The Productive Pineapple...NOT

The journey of an IB student in her final year of high school as she begins to face the real world.

[theproductivepineapple]

Exam Session

Well hello there, 

It has been a hot minute since I last posted anything and the only reason for that is School. The last six months have been School, school and more school. But I am pleased to announce that we are nearing the end of that tunnel. Sticking to the motif of mountains on the blog we are at the final camp before reaching the summit. The final stages are the toughest, this is where our patience, perseverance and endurance will be tested. The last two years of training were for these last few steps to the top of the mountain. Now, I’m not saying once we reach the top that’s the end. No, once we reach the top of this mountain our view of the world will improve and we’ll see taller mountains to climb. But we have to get there first.

My exams start in less than two days and I’m nervous, excited and glad to have made it this far. I’ve had to keep telling myself to not give up and give it my all because these are the last few moments where I have a chance to do so. I want to be able to say that whatever the outcome I gave it my all and I’m proud of that. If you’re reading this as well and you’ve got exams coming up don't worry and don't stress because regardless of the outcome there are better things coming your way. I’ve got lots of things to start writing about but I’ll probably upload them once my exams are over. Anyway, Good luck to those of who sitting exams for the IB diploma or just end of year exams !!

‘It might be dusty and  hidden away, but it is there somewhere  inside of you: the heart of a survivor. Courage. Tenacity. Strength

So don't shy away from the hard times, they are your chance to shine.

Struggle develops  strength and storms make you stronger.’

-Bear Grylls

[theproductivepineapple]

Dream Crazy

Transcript from Colin Kaepernick ‘s Nike ad published last year.

Nike | Dream Crazy If people say your dreams are crazy If they laugh at what you think you can do Good Stay that way Because what non-believers fail to understand is that calling a dream crazy is not an insult It's a compliment Don't try to be the fastest runner in your school Or the fastest in the world Be the fastest ever Don't picture yourself wearing OBJ's jersey Picture OBJ wearing yours Don't settle for homecoming queen or linebacker Do both Lose 120 pounds and become an Ironman after beating a brain tumor Don't believe you have to be like anybody to be somebody If you're born a refugee, don't let that stop you from playing soccer For the national team At age 16 Don't become the best basketball player on the planet Be bigger than basketball Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything When they talk about the greatest team in the history of the sport, make sure it's your team If you have only one hand, don't just watch football Play it At the highest level And if you're a girl from Compton, don't just become a tennis player Become the greatest athlete ever Yeah, that's more like it So don't ask if your dreams are crazy Ask if they're crazy enough

[theproductivepineapple]

It’s Okay Not to be Okay

Don't lose who you are, in the blur of the stars Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing, It's okay not to be okay Sometimes it's hard, to follow your heart Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising, Just be true to who you are  - Jessie J (Who you are)

So most of the time we try to be the best versions of ourselves. If you’re like me, you try your best to make sure you are always the positive one lifting people up. My motto in life: ‘Be the most enthusiastic person you know’. When you start living with that attitude it becomes easy to see past the hardships and challenges.

However, It may be easy to tell people to stay positive and to keep going, but it can be even harder to tell yourself. And it’s fine, but at some point, you need to wipe away the tears and pick yourself up. You are your worst enemy and it's so easy to fall into a vicious cycle where you question or degrade everything that you do. But remember, it is at these times in your life where you are being tested to push your limits. Are you going to be defeated by your own weaknesses? or can you overcome your own mountains?

There will be a point in your goal chasing where you think you can’t do it or you feel you’re not good enough. This is your chance to shine.  Pick yourself out of the mess, come out of the shadows and show yourself and prove yourself wrong.

[theproductivepineapple]

Start.

‘Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase. just take the first step’ - Marting Luther King.

Once you have your goals, you just have to start working towards them. Imagine your goal is the peak of a mountain and you are at the bottom. You may not be able to see a clear route to the top, it could be twisted and hidden with obstacles. The only way to get to the top is to start and to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

As an IB student, the biggest goal for me is to complete the 2-year course successfully. I'm now halfway through the course and can see the top of the mountain clearer and clearer each day, but that doesn't mean its going to be easier to climb the final stretch. There are still hidden obstacles like assignment deadlines and exams that I have to conquer.

Another goal I recently set was the 30 days 100 squat challenge. 100 is a big number and I wasn't even sure if I could do it. The first five days of the challenge were probably the hardest; I'd never felt so much pain in my thighs. Even walking downstairs was a challenge. No matter how painful or tiring it was I just kept doing the squats daily. After about a week, I got used to the pain and now as I'm on my 23rd day and I don't struggle with completing the 100 anymore. I'm almost done with the challenge, and I'm already so proud of how far I’ve come. It's the first fitness challenge I've pushed through. After doing this, I feel I can do others that I find.

When you are setting out on a long and difficult journey towards your goal, you will not be able to foresee every obstacle. But with every step, you gain experience, perspective, skill and confidence. It is these elements that will help you ultimately reach your goal. But you only gain experience, perspective, skill and confidence if you START.

The hardest thing may be keeping on track and hanging on for the ride. All you can do is stay positive, not quit, and listen to that inner voice inside of you that made you want to write that goal down in the first place. And most importantly, never lose sight of your goal which is at the top of the mountain.

