In Search of a Positive Life

I do not expect this to all of a sudden cure the world of negativity or to look at the bad in the world and ignore it but I do hope this helps people on the smaller scale of life and its effects. Being in high school comes with the all-too-familiar topics such as anxiety, stress, depression, loss of friends, breakups, and drama.

As a kid, I always thought high school was going to be like what the movies showed me, all full of the typical social groups; the jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, and the punks. I never thought it would be how it actually is; a whole lot of tests and kids all trying to just figure out life and what's going on. We're all just trying to find our way.

I hope that this can help give some reassurance and maybe help smaller areas of life. I know that these things do not apply to each person or to every situation, this is really just surface level information. My hope is to share some of my experiences and that this can help people in some way.

A larger issue that many people in high school are faced with is a decreasing amount of friends. We all hate it, no person wants to have fewer friends but a sad part of getting older is learning that not everyone is going to be your friend. When I got into high school I quickly learned that staying close friends with all the people I hoped to was just an unrealistic expectation.

This isn't to say it can't be done, but people change during this stage of life and this time is when us teens start to discover our different beliefs and values. We develop our personalities and our interests are starting to become pretty solid ground.

Understanding that loss of some friendships is not the end of the world is something I found essential to my time in high school. As the years went on, I was glad my inner circle became a bit smaller because through that I was able to grow deeper in my relationships with a few people and build long-lasting bonds.

I was able to spend some solid time with these people and create so many memories. I have found the people I kept closest to were obviously the ones I enjoyed being around but also they were people that had similar values and were good to me. My friends are ones I believe to be best for me and my life and good people that are always looking for me to grow and prosper.

To mention the alternative side of these situations is that sometimes I lost friends because of much harder and sadder reasons. Some friends were lost due to conflict or because of the typical 'being left out.' Situations like these are ones that happen sometimes and I can't speak to each person's experience, all I can say is that you are not alone in this.

So many people get left out of things and this does not mean it hurts any less, but sometimes, these instances can show who our true friends are. I found that by realizing the people who leave me out aren't meant to be apart of my life like my other friends are has really helped me to get through those times. It puts us down and makes us sad, I know, but we can't let these people get to us.

Friendship is difficult and it takes work, at times you find people who mean the world to you and you think they will never leave but they do, and I am still coming to terms with that fact. I guess we just have to try to see what good can come from those times spent with the people we care(d) about. Closed doors in one place can lead you to open doors somewhere else.

Life in high school and being a teen, in general, is no walk in the park. Our lives are affected each day by the things put on social media or by the people we are friends (or lack of) with. I know this is easier said than done, but trying our best to find the good in each day really does help our overall moods and outlooks. Spending just 30 seconds to find one thing that made us smile or one thing that made us laugh can alter our moods.

• Listen to calm music
• Paint something you love
• Read a book in a comfortable chair
• Watch the clouds or stars
• Sit outside and just feel the warmth of the sun on your face
• Eat ice cream
• Enjoy the presence of a good friend and some coffee
• Breathe.

Our lives are much more beautiful than you think. I know life can be hard and I know this whole paper kind of jumped around but I truly believe that some of these words can help some smaller issues of life. You are all meant to love life and I think we could all use some more joy in this world. Maybe you can smile now knowing you aren't alone or that some bad days can be turned good.