Growing Up

 A not so typical blog dedicated to growing up.

[growingupblog]

POST #8: COLLABORATION POST #2 

Collab with @thecartooncorner

Hey guys so this week we’ll be discussing one of my favorite animated series of all time Avatar the Last Airbender. My collaborator also made a post reviewing the show so make sure you go check that out. 

This was one of the very first shows I would say I was really obsessed with growing up and watching it as a child was a completely different experience to watching it now as a young adult. As a child I liked the cool storyline, action and whimsy now what I really appreciate the most is the awesome world building, difficult themes it dealt with and the development of the main characters throughout the series. In this post we’ll be mainly discussing he development of two of the main characters as they matured throughout the series. Honestly if you want to know the main premise of the series, I'd just tell you to just watch the iconic intro on YouTube or head over to my collaborators page, so I'm just gonna skip that.

Ask any ATLA fan they would definitely say Zuko went through the most development and had one of the best redemption arcs of all time. At the beginning of the series, the exiled Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, is on a journey with his Uncle Iroh to find the Avatar in order to regain his honor and return home. Zuko’s character is deeply complex, he was a hurt, angry, hot-headed and bitter teenager, but this changed slowly throughout the series. He begins to have an internal struggle between what he’s been taught and the good and bad within himself. He struggles for a long time, thinking that regaining his honor is the only way he’ll be loved again from his Father. Sadly, he makes many mistakes and went to extreme lengths, even turning against his uncle and helping his sister to capture the Avatar in the episode Crossroads of Destiny.  

Thankfully, he reaches a breaking point when his imprisoned Uncle shuns him and finally realizes that he has made the wrong choice and he has actually lost both his honor and the love of those he loves. Eventually he decides to join Aang’s team to help him defeat his father and restore balance. His journey did not happen without great pain but from this pain he regains his compassion, humility and patience and discovers his true purpose. He matures and overcomes all of the toxicity of the imperialist Fire Nation, his family, and even himself, to end the Hundred Year War, take his place as Fire Lord, and become one of Avatar Aang's closest friends. 

In the beginning, Aang especially indulged in naive fun whenever he could and chose to blindly ignore his responsibilities and the reality of the world. He first fully began to feel the gravity of the situation when he discovered that his entire nation had been wiped out by the Fire Nation. It sent him into an extreme emotional state and this is where he finally accepted that he is the Avatar and had to put his desires aside and assume his Avatar responsibility.  

Another pivotal moment is when his sky bison Appa Is kidnapped it took a great toll on him emotionally. Aang is forced to grow up shedding some of his childish behaviors through his encounters from both friends and enemies. He learns to face his fears, the pitfalls of jealously, how to forgive and to stay true to his core beliefs but also adapt for the greater good. At the end of the series Aang has grown from the naïve carefree child to a mature young hero his Avatar duties seriously without losing who he is or sacrificing what he wants and desires. 

In conclusion Growing up is all about change.  Much like real life the things we go through in life and the people around us can cause us to change and grow up. In this series Avatar Aang although he still remained the playful and carefree learnt many lessons from many of the people he would have encountered and even his past lives that would have added to his growth as an individual. Once accepting his responsibilities as Avatar, we got to see more serious and mature sides of him as he dealt with a lot of hardship. Zuko on the other hand was completely different by the end of the series. The once hot-headed and intense Prince gained a sense of identity and humility after being lost and struggling for so long. This was greatly influenced by his Uncle Iroh who guided him and gave him the love he so needed.

At the end the two showed the great maturity by accepting each other's friendship after being enemies for so long and eventually bringing in an era of Peace together. Honestly just writing doesn't do justice to all the great storylines and themes in this series, so I really encourage you to go check it out and experience it yourself. I'm sure you’ll come out of it a little changed too. 

[growingupblog]

POST #7: QUOTE CORNER #2

Welcome to the Quote Corner! In this corner I'll be sharing motivational quotes that help me help you with your Personal Development!

This Chinese Proverb speaks on the fear people have when their desired result is taking a bit longer than they expected. The fear then becomes so overwhelming that they lose hope and give up because the fruits of their labour did not bear immediate or quick results . This quote reminds us to persevere and never give up. It make take a long time to see any progress but little by little you will eventually get there. It doesn't matter how long it took to finish the race what matters is that you did not stop and kept going till you crossed the finish line.

