Fear of Failure
by Eun Biy Ko
One Wednesday, a very close friend of mine had an emotional breakdown because of the one reason that all Seniors are stressing about these days: college. When applying to colleges, you are being judged by people who barely know you and you are being labeled by the name of these schools, so it is to no surprise that a handful of students’ self-esteem will be lowered. My friend was going through just this; she was losing her confidence and was afraid. Afraid of what, you may ask. She was afraid that she would never figure out her life, that no colleges would accept her, that she would disappoint her family.
That same week, another friend, this time a college student, and I were playing the “Question Game” (our own game in which we ask each other questions, sometimes fun ones and other times thoughtful ones, whenever a good question pops up). One of the questions she asked me was, “What things hold you back from the things that you really want to do?” From the several answers I gave her, one of them was fear--fear of not being able to do as good as I want, fear of the outcome, and fear of failing. I asked her what her answer would be, and she gave a similar answer: “fear of not knowing where I’m going or what I’m doing.” We started having a conversation about this, and she said something interesting about fear. She said that fear is what pushes us to exceed expectations and what motivates us to aim for who we want to become.
After this hectic week in which “Fear of Failure” was a hot topic, I wanted to address the point that many of us miss seeing. Anyone, be it a high school student, a college student, or an adult, will have a moment in their lives in which they will be too frightened to continue or to do something new--I’ve personally been through this too. Every individual’s definition of fear is different since we each have different experiences, values, and opinions; however, one common thing we all have about this fear is that it stops us. It stops us from moving forward, from moving towards our biggest dream. Fear is no reason to not continue. When trying something new, it is part of the process to make mistakes at times because (all caps for emphasis is vital) IT IS YOUR FIRST TIME.
Think about it this way. When you were a toddler you were brave enough to stand up and take that first step. If you were afraid of falling, you might have never learned to walk. I bet once you tried a food you were reluctant to eat before, and now it is your go-to dinner. What I am trying to say is that there is a “you” who is fearless and brave, a “you” who is not scared to try new things. So next time you are afraid to try the new opportunities life throws at you, or you are afraid to continue to the next step of your life, find the fearless “you” because you won’t hit rock bottom--even if you think you will.
That same week, another friend, this time a college student, and I were playing the “Question Game” (our own game in which we ask each other questions, sometimes fun ones and other times thoughtful ones, whenever a good question pops up). One of the questions she asked me was, “What things hold you back from the things that you really want to do?” From the several answers I gave her, one of them was fear--fear of not being able to do as good as I want, fear of the outcome, and fear of failing. I asked her what her answer would be, and she gave a similar answer: “fear of not knowing where I’m going or what I’m doing.” We started having a conversation about this, and she said something interesting about fear. She said that fear is what pushes us to exceed expectations and what motivates us to aim for who we want to become.
After this hectic week in which “Fear of Failure” was a hot topic, I wanted to address the point that many of us miss seeing. Anyone, be it a high school student, a college student, or an adult, will have a moment in their lives in which they will be too frightened to continue or to do something new--I’ve personally been through this too. Every individual’s definition of fear is different since we each have different experiences, values, and opinions; however, one common thing we all have about this fear is that it stops us. It stops us from moving forward, from moving towards our biggest dream. Fear is no reason to not continue. When trying something new, it is part of the process to make mistakes at times because (all caps for emphasis is vital) IT IS YOUR FIRST TIME.
Think about it this way. When you were a toddler you were brave enough to stand up and take that first step. If you were afraid of falling, you might have never learned to walk. I bet once you tried a food you were reluctant to eat before, and now it is your go-to dinner. What I am trying to say is that there is a “you” who is fearless and brave, a “you” who is not scared to try new things. So next time you are afraid to try the new opportunities life throws at you, or you are afraid to continue to the next step of your life, find the fearless “you” because you won’t hit rock bottom--even if you think you will.
I Believe in Us
by Olivia Benecke
This week, I am writing with a troubled mind and a heavy heart. Once again, I approach a controversial topic, but I feel as if I don’t put it into writing, I will burst. It is not my intention to offend anyone; I simply hope to get a pressing point across.
