#7 Lessons learned from High School

High school is a time when teenagers slowly turn into young adults.  It is a time that many hate with a passion, but I LOVED high school.  Perhaps it is because my high school days were carefree?  Perhaps it is because I was so active and engaged?  Perhaps it was because high school was when I finally had the bravery to step into myself and slowly climb out of the shell I hid within.

"How did you become brave?" one might ask.   

"Well," I would answer, "I decided to join drama."

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1.  If you can't motivate yourself to change, put yourself in a place that you must.  Talking in front of people was always HARD for me because I hated being looked at, felt like I was always judged, and had ZERO desire to be on stage for everyone to criticize.  This is why I joined drama.  When you run out of tools to grow, you must move to a location where new tools and responsibilities are.  It will be hard, but you WILL grow!

2.   Guys are just as scared of girls as girls are of guys.  When a guy tells all your friends he is going to ask you out, running away and hiding will not help him be brave enough to ask you.

3.  People are what they do, not what they say they will do.  That goes for everyone else as well as ourself.

4. High school teachers don't know everything.  Teachers are only people.  

5.  If the teacher always tells you how smart you are, it could just be that you are good at understanding the teacher.  Perhaps consider a communications degree instead of a physics one. 

6. Soccer girls are not as scary as they sound.  (see point #3)

7.  It is okay to quit something that isn't healthy for you.  You are not always stronger by pushing through the pain.  Sometimes pushing through instead of stopping is simply foolish.  Let your body heal.

8.  Embrace challenges.  When everyone else takes the easiest classes, take the harder ones.  You will be better from it, stronger, more ready to face the world, and proud of yourself for looking giants square in the face.  When you face challenges instead of running from them you see what you can do, instead of what you can avoid. 

9. Get involved.  Join that sport, club, society, or organization!  Now is the time to try it out.  If you wait until you are 30 it will be much weirder to try out for a high school soccer team.

10. Be yourself, even when it isn't cool.  People take years and years to be confident in their skin.  If you are already there, then you are ahead of the average high school student.  Who wants to follow the crowd when you are already so far in front of them?!

11.  Prom is about the friends, not the date that you go with.  Dates are cute, but friends are priceless.  

12. Kissing a guy in a drama skit does not mean that he is your prince charming.  In fact, it means nothing.  It was a skit and he had to kiss you. 

13. Don't stop at one request.  If you really want something, pursue all avenues, and ask for help along the way.  You never know what awesome opportunities or learnings will arise! 

14. Take risks.  Sign up for something you've never done, and give it a try.  Do this again and again until you find something you love.  Along the way you will be blessed with direction for your future as you determine what you do not like, what you love, and what you are really good at.  

15.  Have fun.  Life gets way more complicated after high school.  Avoid the 'crazy dramatics' of high school.  Instead BE crazy-fun and join the drama club!