5 Ways to Turn Your Life Around for the Better
by: Eun Biy Ko
It’s common to feel the need to change your way of living. I know all too well what it’s like to realize that you are not living the life you wish you were. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Most of the time you don’t know what to start with, what to do to change your life for the better. So here I leave you with inspiration and motivation, and I hope they guide you towards a better, happier life.
1. Take a step back and have a moment of reflection. Take a moment to look at the bigger picture and question yourself. What do you wish to change? What things are not working? What things are working? What is the outcome you want? Don’t forget to ask yourself the most important question, “Are you happy?” If not, figure out what you have to stop doing and what you have to start doing. Throw away any of the extra ‘baggage’ that is weighing you down, preventing you from moving forward.
2. Isolate yourself. Take a break, go on vacation. Use this time to focus on yourself. Even though it’s for a little while, escape from reality and be selfish—it’s the time for you right now. Really appreciate this alone time; you won’t have any interruptions and distractions.
3. De-clutter your life. Get rid of the bad, negative people, things, and thoughts affecting your life. If they don’t support you or help you in any way, believe me, you are better off without them. You will notice how relaxed and confident you will feel without the negatives in your life.
4. Lower your walls. Let down some of those protective walls you built around yourself. Be ready to welcome anything positive that will benefit you; be ready to welcome new and different things that you never thought to try. Life has many wonderful things to offer—grasp them.
5. Stay true to yourself. Don’t forget who you are, and most importantly, don’t forget to love yourself. Remember, change isn’t meant to please the others; don’t throw your values and believes away in order to fit in and be accepted by the large group. No. Change is meant for you to be a happier person, to stop dwelling on the past and move on. You don’t need to be accepted by others; you just need to be accepted by yourself. Change is not always bad; sometimes it’s even necessary to reshape and restyle your life.
I hope that you took something—anything—away from these five points. Don’t forget that the most important thing is for YOU to be happy. So what are you waiting for?
1. Take a step back and have a moment of reflection. Take a moment to look at the bigger picture and question yourself. What do you wish to change? What things are not working? What things are working? What is the outcome you want? Don’t forget to ask yourself the most important question, “Are you happy?” If not, figure out what you have to stop doing and what you have to start doing. Throw away any of the extra ‘baggage’ that is weighing you down, preventing you from moving forward.
2. Isolate yourself. Take a break, go on vacation. Use this time to focus on yourself. Even though it’s for a little while, escape from reality and be selfish—it’s the time for you right now. Really appreciate this alone time; you won’t have any interruptions and distractions.
3. De-clutter your life. Get rid of the bad, negative people, things, and thoughts affecting your life. If they don’t support you or help you in any way, believe me, you are better off without them. You will notice how relaxed and confident you will feel without the negatives in your life.
4. Lower your walls. Let down some of those protective walls you built around yourself. Be ready to welcome anything positive that will benefit you; be ready to welcome new and different things that you never thought to try. Life has many wonderful things to offer—grasp them.
5. Stay true to yourself. Don’t forget who you are, and most importantly, don’t forget to love yourself. Remember, change isn’t meant to please the others; don’t throw your values and believes away in order to fit in and be accepted by the large group. No. Change is meant for you to be a happier person, to stop dwelling on the past and move on. You don’t need to be accepted by others; you just need to be accepted by yourself. Change is not always bad; sometimes it’s even necessary to reshape and restyle your life.
I hope that you took something—anything—away from these five points. Don’t forget that the most important thing is for YOU to be happy. So what are you waiting for?
On New Possibilities and Taking Chances
by: Emma Yee Yick
The thought of change isn’t one that particularly excites me. I’m the kind of person who likes to have something constant and predictable in his/her life; anything else tends to scare me. It is not because I don’t like the changes themselves, but because I am not in control of their outcomes. That lack of control, the lack of being able to steer the course of my travels worries me, but, as I’ve come to learn this year alone, without giving up the reigns on the steering wheel of life, without sitting back and letting things happen, without making those decisions whose outcome you have no way of predicting, life becomes seemingly and utterly monotonous.
So here goes nothing, here are a few tips on how to open your mind to new possibilities:
1. Accept NOT knowing what’s going to happen. This part is sometimes the most difficult because the naturally logical side of you will want to interfere and rationalize things. Right about then fear will probably set in, and then you’ll get cold feet. Don’t let it get to this. Remind yourself that you cannot always be in control of everything. Take a deep breath, and accept that things will fall into place if you just step back and let them.
