Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Apologies


A broken window, or a poor choice of words. These are just one of many ways to hurt people unintentionally.
We should apologize and try to make amends for mistakes. But do we? Not always.

The biggest reason we don't is because we don't always know quite how. It could even be because we just don't care. But it's always the right thing to do.
An apology can change the outcome of a friendship, punishment, and even your reputation. Apologies do get hard depending on what you're apologizing for. The main things to remember about apologies is take some time to word everything how you want it to come across. Apologies are very easy to take the wrong way or for people to think you're doing it for the wrong reasons. So in my opinion, taking your time is definitely a good idea.

Always remember is actually put your heart into it. Even if it's hard, try and mean what you say. It means a lot to a person and shows who you are when you put your heart into an apology. People like knowing that you are actually sorry for what you did.

So next time you hurt someone's feelings or accidentally break something, man up (or woman up) and apologize for your mistake. Make sure it's sincere, and you may just find the outcome better than you expected.

Friday, March 14, 2014

I'll Get It Done... Eventually.

Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill.
I think we've all been there at some point. There's something to be done, but we don't want to do it. Or at least, not right now. So we don't do it, telling ourselves we'll "get it done later."
I've procrastinated a lot in the past. In every area from school and homework, to chores around the house. Here's what I've learned about procrastination.


Putting off work for later only delays the inevitable, plus some more.
Being lazy may seem beneficial at the time, but in the end we do the same amount of work we'd have to do before; but when we delay it, there are some huge side effects.
- Cutting it close to, or missing deadlines,
- Stressing over having to cram everything in a few hours,
- Poor results from a lack of time spent on it,
- When there are no deadlines, work just keeps building up until it's seemingly impossible to solve.
And don't forget the constant guilt accompanied with not getting things done.
But what can we do to prevent this chain of laziness?


Here are just a few tips to help stop procrastination.

1) Create a to-do list.
It actually helps. Write down the things you know that you need to do, and check them off as you complete them. It can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. 
To-do lists help you keep on track, while encouraging you by showing the things you've accomplished so far. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

2) Remove distractions.
Do you have a habit of texting instead of working? What about playing Xbox? Watching Netflix?
I find that physically removing those items from your view and make them not available to use often helped me focus and prevented me from using them before work was done. Nobody knows yourself better than you do. Find out what causes you to get distracted, and either remove it from you, or remove you from it.

3) Dedicate time.
One of the main causes of my procrastination, was me allowing myself to do other things. 
Another great way to avoid procrastination is dedicate some time (say, an hour) to doing only the intended task, no matter how boring it is. And whenever you see something distracting, pay no attention to it at all.

4) Don't wait for perfection, just do it.
Don't wait for the perfect moment; it'll never come, and we'll never get the work done.
Sometimes I convinced myself that there was some "opportune time" to get this work done, and whenever it wasn't that time, I shouldn't work on it.
The best way to stop this? Don't wait. Do it immediately. Do you have stuff that should be completed? Stop what you're doing, and go finish it!


Stopping procrastination will actually save you time.
Sometimes, work is objectively unavoidable. You're going to have to spend at least one hour working on something, so you may as well get it out of the way, before it becomes one and a half hours, and then two hours.
In the end, how much time would you want to spend doing the exact same task: one hour, or two? The answer is simple. Get it done, and get it out of the way. You can actually save yourself time by getting it done now. And then that hour you would've spent working, can now be spent doing whatever you want to, with a mind clear of guilt. The decision is yours.

Thomas Edision once said "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." 

Do you have something that needs to be done? What're you waiting for? Go and get it done. There's nothing stopping you besides yourself.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

It's Over Rated

In our world today, appearance is everything, and the media decides what is beautiful. Sometimes when we don't look like the people on T.V. and in the magazines we feel bad, and we feel insecure. 
Everyone has that thing that they feel insecure about, usually it's the thing that makes you different. Whether it's big eyes, a gap in your teeth, or freckles. But I'm here to tell you these little quirks are a good thing.

Being different, or unique, is what sets you apart. 
Imagine how boring the world would be if everyone was the same; We have variety in people for a reason! "Perfection" in appearance is overrated and boring.
Don't let anyone get down on you for being different. I think that everyone likes to feel special, and you are very special. You beat many odds if you turned out having red hair, or dimples. That one little trait that people pick on you for, is something that you should be proud of. Because it's what makes you different. 

- Are you left handed? If you are, then you are one of only 10% of people in this world. 

- Only 8% of people have blue eyes. 

- If your hair swirls counter-clockwise, you are one of 6%. 

- Look at your finger print; do you have loops, whirls, or arches? Only 5% of people in the world have arches, and 30% have whirls. 

- Ever heard of the Simian Crease? It's the line that goes all the way across your palm, it affects only 1 in 50.

- 36% of people have detached earlobes, while 64% have attached.  

- Only 2% of the adults are naturally blonde; and redheads are even more rare, only 1-2% of the population of the world has red hair. Only 11% percent of people have naturally curly hair (including me). 1/5 of people have dimples. 

- Did you know there is only a 7.5% chance that you were born in February? 

- If you are a girl and you are 5'10, be proud; there is less than a 3% chance of that. And less than a 1% chance for you as a girl to be above 5'11. If you are a dude, there is less than a 5% chance for you to be above 6'1.

The point of all those statistics is to show you that the odds of you being you are so small, that it will only ever happen once. There is only one you in this world, and you were born to do great things. Life is too short to waste it worrying about what people say about you. 