[growingupblog]

POST #6: COLLABORATION POST! 

The movie begins with a baby-faced little boy laying on the grass staring up at the sky. Scene by scene passes and he grows up before our eyes. He is no longer small and baby-faced by but is now a tall and handsome man off to college. 

Boyhood is a one-of-a-kind remarkable twelve-year project following the same actors through the early part of the 21st century. This emotional and wholesome movie showcases a story of growing up through the Pov of the main character Mason and his family which consists of his divorced parents Olivia and Mason Sr. and his sister Samantha. Documenting the life of Mason from age 6 – 18, it captures both the milestones and the pitfalls that occur while growing up.

As the children grow and the story goes on the themes of love, relationships, abuse, drugs, sex, alcohol, social conditioning and time are explored. It also touches on the difficulties of parenting and adulthood. This story feels very real, as it beautifully portrays the nuances of life in a very authentic way. There is no overarching plot but just a performance of regular people living their lives and feels personal and relatable to viewers as you can't help but reflect on you own life while watching. 

Boyhood reminds us that if life is "about" anything, it's about realizing and accepting that fact: that everything is fleeting. Our childhoods it seems like it lasts forever but to our parents it flashes past in a dreamlike instant. Then when we grow up it all becomes a blur of remembered and half-remembered moments. At the end of the movie, we are left asking these questions What makes us "normal"? Do we really change over time? Can we decide to change ourselves? Or is free will an illusion? Do we seize moments or do moments seize us? And finally, where did the time go? 

Click the link below to see my Collaborators post! 

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A post shared by Misha Amann | Graphic Designer (@misha.des)

[growingupblog]

POST #5: NO USE CRYING OVER SPILT MILK! 

Are you one of those people that keep yourself up at night thinking of those times when you made a horrible life ending mistake. You replay that moment over and over and let the embarrassment and regret consume you while simultaneously thinking of what if scenarios where you didn’t make that one mistake. What if I didn’t say that to Maya? or what if I didn’t lie to Aaron? What is wrong with me? The phrase I made a mistake is sometimes one of the hardest phrases for someone to say because we don’t want to acknowledge that we messed up. Yes, we often say I'm not perfect and that we all make mistakes but still we beat ourselves up on something that is natural to us. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE! 

In this auspicious year of 2022, it's time to stop lugging around the weight of your past mistakes on your shoulders. Mulling over something that has already happened and cannot be changed will do nothing but make you depressed and stressed out. Mistakes are not bad thing; they are like the fertilizer needed for us to one day grow into a tall, sturdy tree. They are an essential part of our because every mistake you make is a valuable lesson gained. Mistakes ae the ultimate teachers because you learn through every mistake you make even if it's a little one. One mistake doesn’t dictate the rest of your life. Life goes on so don't let it drag you down because that one bad moment doesn't define you. Enjoy those mistakes because in life there will be many more and you can either learn and fix what can be fixed or don’t. Choice is yours. 

[growingupblog]

POST #4 : WORRY NOT WORRY WART !

In 2022 it's hard not to worry about almost everything! We worry about money, relationships, our jobs, the availability of jobs, climate change and global warming (well some of us), our families, our safety and the safety of our loved ones, our pasts, the state of the world, death and more now than ever our overall health and future.

Worry is a natural human tendency and when done in moderation is completely healthy but when the worry becomes so all-encompassing that it affects your mental and physical health, then it becomes a problem. Too much worrying can lead to loss of sleep, appetite and just an overall decline in positive emotions and often the cause of this is negative overthinking.

As a person who is now learning to let go of worry, I've come manage it after having the necessary realization that WORRY DOESN’T CHANGE ANYTHING!! Because living your life in a constant state of worry and fear is not living life. Of course, this isn't an almighty fix as there will definitely be times when you really just can't help but worry but you can use different ways to manage it so you don’t become some worry possessed creature. Thus, I am sharing my five mechanisms that I use to help me worry less.  

WRITE IT OUT 

One powerful way to help us break the cycle of worry is to log each and every worrying thought that pops into our mind. Examining worries written on paper, rather than mulling them over in your head, can help you gain a more balanced perspective. 

WORRY TIME 

Choose a set time and place for worrying. It should be the same every day. During your worry period, you’re allowed to worry about whatever’s on your mind. The rest of the day, however, is a worry-free zone. 