[flowerais-deactivated20211031]

february is the month of: doing your best, trusting your ability, taking time to be proud of your achievements, not being too hard on yourself, going outside your comfort zone, gaining more confidence, being optimistic, living in the present, not falling into old behaviours, and taking baby steps for a big goal.

[theproductivepineapple]

February Inspiration <3 <3 

[theproductivepineapple]

Do not Listen to the dream-stealers.

Most of the time, when you list your goals and start to talk to people about them, is that you will come across a dream-stealer. Everyone is surrounded by people who feel that your dreams are unrealistic. Whenever I come across a 'dream-stealer' I tell them to be positive. The response is often 'I'm being realistic'. We can never be short of people who want to knock our confidence out the window. Sometimes they are just jealous that you want to achieve more than they do. Or, it could be that their motives come from a better place and they don't want to see you fail. The truth is whether or not they mean well you start to doubt yourself and your abilities. The challenge is to not listen to them, be understanding and respectful but then push on towards achieving your goals.

' Remember, the key to your future success is going to be embracing the very same things those dream-stealers are warning you about: the failure, the heartache and the tears'.

These are key stepping stones to success and are actually markers that you are doing something right.

PS. Some of these motivational blog posts are inspired by the book 'A survival guide for life' by Bear Grylls. I do not take credit for coming up with these truly motivating words. I'm just using them as inspiration and adding my own twist.

[theproductivepineapple]

Why is learning a language compulsory?

I have no idea why its compulsory in school, but I do know that there a many benefits to learning a new language. Some of these benefits are boosting brainpower and improving memory. I personally believe that the main benefit, is being able to communicate with people who do not speak your native language. I'm pretty sure at some point in your life you will experience being in a surrounding where no one speaks English or you will be with someone who cant speak English. This moment, is the reason why we spend roughly 5 periods a week learning a language in school.

About a month ago, I was at a family event where majority of the people there spoke my country's native language and only minimal English. I was the only person there who could speak a decent amount of french and actually hold up a conversation. There was a Kanak women ( native from New Caledonia). She couldn't communicate with anyone because she couldn't  speak English. With my half decent high school french, I spent most of the evening trying to converse with this woman. I'm not sure if she understood everything that I said and I definitely didn't understand half of what she was saying but we were able to learn a lot about each other.

Looking back on the evening I was proud of what I could do. I was really happy to have been able to keep a conversation with the lady and make a nouvelle amie >_<. For this reason we learn new languages to be able to communicate with people and learn about their background and their cultures. We learn languages to become more open minded and understanding to people who cant speak our language. As I said there are many benefits to learning a new language but in my opinion the main one is to be able to communicate with new people and get whatever message we have across to the other person even if it is asking the directions to the closest bathroom.

[theproductivepineapple]

It is our imperfections that keep us alive; motivating us to push further and further.

High strung

[yourbigsisnissi]

Destroy the idea that you have to be constantly working or grinding in order to be successful. Embrace the concept that rest, recovery, and reflection are essential parts of the progress towards a successful and ultimately happy life.

[theproductivepineapple]

Have a dream

'All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, and make it possible'

I think this is such a great  quote I find it very motivational and inspiring. It is also in a way eye opening. This quote encourages us to become the dangerous type; the ones who dream by day to make it possible. However, in order to do this we must have a dream. Something at the back of our heads that keeps us moving forward, something that we can constantly be working towards. I don’t think I have found THE dream yet but I definitely have small dreams that I want to accomplish. The first and most important one for me right now is performing better academically. The last two years I have slacked and not pushed myself to do better. But inside I know that there is a student who can score and perform well academically. Over the next few months, I aim to bring that side of me out or or to create a new version of myself. This is my dream by day and I am determined to make it work especially since it is my last year and last chance to prove myself that I can do it.

[theproductivepineapple]

Introductions

Okay, I guess you need to know a little bit about me. 

I am an IB (International Baccalaureate) student on a small island in the Pacific. I take HL  English, Physics and Music; I also take SL business, math and french. Unfortunately, I also take Theory of Knowledge as a compulsory subject -.- IB is fun but challenging. One thing  I've learnt over  last year is that you must treat IB like a friend in order to survive. I dont complain about the course as much as the meme pages and some of my classmates but it is tough and anyone who gets through it is amazing (pfft not trying to call myself amazing or anything). I really enjoy all my subjects and there is not one that I regret taking. Physics, math and music are my hardest subjects and all I can say is that its not actually hard it just requires more effort then the other subjects especially for me. Over the last few years, music has become a really big part of my life I probably spend 40% of my week doing something music related and its something I really enjoy. I’m still not sure whether or not I want to use music as a career but it is definitely something that you will hear a lot about in this blog.

[theproductivepineapple]

First post

okay, lets see how this turns out. I’ve started blogs multiple times and then burned out and stopped. I’m going to try and do it again but this time I’m not really going to think about it...

There could be posts everyday or there could be posts every month or this may be the only post ever (I hope not). This is where I will be sharing my journey through my final year of the IB diploma as well as whatever else I feel like writing about. School hasn't started yet, I still have a few days of freedom. I also have an Instagram study page that I use frequently and that is: @Pacific.studies

For now there isnt really anything to talk about but I’m sure as schools starts and assignments start coming in there will be more.