What Do You Have to Lose?

Chances. What are we going to do if we never decide to take them? Constantly hidden behind our potential, constantly held down by fear, and constantly reminded of what could have been. I know it's scary, I totally agree with you. It feels so much safer to just keep doing what you're doing, without even dealing with the unknown. It's simple, just follow the same path that you seem to be comfortable with. There's nothing wrong with that. But, don't you want to see whats out there? What if it's worth it?  I realize that I am always fighting myself for not wanting to get out of my comfort zone. All of the opportunities that have passed me by have revolved around one cumulative fear- the fear of failure.

Everyone has their thing, whether it be subjects in school or hobbies or sports. It's what makes us unique. It's something that you enjoy doing, something that makes you feel at home. Do you ever wonder if other kids strive to participate in activities simply for the purpose of gaining knowledge? How many of them actually follow these added desires? Personally, I would hope that it's not an incredibly low number. 

I'm here to encourage you to go after everything you want to, even if you fear you won't be good enough. After all, how do you know if you don't try? Just do it, don't even think about it. Your mind is a powerful tool and it can convince you to do anything you want. If you're curious about something, go out and learn more! If you feel that you will be judged, don't let someone other than yourself take control of your actions. I've learned (and I'm still learning) from past experiences that they don't get to be the ones who influence your life. We shouldn't let those people have that kind of power. You'll never know what life has in store for you unless you set out and discover for yourself. Stretch beyond your limits and it's okay if it doesn't work out the way you wanted to. You'll be left with the satisfaction that you went out and did it, for the first time ever! To say the least, go for it!

-N

Finding Our Meaning of Life

Do we ever think about what our purpose is when it comes to academics and extracurriculars? Are we doing it because we are passionate to succeed, or maybe our parents told us it would be a good idea? Yes, they always have good intentions but they tend to go a little heavy with managing their kids’ lives to set them up for success. Parents at Menlo, especially those who didn’t experience the same opportunities as us, put too much pressure on their kids about grades and participation in activities. With their parents always behind the scenes, it causes children to never find their own interests and ultimately, live a future with no purpose.

When going to such schools that are considered more advanced than their day, it’s not that hard for parents to control their kids’ lives. It’s in their nature for parents to want the best for their children, but do they realize that sometimes they are crossing a line? By sophomore year, parents start to get more involved in their kids' lives and believe that the key to success is in all the grueling, honors classes. As teenagers, we try to listen to what they're saying and we begin to realize that such popular colleges will be looking at all of our honors credits, meaning good grades in tough classes. We can't help but feel pressurized to succeed in such challenging classes for the sake of getting into a well-known college. Our biggest fear becomes failing to meet their expectations and becoming a disgrace to our family.

Parents need to realize that their children will grow to hold a grudge if they continue to live in their parents’ shadows. My parents have enrolled me in swimming, soccer, dance, and piano mostly because they never got such opportunities. I have always been a busy kid, but without their experimentation I would have never realized my hobbies, especially my passion for swimming. My point being, parents should never force their children to do activities that they don’t want to, unless they truly know their desires and capabilities. 

Although pressure to succeed could turn into a life well prepared to be extraordinary, are parents doing this at the risk of being resented in the future?Parenting is one of the hardest jobs an adult can manage, and everyone wants their children to be unique and the best that they can be. As children, we hold our parents in the highest honor and we never want to let them down. But, are we always going to walk along the path that was set in stone by our parents, unable to discover our own interests and purposes as we grow up? In the next chapter of our lives, who will we be living to impress?

-N