7 Tips for an Amazing School Year p1.

September is that time of year when the bus stops start to get busy and the smell of pencil crayons begins to permeate the air. Yes people… I am talking about back to school time! School is a paradox, it can mean different things to different people. Ask 9 people about what they think about school and you will be sure to collect 9 different answers. So are there any similarities in our scholastic experience?

Turns out that there are indeed some interesting similarities. For instance, no matter how long you have been out of school it still probably seems like yesterday for you doesn’t it? Yet if you are reading this and still in school, no matter how many have past already, the days still can’t seem to go quick enough can they? Since school is a topic that most of us are familiar with, I will use the most important information that I’ve learned since being out of school as the premise of this post.

Here is the short list of 7 things it takes to thrive not just survive when it comes to school. If you follow these you will be sure to set yourself up for experiencing an absolutely amazing school year.

1. Decide.

Did you know that indecision is still a decision? If you decide to do nothing, you are still deciding to do something, it just happens to be nothing. In order to get good grades, have a social life and enjoy a good year you must first decide.

Decision is supported by the unseen hand of the Universe. When you decide the world will conspire with you. Decide to make this year different no matter what the previous year (or years) have been like. You are the residual result of your previous decisions, the choice you made in the past. Today and every day following it offers the chance to make new choices, and with those, the opportunity to obtain new results.

What could you decide to work on today that would move you closer to having the type of school year you want?

When in doubt remember… The most important decision you can ever make at any time is to be yourself.

2. Forgive.

Forgiveness is not just something that priests do. Forgiveness is a powerful force in nature. Students who learn how to master this ‘tough’ teacher usually find the lesson of “love”. Love is only important if you want to nurture your soul. Could you use more care, attention or love in your life? To receive more of these wonderful feelings we must first learn how to forgive.

You must learn to forgive yourself and forgive others no matter how bad you goofed or how big someone screwed up. Realize that no one can hurt us without our permission, therefore, we must always choose to learn, heal and grow from our let downs.

The truth is we are all trying to do our best with the best we have learned so far. It is wrong to assume people think, feel and behave the way you were brought up. We are all raised differently with individual motivations.

Ask yourself, how will carrying around these feelings of resentment help your grades? Will a lack of self-esteem help you perform better? The obvious answer is no they won’t. You want to “teach someone a lesson”, why don’t you step up and be a bigger person by demonstrating the lesson of forgiveness?

Remember: If there is a will there is a way. Can you find a way to forge through your forgiveness?

3. Relate.

High school is a time to develop and establish friendships. What else do you expect to do for the rest of the year while being stuck in the same rooms with the same strangers? It’s time to get better at getting to know your classmates. You might as well practice your people skills because the opportunity doesn’t get any better or any easier.

School is the time to make friendships that may last a lifetime. Good friends are rare to find and even rarer to hold on to. Enjoy the people who come into your life no matter who long they stay.

Why not make it this months goal to find at least one new friend? You don’t have to be instant best-buds or perma-pals, and be sure you seek and surround yourself with only quality people. Make friends with multiple groups of people and this will diversify your circle of friends. It is unhealthy to expose yourself to only one source of information because it develops a limited perspective.

Expand your sphere of influence and the type of information you expose yourself to by engaging in genuine small-talk with your fellow school mates. Search for people you find interesting or that find you interesting. This doesn’t mean you have to talk to everybody or be fake for the sake of making conversation. Showing a genuine interest in others is a quality that is instantly recognized and always appreciated by others.

Challenge: Promise yourself to make acquaintances with at least one new person a day.

Stay Tuned…

The next post will discuss 4 other easy but effective tips to make your school year amazing.

Good Mental Health Starts With the Heart – What is Your Passion?

What is your purpose in life?

It’s a question people regularly ask themselves, but regrettably, the process of answering this question seldom extends beyond the “dream” stage.  It’s an important question though—one if ever answered could unlock unlimited possibilities for the future.  So why don’t more people go the extra mile and find answers to this question?