Those of you who know me are aware that I do not affiliate with any particular religion. When I was little, my parents decided to let me choose who and what I would believe in. Before I made such a grand decision, I knew some researching was in place. I went to Baptist and Catholic churches with friends, took a tour of a Buddhist temple, and read excerpts from the Torah and the Quran. In the end, however, I felt no closer to making a choice then when I began. Why? Aside from differing concepts about the afterlife and ideas about who was or wasn’t significant, all promoted the same ideals, one of which struck me the most: human beings are made to unconditionally love and respect one another; all creators desire that we live peacefully. In the Quran it is said that “Humanity is but a single brotherhood: So make peace with your brethren” (49:10), and the Bible claims that one should “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:10), and in the Torah it is written that “Peace will not rise by force, but only through understanding.” The beauty in these principles made me fall in love with each of these religions equally. How could I be expected to choose one faith when each seemed as kind and balanced as the next?
You can imagine my horror then, when I turn on the television to find ISIS beheading one hostage after another, three Islamic individuals shot dead in Chapel Hill as their faith is labeled the “religion of terrorism”, and synagogues being vandalized in Denmark and France. Suddenly, what I thought was so plain and simple didn’t make sense anymore. It broke my heart. Religions founded on peace and understanding are fighting to the death for supremacy. Why? Some people misread the books that were supposed to teach them to be good. I understand that it is perfectly instinctual to feel so much love for your God that you think him to be the best, and that is perfectly ok. But who are you to tell someone else that they are wrong? Who are you to try to change or eliminate them? Superiority is not a concept found in the holy books, it it something made by human beings.
As far as I’m concerned, logically, it simply doesn’t make any sense to make assumptions about something you know little to nothing about. Why, then, does it happen so often? Why is it so natural to blame people of the Jewish faith for all of the wrong in the world? Why have all Muslims been grouped under an umbrella of terrorist mentality? Why are Christians claimed to be bad seeds poisoning the world? Why are we assuming that we are all against each other when, according to the written word, we all want the same thing? It seems that our differences have cast an opaque shadow over our similarities and people refuse to accept the legitimacy of a religion other than their own. I want to love religion, but as of right now, I fear what human beings have turned it into: a reason to kill, a reason to hate, paradoxically the very things it condemns.
As of right now, the only thing I truly believe in is us. Despite all that is happening, I know that human beings are good. Only we can make sense out of what we have distorted. Blood is being shed over minute differences; it cannot continue this way. Our capacity to love and understand is so great, but it is up to us to employ it. When all is said and done, we are all exactly the same, and it’s high time we realized that.
Those of you who know me are aware that I do not affiliate with any particular religion. When I was little, my parents decided to let me choose who and what I would believe in. Before I made such a grand decision, I knew some researching was in place. I went to Baptist and Catholic churches with friends, took a tour of a Buddhist temple, and read excerpts from the Torah and the Quran. In the end, however, I felt no closer to making a choice then when I began. Why? Aside from differing concepts about the afterlife and ideas about who was or wasn’t significant, all promoted the same ideals, one of which struck me the most: human beings are made to unconditionally love and respect one another; all creators desire that we live peacefully. In the Quran it is said that “Humanity is but a single brotherhood: So make peace with your brethren” (49:10), and the Bible claims that one should “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:10), and in the Torah it is written that “Peace will not rise by force, but only through understanding.” The beauty in these principles made me fall in love with each of these religions equally. How could I be expected to choose one faith when each seemed as kind and balanced as the next?
You can imagine my horror then, when I turn on the television to find ISIS beheading one hostage after another, three Islamic individuals shot dead in Chapel Hill as their faith is labeled the “religion of terrorism”, and synagogues being vandalized in Denmark and France. Suddenly, what I thought was so plain and simple didn’t make sense anymore. It broke my heart. Religions founded on peace and understanding are fighting to the death for supremacy. Why? Some people misread the books that were supposed to teach them to be good. I understand that it is perfectly instinctual to feel so much love for your God that you think him to be the best, and that is perfectly ok. But who are you to tell someone else that they are wrong? Who are you to try to change or eliminate them? Superiority is not a concept found in the holy books, it it something made by human beings.