So next time you are staring in the mirror feeling insecure, or listening to someone laugh at you for you appearance, just remember that you are special, your looks are only a fraction of who you are. Don't disguise yourself to "fit in". Perfection is overrated, It's way better to be you.The world doesn't need a repeat of that girl in the magazine or the actor on T.V., the world needs you! So hold your head up high, embrace your uniqueness, and go out into this world and do what only you can. :)

~ Akila

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Saying Thank You

Saying Thank You
 
Last year my family took the gratitude challenge. Everyday we wrote down 25 things that we were thankful for. Forty days later we had come up with over a thousand things we were thankful for. 

Did you know studies show that people who are in the practice of being thankful are:

  1. 25% happier
  2. get an extra half hour of sleep each night
  3. exercise 33% more
  4. have less stress
  5. have stronger relationships


When we took the gratitude challenge no one in my family knew about these benefits. It wasn't until my sister did a school project about gratitude, that we found out. Looking back, I realize that I was really happy during our 40 days of gratitude. Here are some ideas for showing gratitude:

  1. Write a thank you
  2. Jot a few things down in a gratitude journal before hitting the hay or
  3. Go over things you're thankful for in your head before bed
  4. Thank each member of your family for a chore they do (for example, “thanks for taking out the trash,” or “this casserole is delicious, thanks for all your hard work”)
  5. Go the extra mile to show your appreciation for someone on their birthday or special holidays like Mothers' Day
  6. Put gratitude reminders around where you will see them
  7. Try to stop the complaining (This is my weakness. The glass is usually half empty when I'm around.) and in its place talk positively.
  8. Start a family list of things your grateful for. Make lists at dinner and put them around your house. When guests come over, have them join. One time my mom was interrogating a friend for things he was thankful for and he rattled of in a voice like a robot “friends, family, food, and fellowship.” My mom told him that was pathetic and could he be a little more specific. He then blurted out “gun rights!” If you searched through our 40 pages of thank you's, you will find “gun rights” penciled in somewhere.


How do you show gratitude?

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Friends and Peer Pressure

                        We have all experienced peer pressure at some point in our teen lives.


              It is a BIG problem for some of us. Friends are one of the main influences when it comes to you making a decision. Some of those friends may be a good influence on your decision. Some may be bad ones. Listen, most of the time, going with the crowd can be a big prob. when you make a decision, make one that is not foolish or one that you will regret. If you make a decision off of what other people say, you might look back on it and feel embarrassed. it may have hurt someone also. It's hard not to go with the crowd. But if you do what's right, you'll stand out to the rest. Believe me! I have been In that situation and have made stupid decisions because I followed the crowd. I was kind of embarrassed. But I look back on it and use it as a lesson. You just have to stand strong and push through it.


              Be sure that you have the right friends that you hang out with and influence you. Friends that you have may not be actual friends. Maybe they are just there to gain their own social status. If you have friends like this, you have to be very careful about how much you spend time with them. I have had a few of those people in the past that have gossiped about me or just said they knew me but they really just didn't care. Some of them have greatly influenced me. It dramatically changed my attitude. Again, be careful about what friends you choose or if they really are friends at all.


Are your friends a positive or a negative influence?




Thanks for reading!


~ Randy

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Driving Responsibly

Have you ever been in a vehicle with the driver going a little too fast and it feels very freaky?  Not too far from our house there was a two car accident killing 3 people.  A teenager got off to the right side of the road.  She over corrected swinging her vehicle into the middle of the road going left of center hitting head on into a car with a family of four.  The accident killed the father, the two year old son and the teenager that was driving the other vehicle.  Driving is a big responsibility and needs to be taken seriously.  Since I am planning on getting my license soon, it really makes me think about my responsibility as a driver.


We live on a country road and like to take bike rides.  One day after school we were outside.  Three cars pulled up in front of our house.  One pulled down into the ditch, got out of his vehicle and waited while the other two lined up to race.  As one teen waved at them to go, the racers took off at a high speed side by side down the road.  What could have happened if my younger siblings were out riding their bikes that day?  We need to understand that our choices may have life-long consequences.  It would be awful living with the fact that I had killed or injured because of my carelessness 
Driving is a very serious thing. Even if you are driving something like an ATV, a tractor, a RTV, a dirt bike, and even a motorcycles it’s easy to have a little fun.  My dad is constantly reminding me to slow down.  The loss of these three lives near our home has made me ponder the responsibility of driving.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Tough Choices


The life of a teenager isn’t easy. Between high school drama and “nagging” parents, it can get pretty crazy. That’s why it’s so beneficial to take a step back and enjoy the time you have by making good choices. Instead of fighting with your friends about stupid things that won’t even matter after graduation, or getting into bad stuff (like drugs,) think about what will help your future. Now don’t get me wrong, you shouldn’t sit at home worrying about the future. But you should make wise choices for it.

Here are a few things to consider while making tough decisions:
Is it helpful?

Yeah, some people may argue drugs won’t hurt you (don’t believe them) but will they help you? No, in the beginning they may seem to mask the pain but trust me they’ll make you nuts and ruin your life. That is the same with many other things, such as cheating in school, relationships where the person isn’t treating you right, and procrastinating. All may seem harmless in the beginning but they are never helpful.
Would my parents approve?

Ask yourself this, or just ask them. Not all decisions need guidance, like ordering a pizza for yourself. But parents have been teens before, and know a lot more than you! Parents tend to appreciate this and seeing how mature you can be might surprise them.
Does this choice affect others?
Bad choices can often radiate to other people. We’ve all been in a situation where someone got hurt or broke something while doing something sweet, and now no one is allowed to do it. Don’t be the person who ruins it for others. Choices can also affect others by directly harming them physically or emotionally. It’s probably best if you avoid doing that too.
Making good choices may not always be fun right off the bat, but they’ll help you eventually. Let us know if these help you or if you have anything that always seems to help.