SHARE YOUR WORRIES 

Talking face to face with a trusted friend or family member is one of the most effective ways to calm your nervous system and diffuse anxiety. When your worries start spiraling, talking them over can make them seem far less threatening. 

MEDITATE 

Another skill for learning how to stop worrying about the future or obsessing about the past is a regular meditation practice. By sitting quietly and focusing either on the breath or on the physical sensations of the chair beneath you or the feet on the floor, you’ll ground yourself in the present moment, allowing for a greater sense of calm. 

DEFINE YOUR WORRIES 

Productive, solvable worries are those you can act on right away while Unproductive, unsolvable worries are those that you have no power over. If a worry is solvable, chart a plan of action that starts small. Focusing on things within our reach takes us away from creating a disaster scenario in the mind. Uncertainty is one of the hardest things to feel comfortable with, especially for those with anxiety. But life is unpredictable, and learning to accept, and even lean in to our fear of the unknown, can make a difference on our emotional well-being. 

[growingupblog]

POST #3: QUOTE CORNER #1

Welcome to the Quote Corner! In this corner I'll be sharing motivational quotes that help me help you with your Personal Development!

This amazing quote by Roy T. Bennett encourages us to take risks and try something you're unfamiliar with. By having these new experiences we'll not only grow but transform into something NEW!

[growingupblog]

POST #2 : NOW WHAT?

Were you one of those people who every time someone asked you “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” your answer would be completely different each time. No? Ok well I was. If my answer was a Teacher at 8:00A.M. by 3:00P.M. my answer would have been A Pastry Chef. Why? because I genuinely never had any idea how to truthfully answer that question. Being around other children who seemed so confident in their answers while you’re confused and struggling is not a fun experience.  This was one of the very first instances of anxiety and insecurity I can recall and throughout the years this question has constantly haunted my existence TO THIS DAY!

Unfortunately, every time I was asked this evil question a certain type of dread would engulf me as I would be forced to seriously think about my future and my life plan. To my dismay every time I did, I would feel even more anxious, confused and disappointed in myself. Honestly how do you plan for your future If you don’t even know where to start?! How do you make a choice if you are scared you’ll end up wasting your precious time in an unsuccessful venture? How do you know if you have chosen a successful path? Truth is you never know where life may take you. Things almost never work out the way you hope it would. You may never get the job you wanted or never truly figure out what you are destined to do but with an optimistic mindset, work ethic and the willingness to adapt you just mind find yourself somewhere even better than you thought. It may just take a leap of faith. 

[growingupblog]

POST #1 : The Predictable Unpredictable!

Editors note : Super Late I know but I will definitely make up for it!

Do you remember when you were that little innocent child watching all the capable adults around you and wishing to be just like them. You couldn’t wait to be to grow up and get everything you wanted by the time you are 20. You were probably thinking when I grow up, I'm going to marry Zac Efron from High School Musical, be a veterinarian with 3 dogs, have loads of money and best brand name clothes, a mansion, and 5 kids who are all named after My Little Pony characters because why not. If you had an ok childhood like me, it's hard not to seriously miss those times once the rose coloured glasses are smacked off your face and life starts dragging you till you're just a souless shell of what you once were.

When I was younger, I desperately wanted to be an adult because I thought once you become one you get every thing you want easy peasy. Now at almost 20 years old and finally kind of experiencing what it means to be an adult , I’m desperately clinging on to things that keep that childhood innocence in me because reality is starting to hit and I’m scared growing up. A sick plotwist I know!!

Thankfully over the past few years I’ve learnt that life is very unpredictable but the only thing that is predictable is change. Change is like breathing, it happens so naturally you cant avoid it or you’ll literally die and you don’t even realize its happening until you pay attention. Mindblowing stuff. Whenever I get anxious about growing up or just any change in general, I just remind myself of that concept. Of course I’m still scared and anxious but it's slightly less now so that’s a win .

Have you experienced or are experiencing the same feelings? Let me know in the comments down below!

[growingupblog]

INTRODUCING GROWING UP! 

The blog where ill be posting weekly about Growing up, the transition to adulthood and the anxiety it can bring using different media forms. I hope to have a safe space and give sound advice for everyone who can relate. Growing Up is Hard so Let’s Talk About It!