It's true.
I've said goodbye to the teenage years, and in just 3 months and a bit it'll be the big 21st. I look back now and I wonder how in the world did the years come and go so fast. It seems like it was just my first day of school not too long ago, and here I am, on the brink of "official adulthood."How did time sneak me by so stealthily and how is it already November?
Scary.
Well, today I sat down at my desk after a good day, streams of red sunlight peeking in from behind the blinds, washing the walls of my room with a warm ember. I climbed up onto my desk, sitting there cross-legged, pulled up the blinds, and just sat there for what seems like a long time, watching the sun slowly droop and drop, taking its sunlight with it--turning the sky from a pink, to a muted red, to the colour of a warm fire and then, just like that, turning it from day to night.
As the sun made it's way down, I thought about life, pondering on the past, thinking back to long-gone days. The memories flood my mind and that's when I decided that today, I would right about things and lesson's that I have learnt over the years. A sort-of guide to life ala Sarah.
So here goes, 10 things that I have learnt over the years (part 1):
Uh huh, I said it. If you're Asian, or have Asian parents, you might be thinking, "Have you met my parents????" Well, no, I haven't (maybe some of them), but it's true. Grades really aren't everything. Your high school life is precious. There are so many memories that I have from my high school days, things that I wouldn't change for the world. Yeah, I admit, I wish I had gotten better grades for some subjects or learnt the key to studying earlier, but it's all behind me now. There's no use moping about a test you could have done better on when it's already over. It's in the past. Take the feeling of remorse that you feel now and channel it into the efforts on your next test.
Yes, better grades gets you into a better college or university. Sure, Harvard and Yale and Oxford and Cambridge are really good schools, but it's not made for everyone. The most important thing that you should know is that the best thing you can do, is to give it your best. Give it your all, put your whole heart into it and I promise you, the rewards will be worth it. But don't sit around and cry because you got a 97 and not a 100. It's not the end of the world, and it's certainly not the end of you.
Number 2: Patience, is key
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Patience is one of the big ones that I had to learn the hard way. I always wanted to grow up so fast, and craved things that my older siblings had or were doing that I wasn't allowed to. I wanted to be one of the cool kids. I wanted so many things that I wasn't ready for yet. When I think back now, I wish I hadn't wanted to grow up so quick.
If you want something, bad, the best way you can get it is to persevere, to not give up, and to be patient. Just like when you pray for something, God is always listening. He's always there and He hears you, but sometimes, it's not the right time. There's something else we need to learn or experience or do or become first. Be patient, if it's worth having, it is most certainly worth waiting. And think about that feeling of satisfaction when you finally do get it. Like a kid saving up RM600 in a jar to get that Nintendo DS, that feeling of accomplishment is worth more than getting things easy. The lessons you learn along the way are more precious.
Number three: Faith
Another thing that I've learnt is that faith is really important. What is faith exactly?
faith
Pronunciation: /feɪθ/
Number four: Friends will come and go
If it's one thing that I've definitely struggled with over the years is friends. Being in an international school from ages 6-9 and 16-19, I've had so many friends that I have trusted and bonded with so well leave, whether they went back to their home country or we just drifted apart. It wasn't easy and when I was younger it confused me a lot, I wondered if it was something that I had done to cause them to leave. I wondered if there was something I could have done to convince them to stay. I was never the greatest at choosing friends and would always pick the fun, wild, outgoing friends. I've been hurt countless times and because of that, I've come to fear making friends. For a while I convinced myself that I was better off alone, and pushed those who really did care for me away.
I now realise that no matter what I could have done or said, some friends are only in your life for a given season and others are there for a reason. Friends will come and go. You'll gain some and you will lose some. The thing that you can do is to cherish the good, keep the happy memories and let the unhappy ones go. Don't dwell on their leaving. Dwell on the fact that they were ever in your life. Be grateful for the things you learnt when you were still friends and move on.
Cherish the people close to you. You will find people with similar interests and share the same beliefs. Don't let them go. But sometimes it will be time to say goodbye.
Number five: Forgiveness
Forgiveness is another big one. I might do a whole post solely on that later on, but we shall see if I ever get to that. The thing I've learnt over the years is that holding a grudge only hurts one person: yourself. Being angry at someone for what they did 5 years ago only makes it worse for yourself. It doesn't make what they did right, but that doesn't mean that you can't forgive them and move on.
So, if you're angry at someone, take some time to write down what they did to you, how it made you feel and then tear that up, burn it, flush it down the toilet (although I wouldn't recommend this as you could end up spending the night trying to get chards of torn paper out, not fun, I promise), anything. Do it as a sort of symbol of letting it go. Remember the lesson so you can avoid repeating the same thing in the future, but don't harp on it 15 years down the road. It's over. It's time you let it go and gave yourself the air to breathe. Trust me, you'll feel so much better and definitely a whole lot happier.
To be continued...
Be blessed, be loved.
x
Sarah
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