fair," but only recently have I realized that it's just the way of life. Because most people are lazy, we expect things to be handed to us. However, this is not the way the world works. Just because you may be the smartest or the most qualified person, doesn't mean you will always get what you want. The sooner we get over the fact that life is not fair, the better we will start to bounce back after experiencing one of those "unfair" moments.
    Another aspect of life being unfair, is the idea that people need to GET OVER IT. My parents and grandparents are always telling me and my siblings that complaining when something doesn't go your way won't change the outcome. However hard this may be to accept, it's true.
     Yet another realization we need to face is the fact that maybe we caused the said unfairness. As teenagers, we are commonly ignorant to the fact that when we blatantly disobey, there will be consequences. When someone breaks curfew and gets their phone taken away, they will most likely proceed to claim that their parents are being unfair, when in reality the "unfair" consequences could have been avoided . I will admit that this is a common scenario for me. I say things like that and only later do I realize how stupid it made me sound because I had no one to blame but myself. The reality of life is that we have to take what we are given, despite whether or not it is fair, and use it to better position ourselves for gain in the future.
     Lastly, for the those of us who are convinced that nothing unfair could happen to them, the time will come when they will be upset that someone got the promotion they thought they deserved or didn't get the test grade that they thought they should have received.  Life is not fair. Despite how unfair that may be, it's the way the world works. Get over it!

"The only thing that makes life unfair, is the delusion that it should be fair." -Dr. Steve Maraboli

"Greatness is measured by how well an individual responds to the happenings in life that seem totally unfair, unreasonable and undeserved." -Marvin J. Ashton