It’s that time of the year again. The children are making their Christmas lists, parents are starting to plan out gifts for the entire family, stores are having sales, and Santa Clause is making his list and checking it twice. As a child, I would always make my list very absent-mindedly. It always included toys, candy, longer hair, new clothes, shoes new friends, a pony, and to even travel to the north pole and meet Santa and his elves. Now as a teenager if I could have anything for Christmas, I would ask for one thing; money. Asking for money as a Christmas gift is probably one of the easiest things to ask for. Both on the side of the gift giver and the gift receiver. For the gift giver, it saves time and energy to give money as a gift. Instead of spending endless hours in stores looking for the perfect gift and determining whether or not the person will like it, you can just present the person with a good amount of money. As the gift receiver asking for money is also easier on your part. Hearing the question ” what do you want for Christmas?” can often be both exciting and scary at the same time. The simple answer, money, is the best answer. Getting money for Christmas is beneficial in many ways. One way is that the money can come in handy during a later time. During the holiday season, people often don’t know what they want. If they are given money they can save it for when they really want or need something later during the year. This is why if I could get anything for Christmas it would be one thing, money:).
My New Years Resolutions
New Year’s resolutions have become a regular tradition. It is a tradition where a person resolves to change an undesired trait or behavior or to accomplish a personal goal or improve their life. New Year’s resolutions are the perfect opportunity for all those who have failed to start making the changes that they said they would make next week, next month, or perhaps when winter starts. Some common resolutions are to lose weight, start eating healthier, earn/save more money, get more sleep, watch less TV, get in a relationship, learn a new skill, and even facing fears and insecurities. For the upcoming year, 2019, I have two main resolutions that I want to focus on; procrastination, and getting more sleep
Procrastination has always been a big problem for me. Whenever I am given a task I always like to tell myself that I have a long time to complete it. The biggest barrier between me and ending this bad habit is that I have a desire to relax and do fun things instead of working hard. I have gotten so used to this, I am afraid that it will difficult to snap myself out of it. Secondly, I want to start going to sleep on time. On average I go to sleep around 1:30-2:00 A.M daily. Being involved in sports is a struggle because I don’t get out of practice until 6:30 and then I live an hour away from school, and then I still have to give my friends a ride home. Homework is always the first thing on my mind when I get home. But due to my procrastination problem, I always start late. This results in me having late nights weekly. If I put my mind to it, and work hard I believe that I can break these bad habits.
Key to happiness
Article: https://markmanson.net/stop-trying-to-be-happy
Mark Manson decides to write this article on how to truly find the key to happiness. He starts off the piece by explaining that happiness is not something that is simply obtained, but it is something that is inhabited. Just like a confident person doesn’t wonder if they’re confident or not, a person who is truly happy doesn’t have to worry about is they’re truly happy or not, they simply are. Finding happiness is not achieved in itself, but it is the result of a set of life experiences. Happiness cannot just be bought or achieved. It just becomes apart of your life order. Another key point that Manson touches is that happiness and pleasure are not the same. When people are looking to be happy, they are actually looking for pleasure. For example, they look for food, relationships, popularity, new things, and money. However, these things cannot make one happy. Yes, these things are great, but they are not the same as happiness. Pleasure is like false happiness. Manson uses research to further strengthen his point. Studies show that people who focus their energy on materialistic pleasure ens up more unstable, anxious and less happy all together. Pleasure is often mistaken as being happy because it is simple and easy. It is what is marketed to us in the world. Pleasure may be necessary but it isn’t sufficient. Lastly, he talks about happiness being the process of someone becoming their ideal self. Anyone who has set out major life goals for themselves only to achieve knows that happiness always feels like it’s around the corner, just waiting for you to show up. No matter where you are in life, there will always be that one thing you need to do to be extra especially happy.
