“Study after study suggest that there are tremendous benefits to being happy - at home, at work, though our bodies, heart and mind, and in the world right outside our door.” -Taffy Brodesser-Aknerand
Teenagers, have you ever hidden a grade from your parents, shredded a report card, or lied about a test score? If so, ask yourself why? Aren’t the people you’re hiding your failure from, the ones that would do everything possible to help you achieve success? After my Advanced Algebra test a couple of months ago, I got my grade back, in big red ink an infuriating 64%. The second test in a row like that, but when my friend asked me about my grade, I replayed with a frustrated lump in my throat, “80%” - I lied! When my parents asked me what I got I said, “Not an A+, but its early in the year and I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Instead of reaching out for help, a tutor or extra practice, I hid my defeat and just kept going. Well after 5 weeks of the same, I realized I had made a huge mistake. My teacher emailed my parents telling them I should change my math level, in other words, change classes and they were very surprised because they thought I was doing well. Now, what does my embarrassing story have to do with happiness? Well, it made me dread going to school, because I knew I would have that math class and I knew that at the end of the week, I’d fail another test - this made me sad - I didn’t want to go to school or do my homework. Again, why didn’t I reach out to someone and admit that I needed help? What is it about teenagers like me? I know there are many, many high schoolers, like me, sharing a similar experience! They feel the need to be so proud and independent, that they can’t ask for help. Once we see a bad grade on a report card, why are we running to the trashcan to throw it away? Why not run to your family and tell them you need help, or why not consult a friend and tell them that your struggling and ask for help with tutoring? Because I reached out to my parents, I now have a tutor on Wednesdays and have switched math classes to one that I can succeed in and the result is amazing - A’s and “great job” from my teacher, on my exams and I feel confident and yes, happy.
The underlying moral of this message is as Tal Ben-Shahar says, author and lecturer who taught the largest course at Harvard on “Positive Psychology,” “Give yourself permission to be human. When we accept emotions - such as fear, sadness, or anxiety - as natural, we are more likely to overcome them. Rejecting our emotions, positive or negative, leads to frustration and unhappiness.”
snowghoul
annaxmalina
ellievsbear
prguitarman
theartofmadeline
janainaart
titsay
stormborns
