What I Wish I Knew In High School
It’s that time of year again, which got me thinking, what do I wish I knew in high school and college!
And so, here’s my cheat sheet…
Be grateful – This is it, if you can’t remember anything else, remember this one. Be grateful…. it is the key to joy. Even when you don’t feel happy with what’s happening around you, there are reasons to be grateful. Find them. Name them. Hold them close to your heart. This really works!
Band together – Cheer for each other. Celebrate each other’s strengths and victories. There will be times when you will have to compete for teams, jobs, GPAs, etc., but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it together and be happy for each other’s success. Together is better, always.
Try, Fail, Try Again – Don’t be afraid to throw yourself into your dreams. Life will not go in a straight line, there will be amazing highs and some sloppy lows, but getting back up and trying again is the key. It is all in the journey, so keep at it!
You are not the fixer – It is not your job to “fix” people and their lives. Love them. Love them really well. But the fixing is not up to you and more often than not, you will fail at it. Instead, just show up. Be there for your people. You can listen, you can love, but the saving and fixing, that’s not your department.
No one is perfect – No one. People will disappoint you; they will fall short. No one is perfect, don’t expect them to be. And more to the point, you’ll never be perfect either. Well…let me clarify…you are perfect in the eyes of a loving God…but…perfect by the world’s standards…not going to happen. Give up on that now. It is exhausting to try and leads to years of frustration. This doesn’t mean don’t try your hardest, do your best, run your best race. It just means, give yourself a break. Just be you. You will have a life so much more joy-filled if you recognize now that real perfect is seeing yourself as always loved, regardless of how you think the world measures you up.
Learn to say sorry – When you mess up – just say sorry. Don’t be too proud to admit when you are wrong. Own your mistake…say sorry…move on. When you fall short, admit it so it doesn’t fester, and keep trying to do better. It is easy to dig in and ignore the fact that you were the one who screwed up, but the truth is, we all do, so just get over it, and make more time for better things.
We all feel a little “wobbly” sometimes – There will be times when fear, worry or anxiety creep into your life. For some, it is more intense than for others, but it’s best to recognize that it is real and it happens. Sometimes this fear and anxiety take over and you feel frozen to press on. Here’s what I have learned, it is always much harder to carry alone. So, if you find yourself here, reach out. Look up and see the people God put in your life that can help, and let God climb into those dark or lonely places and be with you. Don’t suffer alone. Don’t let it take you under. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but if you don’t name it and ask for help, it can be debilitating. Raise your hand, there is always help to be had.
See real-life – Pick up your head and look around. You are surrounded by tiny miracles everywhere; you just have to look for them. Be open, really SEE, there’s a lot of amazing stuff going on if you take the time to watch for it.
Live LOVE – Be the generation that lives God’s real love. Spend less time focused on the differences and search for what you have in common. Celebrate uniqueness and then recognize what makes us all the same….and lead with love!