As far as I’m concerned, logically, it simply doesn’t make any sense to make assumptions about something you know little to nothing about. Why, then, does it happen so often? Why is it so natural to blame people of the Jewish faith for all of the wrong in the world? Why have all Muslims been grouped under an umbrella of terrorist mentality? Why are Christians claimed to be bad seeds poisoning the world? Why are we assuming that we are all against each other when, according to the written word, we all want the same thing? It seems that our differences have cast an opaque shadow over our similarities and people refuse to accept the legitimacy of a religion other than their own. I want to love religion, but as of right now, I fear what human beings have turned it into: a reason to kill, a reason to hate, paradoxically the very things it condemns.
As of right now, the only thing I truly believe in is us. Despite all that is happening, I know that human beings are good. Only we can make sense out of what we have distorted. Blood is being shed over minute differences; it cannot continue this way. Our capacity to love and understand is so great, but it is up to us to employ it. When all is said and done, we are all exactly the same, and it’s high time we realized that.
In A Perfect World...
by Emma Yee Yick
In a perfect world, we would have our own room; a room filled with idea boards, a coffee maker in the corner, designated work space for each department, a large table that would fill the center of the room, and a huge white board that would be hung on one of the walls. In a perfect world, there would be many of us, we would have writers and editors, graphic designers and techies, publicity people and photographers. In a perfect world, the Gazette would be read voraciously, by every student at Maya, it’s app would be downloaded by many, and it would be apart of CM’s day to day life.
In a perfect world, every staff member would be able to do their job superbly well, because it would be a job specific to what they like to do, and because they would be able to devote their full attention to it. In a perfect world, we would have Gazette discussion sessions after school, where students could come and talk about ideas and events relevant to their lives and the world in general. These discussions would be fuel for a new section of our newspaper called “Voices” devoted to topics important to students at that very instance.
In a perfect world, it wouldn’t just be left up to four, incredibly ambitious, seniors. In a perfect world, there would be no fear that from one year to the next, the Maya Gazette may not exist. Because in a perfect world, we would be leaving a legacy; an integral part of Colegio Maya.
But, unfortunately, the perfect world I speak of, doesn’t exist. The fact that next year, this newspaper, a project that we worked so hard to attain and carry out, will slowly, but surely, disappear into nothingness. That all of our aspirations and dreams will come to a halt when we move away from Guatemala to pursue the new adventure that college has waiting for us.
It saddens me, that no underclassmen have realized the true gem that is the Maya Gazette, the utter sense of pride and gratification that comes with writing for a student-run newspaper, of creating something so meaningful entirely on your own. But moreover, how no one else has either.
In a perfect world, at this time, every year, we would be scouting for new talent. For new additions to keep the Gazette afloat, but for now, it’s still just us. Four, incredibly ambitious seniors. Four girls who have poured their time, soul, and effort into this project that has become our baby. And four senior girls who will leave satisfied with what they’ve done, but wistful for everything the Gazette had left to accomplish, and the potential it had yet to reach.
In a perfect world, every staff member would be able to do their job superbly well, because it would be a job specific to what they like to do, and because they would be able to devote their full attention to it. In a perfect world, we would have Gazette discussion sessions after school, where students could come and talk about ideas and events relevant to their lives and the world in general. These discussions would be fuel for a new section of our newspaper called “Voices” devoted to topics important to students at that very instance.
In a perfect world, it wouldn’t just be left up to four, incredibly ambitious, seniors. In a perfect world, there would be no fear that from one year to the next, the Maya Gazette may not exist. Because in a perfect world, we would be leaving a legacy; an integral part of Colegio Maya.
But, unfortunately, the perfect world I speak of, doesn’t exist. The fact that next year, this newspaper, a project that we worked so hard to attain and carry out, will slowly, but surely, disappear into nothingness. That all of our aspirations and dreams will come to a halt when we move away from Guatemala to pursue the new adventure that college has waiting for us.