2. If something makes you happy—do it. Don’t question or overthink it anymore, because chances are, if you do think about it too much, you’ll end up talking yourself out of it. Make happiness your number one goal. So before trying something new, or before anything you’re going to do, ask yourself, “Does this make me happy?” If yes, then proceed; if not, then reevaluate why you’re doing it in the first place. Is it to please others? If so, then whatever it is you’re doing, stop it—immediately. Living a life to make others happy, while completely disregarding your own feelings, may seem very sweet and selfless, but I can tell you right now that is not going to get you places.
3. Stop putting yourself down! YOU are your biggest judge and your biggest critic. It’s amazing the power that a simple, “I can’t do this,” or “I’m not good at that,” can have. So don’t let it corrupt you. Instead, commit to only saying “I can,” and “I will,” and I promise you’ll start seeing a change in how you feel about yourself and about what you’re possible of accomplishing.
“She believed she could so she did.”
This quote has really helped me start becoming my own number one fan, because the truth is that anything is possible if you work hard enough and if you believe in yourself.
4. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Yes, this is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt and yes, I actually mean it. I don’t care if that means talking to the guy/girl you have a crush on or heading the ball in soccer, or reading out loud in class. Whatever scares you, whatever gives you butterflies in your stomach, and makes you just downright nervous, do it! Facing your fears will open doors, and it just might turn out that the one you were crushing on likes you back. You might score a goal by heading it in, or maybe you’ll start to enjoy public speaking. If you don’t try it, you’ll never know, so do try. You do not necessarily need to overcome your fears, but you must show them that they do not control you or your life.
5. Last, but not least, remember that this life is too short to live it with regrets. I hate to say it, but the fact of the matter is that you do only live once, so why not make it worthwhile? I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather live a life of “oh wells” than a life of “what ifs”. Take the chances, explore the new possibilities, and if the don’t work out, too bad. If they do, the fulfillment and joy you’ll feel will be unparalleled.
“Do it for the possibility. The possibility that if you make one minor change you may set the stage for major fulfillment. Sometimes even the smallest shift in thinking or doing can create the biggest opportunity.” –Lori Deschene
So here goes nothing, here are a few tips on how to open your mind to new possibilities:
1. Accept NOT knowing what’s going to happen. This part is sometimes the most difficult because the naturally logical side of you will want to interfere and rationalize things. Right about then fear will probably set in, and then you’ll get cold feet. Don’t let it get to this. Remind yourself that you cannot always be in control of everything. Take a deep breath, and accept that things will fall into place if you just step back and let them.
2. If something makes you happy—do it. Don’t question or overthink it anymore, because chances are, if you do think about it too much, you’ll end up talking yourself out of it. Make happiness your number one goal. So before trying something new, or before anything you’re going to do, ask yourself, “Does this make me happy?” If yes, then proceed; if not, then reevaluate why you’re doing it in the first place. Is it to please others? If so, then whatever it is you’re doing, stop it—immediately. Living a life to make others happy, while completely disregarding your own feelings, may seem very sweet and selfless, but I can tell you right now that is not going to get you places.
3. Stop putting yourself down! YOU are your biggest judge and your biggest critic. It’s amazing the power that a simple, “I can’t do this,” or “I’m not good at that,” can have. So don’t let it corrupt you. Instead, commit to only saying “I can,” and “I will,” and I promise you’ll start seeing a change in how you feel about yourself and about what you’re possible of accomplishing.
“She believed she could so she did.”
This quote has really helped me start becoming my own number one fan, because the truth is that anything is possible if you work hard enough and if you believe in yourself.
4. “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Yes, this is a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt and yes, I actually mean it. I don’t care if that means talking to the guy/girl you have a crush on or heading the ball in soccer, or reading out loud in class. Whatever scares you, whatever gives you butterflies in your stomach, and makes you just downright nervous, do it! Facing your fears will open doors, and it just might turn out that the one you were crushing on likes you back. You might score a goal by heading it in, or maybe you’ll start to enjoy public speaking. If you don’t try it, you’ll never know, so do try. You do not necessarily need to overcome your fears, but you must show them that they do not control you or your life.
5. Last, but not least, remember that this life is too short to live it with regrets. I hate to say it, but the fact of the matter is that you do only live once, so why not make it worthwhile? I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather live a life of “oh wells” than a life of “what ifs”. Take the chances, explore the new possibilities, and if the don’t work out, too bad. If they do, the fulfillment and joy you’ll feel will be unparalleled.
“Do it for the possibility. The possibility that if you make one minor change you may set the stage for major fulfillment. Sometimes even the smallest shift in thinking or doing can create the biggest opportunity.” –Lori Deschene
Ways to Make New Friends
by: Shreeja Bhattacharjee
With this month’s theme being 'new,' I thought it to be appropriate to address the topic of making new friends. While many people are gifted with the ability to charm people easily, not everyone possess this. As such, for some people, it is harder to make new friends. Without further ado, here are a few ways to make some new friends.
