What is success? To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; That is to have succeeded. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
As with anyone, your first instinct in the experience of loss is, “why me?” We ask ourselves this because we don’t like the feeling of the loss of our possessions. If I was stricken by a fire, of course I would initially be upset, however with time I would be able to cope. The loss of possessions, is not very important to me. Most things that I have are replaceable, such as boots, or clothes or furniture. However, possessions such as photographs, or family heirlooms would greatly bother me. I feel that these items link you to a time in the past; photographs provide a small snapshot of your life, and family heirlooms give you a small sense of your relatives, whether you have met them or not. I have my grandmother’s necklace and some of her rings, and whenever I wear them, I think of her. In the event that I lost these possessions of hers, I would be greatly upset for the simple fact that I can never be able to get them back.
While the loss of your possessions is upsetting, the loss of a person, a family member especially is very difficult to deal with. In the past eight or so years of my life, I have lost three people in my family who have meant so much to me. It really hurts me, because I can no longer remember the sound of their voice; my grandfather, my great grandmother, and my uncle. This really bothers me, because of course you can look at the photographs and see their faces, but to I cannot identify myself with that person. I love to watch old family videos because it allows me to see their faces and listen to their voices. While I am greatly saddened by their loss, I also know that I must not be selfish. All three of my family members were going through great medical struggles, and I know that they are with God in a happier and better place now, free of pain and worries. Sometimes, when I am alone I like to think that they are still there within my life, they are just sitting on a cloud looking down.
Love is an experience that many people cherish; some relationships fail, while others thrive for years and years. One quality that I believe makes a relationship last is trust. Trusting in someone allows both people in a relationship to have freedom, not freedom in the sense of dating around, but in the sense of allowing you to breathe. Also, affection is key to having a long lasting relationship. Everyone can go through the motions of loving someone, but if you are just talking the talk and not actually meaning what you are saying, means that you don’t actually love them. Affection means that you can look into their eyes and see yourself, or when you hug or kiss them you feel a tiny spark of energy, of love. Lastly, finding true love is very important as well. Everyone will “try on” many significant others, some may be your favorite sweatshirt, or some may be those jeans you wear for two days and get rid of. I believe that God does have a plan for everyone, and everyone will find that special someone He has set aside for you. It may be your first time out of the gate that you find him, or maybe even more than you can count on two hands before you find him. It doesn’t matter whether you are 15, 50, or 150, you can always find love; it may just take a little looking. <3
I found this quote actually as a necklace, and I find that this quote is very inspiring and it means a lot to me. This quote was said by Mahatma Ghandi….
YOU MUST BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD.
My favorite type of reading strategy is inferences. I find that applying what I already know to what I am or will be learning really benefits me. By using word roots, suffixes, or word endings, I can learn more about what I am studying. Also, using my schema helps me. This helps me on test and quizzes because even if we did not go over something that was covered on the test or quiz during that section, if we already learned the information I can revert back to it and apply the knowledge to what I am being tested on.
As I am nearing my conclusion of high school, improving my academic future is a very prominent goal for me. While grades have been important since I began school, they are especially important in my junior year. I have selected some tough courses for this year, and I know that I need to study hard to make sure that my grades will look good for my college transcript. There are some classes that I know are very difficult for me, which means that I need to study harder and longer to make sure I will grasp the concepts fully to do well in all assignments. Along with grades, the PSAT and SAT are also a part of my goals for my academic future. Last year, I took the PSATs and did well on them; however this summer I have spent a lot of time studying for them. The PSATs will be a very good gage of how I will do on my SATs, which I am planning on taking this winter or spring. The SATs are a very rigorous test, and I know that I will need to spend more time studying for them, because the score I receive will affect the college I will be attending upon graduation. Once my SATs are completed and my scores are published, I will have a better knowledge of what college I will be able to attend. There are many colleges that I am looking at, such as Penn State University, Pittsburg University, and Westchester University, and this year I would like to refine my search. To do this, I will have to go on college visits; visiting the dorm rooms, possibly classes, as well as touring the campus itself. Once I have completed this, I will be able to accurately decide what schools I would like to apply to when I am a senior next year. Academic goals are not something easy to attain; they are difficult and rigorous, however they will be very important to my academic future in college and beyond.
So what is the next step? Once I finish high school I am planning on going to college. Based upon all of the things listed above I will pick a college. This college will need to fit my academic needs in order to major in either pre-medical or chemistry. While I am in college, I plan to take many science classes, such as chemistry, biology, as well as anatomy. Once I finish college, I plan to go onto medical school. However, before I enter medical school I will need to take a placement test called the MCATS. This test is very important, and based upon the results which I receive from the tests I will enter medical school. I know that medical school will be very difficult and will require many hours of research and studying. In my opinion, all of my hard work will pay off in the end. After I graduate from medical school, I will need to complete a residency program. This program will require two to three years working under someone (similarly to an apprenticeship program). Once these two to three years are over, I will be a certified dermatologist!
While my goals are seemingly ambitious, I have no backup plan. While backup plans are needed sometimes, I know that I must study hard and attain good grades and to ultimately achieve my goal. There is no excuse for not attaining good grades. I may complain about my teachers, or about my workload but ultimately all of that will boil down to me. My teachers are only here to make me succeed, and the workload is here to make me learn how to manage my time. Also, my parents brought me up to have a good head on my shoulders, and I would like to honor them for all of the lessons which they have taught me. I know that many of my peers within the high school are tempted to experiment with drugs and alcohol. I am proud to say that i have never used these substances. I know that this year i will have to continue to be strong and resist these substances, although I have no will or desire to try them. Not having a backup plan may pose a problem in some situations, however I feel that in studying and in school work I feel that there should be no excuses for poor study habits and poor grades.
I love visiting the beach. The smells of the ocean and the waves crashing around my feet make for a perfect summer vacation.
It is so much fun to see all of the animals that live in the ocean also. The sand crabs and the jelly fish are not very nice, but the small little fish and the dolphins are so pretty
Photo From: http://73110.netministry.com/images/grief.jpg