It saddens me, that no underclassmen have realized the true gem that is the Maya Gazette, the utter sense of pride and gratification that comes with writing for a student-run newspaper, of creating something so meaningful entirely on your own. But moreover, how no one else has either.
In a perfect world, at this time, every year, we would be scouting for new talent. For new additions to keep the Gazette afloat, but for now, it’s still just us. Four, incredibly ambitious seniors. Four girls who have poured their time, soul, and effort into this project that has become our baby. And four senior girls who will leave satisfied with what they’ve done, but wistful for everything the Gazette had left to accomplish, and the potential it had yet to reach.
Stigmas Surrounding Mental Illnesses
by Shreeja Bhattacharjee
Over the years, I have travelled to many countries, met countless people, and made lots of friends. Some of these friends have had psychological illnesses- everything from depression to eating disorders. I know this is a sensitive issue, so I will tread with caution when discussing this issue.
One of the most interesting things I have noted is that when someone has a mental illness, all of a sudden, their other qualities disappear, and they become defined by that mental illness. They aren’t a funny and intelligent person who has schizophrenia, they are simply a schizophrenic (which by the way, is not a medically-correct term). All the other parts of person just fade into the background.
The second unfortunate side effect of stigmas surrounding mental illnesses is a reluctance to discuss it, or sometimes even acknowledge it. I cannot tell you how many times my friends have refused to tell their parents or seek help because they are scared of rejection. What is even sadder is when their fears become a reality. I know of a case when in response to learning of her son’s depression, a mother simply replied, “We will not be discussing this. Our family has an image to keep up. Quit whining and become stronger.” I do not know how to describe the look on his face as he told me this other than heartbreaking. If you have a family member or friend who has a psychological illness, please, please, try to be understanding and patient with them. No one is 100% strong, and we all have our weak moments. Ignoring that people can have their weak moments only aggravates the situation.
There is one last point I want to raise, one that most people shy away from saying. People with mental illnesses can be bad people too. I know it isn’t pleasant to hear, but I feel we need to understand this fact too. Sometimes people get shocked when they meet people with mental illnesses who are very rude or mean. Their mental illness may be the cause of this, but they also simply could just be bad people. On the flip side, there are also many good people with mental illnesses. It’s basically exactly like it is for the entire human race- there’s the good, the bad, and the in between.
This editorial definitely won't change any of the stigmas overnight, but hopefully, it gave everyone something to think about.
One of the most interesting things I have noted is that when someone has a mental illness, all of a sudden, their other qualities disappear, and they become defined by that mental illness. They aren’t a funny and intelligent person who has schizophrenia, they are simply a schizophrenic (which by the way, is not a medically-correct term). All the other parts of person just fade into the background.
The second unfortunate side effect of stigmas surrounding mental illnesses is a reluctance to discuss it, or sometimes even acknowledge it. I cannot tell you how many times my friends have refused to tell their parents or seek help because they are scared of rejection. What is even sadder is when their fears become a reality. I know of a case when in response to learning of her son’s depression, a mother simply replied, “We will not be discussing this. Our family has an image to keep up. Quit whining and become stronger.” I do not know how to describe the look on his face as he told me this other than heartbreaking. If you have a family member or friend who has a psychological illness, please, please, try to be understanding and patient with them. No one is 100% strong, and we all have our weak moments. Ignoring that people can have their weak moments only aggravates the situation.
There is one last point I want to raise, one that most people shy away from saying. People with mental illnesses can be bad people too. I know it isn’t pleasant to hear, but I feel we need to understand this fact too. Sometimes people get shocked when they meet people with mental illnesses who are very rude or mean. Their mental illness may be the cause of this, but they also simply could just be bad people. On the flip side, there are also many good people with mental illnesses. It’s basically exactly like it is for the entire human race- there’s the good, the bad, and the in between.
This editorial definitely won't change any of the stigmas overnight, but hopefully, it gave everyone something to think about.