Private school
I always thought that I would attend public school my whole life. I was wrong! I never thought that I would attend private school, let alone a Christian school The summer after first grade my mother informed me that I would be transferring schools. I was so scared. I didn’t want to leave all the friends that it had taken me so long to get because I was so shy, but I didn’t have a choice. At the end of the summer, my mom took me the uniform store to get my new uniform. The colors were hideous to me. Maroon and gray, but I would have to get used to it. August 22 was the first day of school. I was so scared! I had no idea what to expect. When I got to school my mom came in with me to make sure that I settled in. She then did the worse thing. She left me in a room with complete strangers. As I glanced around the room I was certain that I wouldn’t make any friends any time soon. Everyone looked like rich preppy school kids. To my surprise, there was one girl that I knew from Metro but that was it. After about a week I developed a crush on one of my classmates. He had really nice hair and nice eyes. He was also the class clown. One day at recess I ran up to him and told him that I loved him. After a while, I outgrew my crush and got used to my new school. I stayed at this school for 7 years. Now that I am a graduate I am happy for all of the memories and lifelong friends that I made while I was at G. E. Peters SDA school.
The city of Love <3
The city of love, lights, art, and history. My dream is to go to Paris, the capital of France. Why would I choose to travel to Paris instead of anywhere else in the world? Since I was little I have always dreamed of going to Paris. My dream was inspired by some of the movies and TV shows that I would watch and even the books that I would read. There were always scenes that portrayed romance or happiness. I want to stroll along a street in Paris while taking in the views. I want to sit at a small bistro restaurant and not have to stress or think about anything else. Falling in love in Paris is another reason why I want to go. Going by myself and meeting someone, or going with my significant other will be a dream come true. Besides the love and romance aspect of my visit, I would absolutely love to see the beautiful Eiffel Tower with my own eyes and not just in photographs and accessories. Paris is also full of amazing architecture and museums showcasing fine art from some of the world’s most famous and respected artists. I am also curious about the landscape and scenery in Paris. I am pretty sure it would look fantastic and be even more breathtaking than I imagine. Another reason why Paris is the place that I want to travel the most is that I am interested to witness the lifestyle in Paris like their cuisines, the houses, songs, and especially the shops. This is why I would want to travel to Paris more than anywhere else in the world.
Happiness
Happiness is used in the context of mental or emotional states, including positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of happiness is to be enjoying or characterized by well- being and contentment. Many people want to be happy, but not many people contemplate whether or not they really are. True happiness is a inner quality. It’s a state of mind where the mind is at peace. There are a number of examples that lead to complete and utter happiness. Personally, I am truly happy with three aspects of my life, the love that I receive, laughing until my sides hurt, and getting up out of bed everyday knowing that I get to love another beautiful day. I get unconditional love from almost everyone in my life. My friends, my family, and most importantly Jesus. My friends are always there for me whenever I am down or not my usual self. They always cheer me up whenever I am not my usual self, or whenever I’m having a bad day. Secondly when I laugh I get extremely happy. Whether it be laughter from a tv show, from a joke someone told me , or just a spur of the moment joke. Laughter lifts my spirits and puts me in a positive mood, regardless of the circumstances. Personally, a time when I found out the impact of laughter was when I was really sick. It helped make me forget about how much I was hurting and lifted my spirits to the point where I became really happy.
How to love yourself
Article : https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-love/201105/how-love-yourself-first
In this article, Ken Page describes reasons on why we should love ourselves. The first thing is that we need to love ourselves before we love anyone else. He declares that if want to experience true intimacy, we need to first be taught to love aspects of ourselves. The only way to learn self-love is being loved in the places where we feel most unsure and most fragile. This will cause us to open up and allow ourselves to be loved in a deeper way. No matter how many times we positively talk to ourselves, it cannot replace the feeling of being loved by someone else. It is a gift of intimacy, not of will-power. Page then moves on to talk about how when we try to share our deeper self, we often hesitate to take a step forward. According to Ken, the best way to free ourselves from the shame and fear around us is through relationships. Relationships that help instruct us to know the value of ourselves. He asks two simple questions as he starts to close the article out. Out of all the people we know, who can actually know us more than we know ourselves? Who has the generosity of spirit to encourage you toward greater self-expression? He answers his own question with a quite simple answer. It is these people that we need to practice leaning on and giving back to them. He calls them the relationship of inspiration. We need to build these relations into our non-romantic lives before we find them in our romantic partners. He ends the article with simple advice, dating someone like this will help us to recognize the progress we have made.