Most people would claim they’re too busy­—too busy going through the motions of their lives, doing the normal things that normal people do.  They get married, buy a house, have a few kids and work at a job they hate to support a dream that was never theirs—it was just what they were supposed to do. What people don’t realize is that neglecting your dreams will eventually lead you to feelings of “I want to… but I can’t” or “I can’t…. but I want to”.

Thankfully there are some folks who veer away from this traditional scenario, deciding to take a different path, a path borne of the heart.  You see these people all the time.  They’re the ones in the limousines or on the big screen; the ones in the corner offices or living in the three-story mansions.  They’re the ones you look up to and aspire to be; the ones always smiling, like they have a secret they want to share.  The secret:  follow your heart and the rest will follow.

If you decide—really decide—that you want to make your life extraordinary, and follow you heart towards limitless success and happiness, I have some good news.  Following your passion is really only a two-step process that you can begin right now.

The first step is to dream big—really, really, really big.

Sounds easy but the task may be a lot harder than you may realize. You see the problem is that most people take themselves out of the game before it even begins. Sometimes when considering our future we become frustrated, thinking about all the potential obstacles and limitations down the road that may impede our progress. We doom ourselves before we even begin.  This is not only unnecessary but extremely unproductive. The only limits you have are the ones you put on yourselves.

The first step in dreaming big is to give yourself permission to dream. Imagine a future without any restrictions, limitations or obstacles. Get a clear, descriptive picture in your head of everything you want. Picture yourself enjoying your dream job, living in the mansion on the hill, driving your expensive car and enjoying your family and loved ones.  In this stage of the process, everything is possible.  Now, write it down, get excited and proceed to step two.

Every great story starts with a great idea, so must the story of your life.  Dreaming about what you want is neither selfish nor irresponsible.  It is a normal, healthy activity.  Our dreams are what make life tolerable, a reason to get out of bed.  Without them, life would be simply unbearable.  But acting upon those dreams doesn’t always seem so easy.  Many people begin this process—they begin with a flash, fueled by the uncontainable motivation to succeed—but all too often, life, with it’s schedules and responsibilities, gets in the way, and the dream dies before it ever had a chance to flourish.

The secret to succeeding with step two of this process—acting on your dreams—is momentum.  Many of us are good out of the gate, but lack the endurance to finish the race.  We get sidetracked by a world that seems bent on crushing our dreams.  At least, that’s what we tell ourselves.  The truth is that we limit our own progress because we fail to construct a detailed plan for getting what we want.  If you wanted to visit, say, Oklahoma, and you’d never been before, how would you proceed?  Would you get in your car and drive aimlessly, hoping to come upon it by accident?  Probably not—you’d probably look at a map and develop a plan for getting there.  Why, then, don’t we take the same approach with our lives?

Once you’ve identified your passion, you must put together a written plan for achieving it.  Start by identifying your long term goal and give it a deadline.  For example:

Long-term Goal:

Purchase my dream house Deadline:  7/25/2011

By writing it down, you have made it real.  It may also help to confide in some of the people whom you trust.  They can help hold you accountable and assist in keeping you on track.  Next, develop a series of short-term objectives, necessary for reaching your long-term goal.  Start with things you can do right now and be specific.  Take a look:

Short-term Objectives:

1. Talk to a financial consultant or realtor to determine exactly how much money I’ll need to buy my house. Deadline:  August 1, 2009.

2. Talk to employer about overtime and advancement opportunities at work:  Deadline:  August 15, 2009.

3. Put $1,000 in the bank.  Deadline:  September 1, 2009.

You get the idea.  Now, follow through.  Commit to making these objectives a priority in your life and make progress toward each of them daily.  Keep the goals in front of you as you cross or check them off as a symbol of your progress. Celebrate your achievements! Be proud remembering that each objective you reach brings you closer to your dream, and every forward step you take creates sustainable momentum that will fuel you to persevere.

You can apply this system to any arena of your life.  Follow your passion by first, identifying—in detail—everything you want to accomplish, and then draw yourself a detailed “map” to help you get there.  Don’t become discouraged by obstacles.  Instead, view them as challenges—opportunities for growth—and keep moving forward.  Get excited about your life!  You deserve it.