1) Join sports teams. Or a drama production, that works too. Basically, after school activities are really the easiest way to make friends. You usually spend about 2 hours, 4 days a week with that person. Eventually, you two will become closer and bond. However, make sure to not pick an after school activity that you dislike—that will not turn out pretty.
3) Respond positively and have a positive attitude. Obviously, if you could, it would be best to approach the person and start a conversation. However, if you’re like me, you tend to be more shy when it comes to approaching people. Fear not, though! Chances are that at some point or another, you will have to talk to other people. Once this situation arises, it is important to react positively and have a positive attitude. Don’t start being aggressive or gossiping about everybody else.
4) Talk to them on social media. This will help ‘cement’ the relationship more. You can start the conversation by asking about the homework, and then voilà! Soon you have conversation going. If it’s meant to be, with time, it will be less awkward to talk to them and soon you’ll start regularly talking.
5) Be patient. Often times, making friends with someone from outside your social circle takes time. Just because it doesn’t move as quickly as you want it to, don’t get frustrated. Don’t expect the person to become best buddies with you immediately. Different people form friendships at different paces and nothing you do will change that fact.
6) Hang out during lunch. Once you two have grown closer, you can casually ask whether it’s possible to sit with them at lunch. Now’s the time to work your charms! If you play your cards right, his or her friends will also come to like you.
7) Spend time with them outside of school. If you reach this step, it’s safe to say you’ve become good friends with them. If you are scared to ask, you could perhaps wait until you’ve spent several lunches with them. You may get lucky and they might ask you instead. If this isn’t the case, don’t be shy! Just ask them frankly if they want to watch a movie the upcoming weekend.
This is for those of you who are more shy or don’t know how to go about making friends because you feel ‘awkward’. Fear not! Chances are you aren’t the only one out there who feels this way.
1) Join sports teams. Or a drama production, that works too. Basically, after school activities are really the easiest way to make friends. You usually spend about 2 hours, 4 days a week with that person. Eventually, you two will become closer and bond. However, make sure to not pick an after school activity that you dislike—that will not turn out pretty.
3) Respond positively and have a positive attitude. Obviously, if you could, it would be best to approach the person and start a conversation. However, if you’re like me, you tend to be more shy when it comes to approaching people. Fear not, though! Chances are that at some point or another, you will have to talk to other people. Once this situation arises, it is important to react positively and have a positive attitude. Don’t start being aggressive or gossiping about everybody else.
4) Talk to them on social media. This will help ‘cement’ the relationship more. You can start the conversation by asking about the homework, and then voilà! Soon you have conversation going. If it’s meant to be, with time, it will be less awkward to talk to them and soon you’ll start regularly talking.
5) Be patient. Often times, making friends with someone from outside your social circle takes time. Just because it doesn’t move as quickly as you want it to, don’t get frustrated. Don’t expect the person to become best buddies with you immediately. Different people form friendships at different paces and nothing you do will change that fact.
6) Hang out during lunch. Once you two have grown closer, you can casually ask whether it’s possible to sit with them at lunch. Now’s the time to work your charms! If you play your cards right, his or her friends will also come to like you.
7) Spend time with them outside of school. If you reach this step, it’s safe to say you’ve become good friends with them. If you are scared to ask, you could perhaps wait until you’ve spent several lunches with them. You may get lucky and they might ask you instead. If this isn’t the case, don’t be shy! Just ask them frankly if they want to watch a movie the upcoming weekend.
This is for those of you who are more shy or don’t know how to go about making friends because you feel ‘awkward’. Fear not! Chances are you aren’t the only one out there who feels this way.
So You Can at Least Sound Like You Know About the News
by: Olivia Benecke
Lately global news has been, well…a fiasco. Everything important is happening all at once and if you’re like me, you simply cannot find the time or the energy to spare to read into it properly. To make matters worse, it’s all anyone wants to talk about (go figure). So there’s everyone else, conversing about this and that, using massive words, sounding extremely intelligent…and then there’s you, standing uncomfortably, nodding, eyes wide, pretending to understand half of what’s being said. Because I know all too well how awkward this feels, here’s are three brief summaries of the most significant global news made plain so you can sound like you wrote the book on the topic the next time it comes up in conversation.
1. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. A little more than a week ago, a plane carrying 239 passengers on board mysteriously vanished after reaching an altitude of 35,000 feet over the Gulf of Thailand. The entire aircraft disappeared without a trace, and there is no evidence to be found that could potentially lead us to a conclusion. Fariq Ab Hamid, 27, the plane’s co-pilot, was the last to communicate with air traffic control. Based on satellite data, the plane appears to have made an abrupt turn up the Strait of Malacca around the time it lost contact. Calculations indicate that potential landing spots are varied. The search for the missing plane is now focused on two areas, hundreds of miles apart from one another. They stretch from an arc in Kazakhstan (Central Asia) to the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean. Recently, it was suggested that the disappearance was deliberate—two Iranian men who made it on board with stolen passports were suspected, though they have been cleared of affiliation with terrorist groups. Full scale investigations on the crew and passengers have been launched, but nothing has been found yet. There is also no evidence of technical problems with the aircraft. So in other words…everyone feels something like this.
2. Ukraine/Crimea. This is the one on everyone’s mind. Essentially, the former Ukrainian President (Viktor Yanukovych) was on the verge of entering a deal that would have tied the country closer to Russia and further away from the West. The Ukrainian population, however, wanted to be more connected to the west, so they rioted in protest, removing the president from power. The Crimea, on the other hand, is a portion of the Ukraine that Russia had agreed many years ago was rightfully part of the Ukraine. This region is precious and often utilized by Russia, however, because it is their only access to a warm water port. In addition, the majority of the population in Crimea are ethnically Russian, so when the Ukrainians rejected this deal, the Russians used the excuse of "protecting the ethnic Russians" in the Crimea to justify military action. The Russian military entered the region shortly after, and they want the Crimea to succeed from Ukraine and essentially become part of Russia. The citizens within the region have agreed with this and the succession was officially recognized by Russia. The rest of the world, however, has yet to do so. Until then, the situation remains turbulent.
3. Venezuela. On February 12th, thousands of Venezuelan students took to the streets in protest of the current illegitimate government led by Nicolás Maduro. Masses marched through all of the country’s major cities in order to bring the situation to light. The people are beyond upset by the corruption and lack of representation within the government, which has brought about both economic and social hardship; citizens essentially have no rights. One of the main areas of concern in the country is the alarming lack of security—no one is safe. To worsen this matter, homicidal investigations are virtually non-existent. The military responded to these peaceful protestors with brutal, inhumane force, killing numerous innocent protesters. Because the government controls all media and communication, the public remains largely uninformed. Protests and violence have continued.
1. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. A little more than a week ago, a plane carrying 239 passengers on board mysteriously vanished after reaching an altitude of 35,000 feet over the Gulf of Thailand. The entire aircraft disappeared without a trace, and there is no evidence to be found that could potentially lead us to a conclusion. Fariq Ab Hamid, 27, the plane’s co-pilot, was the last to communicate with air traffic control. Based on satellite data, the plane appears to have made an abrupt turn up the Strait of Malacca around the time it lost contact. Calculations indicate that potential landing spots are varied. The search for the missing plane is now focused on two areas, hundreds of miles apart from one another. They stretch from an arc in Kazakhstan (Central Asia) to the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean. Recently, it was suggested that the disappearance was deliberate—two Iranian men who made it on board with stolen passports were suspected, though they have been cleared of affiliation with terrorist groups. Full scale investigations on the crew and passengers have been launched, but nothing has been found yet. There is also no evidence of technical problems with the aircraft. So in other words…everyone feels something like this.
2. Ukraine/Crimea. This is the one on everyone’s mind. Essentially, the former Ukrainian President (Viktor Yanukovych) was on the verge of entering a deal that would have tied the country closer to Russia and further away from the West. The Ukrainian population, however, wanted to be more connected to the west, so they rioted in protest, removing the president from power. The Crimea, on the other hand, is a portion of the Ukraine that Russia had agreed many years ago was rightfully part of the Ukraine. This region is precious and often utilized by Russia, however, because it is their only access to a warm water port. In addition, the majority of the population in Crimea are ethnically Russian, so when the Ukrainians rejected this deal, the Russians used the excuse of "protecting the ethnic Russians" in the Crimea to justify military action. The Russian military entered the region shortly after, and they want the Crimea to succeed from Ukraine and essentially become part of Russia. The citizens within the region have agreed with this and the succession was officially recognized by Russia. The rest of the world, however, has yet to do so. Until then, the situation remains turbulent.
3. Venezuela. On February 12th, thousands of Venezuelan students took to the streets in protest of the current illegitimate government led by Nicolás Maduro. Masses marched through all of the country’s major cities in order to bring the situation to light. The people are beyond upset by the corruption and lack of representation within the government, which has brought about both economic and social hardship; citizens essentially have no rights. One of the main areas of concern in the country is the alarming lack of security—no one is safe. To worsen this matter, homicidal investigations are virtually non-existent. The military responded to these peaceful protestors with brutal, inhumane force, killing numerous innocent protesters. Because the government controls all media and communication, the public remains largely uninformed. Protests and violence have continued.