What is natural hair?
Article: https://www.liveabout.com/what-is-natural-hair-definition-and-in-depth-look-400268
In this article, Del Sandeen defines what natural hair is, some of the characteristics that it holds, and how to manage it. She defines natural hair as hair whose texture hasn’t been altered by chemical straighteners, including relaxers and texturizers. Natural hair can be worn in other styles besides and afro and still be considered natural. For example, flat ironed hair is still natural because once it is washed the texture returns to its natural state. Sandeen then goes on to explain some of the characteristics of natural hair. Natural hair usually ranges from wavy to kinky, with a big difference between the two. The three main hair types are generalized as dry to the touch, difficult to over-condition, and fragile. Natural hair can look strong, but it needs to be handled carefully. This means frequent conditioning and moisturizing and as little direct heat as possible to maintain optimum health. Natural hair is also very versatile. Hairstyles that work with natural textures are twists, braids, Bantu knots, and so much more. She also touches on the topic of texturizers. All texturizers are not natural because they have chemicals designed to break down hair protein. They sometimes contain the same ingredients as relaxers. She suggests that is anyone is really interested in going natural with their hair should stay away from any products that have any questionable ingredients. The last topic she tackles is hair straightening. Heat is bad for the hair and can cause damage, however, that isn’t the case for some women. These women are the ones that constantly press their hair and over time the hair becomes heat-trained. This kind of hair has a different texture than hair that isn’t heat-trained. So in the aspects of natural hair, women that have heat-trained hair are still rocking their natural hair, even though it might not be the healthiest.
The Meaning of Life to me
Life is the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual. However, this is only one of many definitions of this word. My few years on this planet have been confusing. I have learned about many aspects of life which can draw many meanings. I have also learned that there can be no singular meaning of life to stand for us all. Life is about passion, freedom, and love. Life is a complicated twist of suffering, laughing, and learning all merging to tell a great story. Although I may be young and naive, I still believe that life is worth everything. Life is worth so much. My life is about me living out my own dreams and beliefs for me and not for anyone else or society. Life is about trying to be a good person on my own accord. It is the little things. Becoming an adult, going to college, getting married, etc. These little things make us who we are, and are the thing that makes our life milestones more special. We also have to accept that in our life, we can’t be perfect. We have to learn to embrace our imperfections. Life is realizing that not everyone in our lives is meant to stay, and understanding that the important ones will remain in the long run. Life is about the laughs, the accomplishments, and even the disappointments. All of these aspects are the foundations of my life. Life is not caring what other’s think of you, but being content with who you have become as a person. At the end of the day, in our lives we only have ourselves.
Plus 5 years :)
Five years ago I was an eleven-year-old girl who was trying to learn to know herself. It was my first year in middle school and I was so nervous that the work would be overbearing. Now I would do anything to go back and just me in middle school for one day. Since 2013 I have changed and grown in many ways. One of those ways is in my height. Throughout elementary school, I always remember being near the same height as all of my friends. As I got older it seemed as if my height was never going to stop. The summer before sixth grade is when I really started to grow rapidly and before I knew it I was taller than all of my friends and most of my teachers. Happily, when I got to high school there were a lot of people who were taller than me, so I didn’t notice my height as much as I did in middle school. Another aspect of my life that has grown my self-confidence. Five years ago, if someone came up to me with a camera I would try to hide because I didn’t like the way that I looked. I never thought of myself as beautiful. I would get even more self-conscious when I had to take pictures with my friends. I thought that I would stand out and look awkward because I was the tallest out of us all. However, over the past few years, I have come to love myself and how I look. My self-confidence has boosted a lot. I also love taking pictures now and I will never hide from a camera. The last way that I have grown is in my relationship with Jesus. When I was younger I would just rely on my teachers, pastors, and my mother to tell me about Jesus. Now, as a teenager, I like to talk to God as if He was one of my best friends. I pray to Him for everything and truly try to get to know Him for myself. I hope over the next five years, the parts of my life grow even more.
Kiara's AP Language Blog :) 