Smile

            “I was smiling yesterday, I am smiling today and I will smile tomorrow. Simply because life is too short to cry for anything.” 
― Santosh Kalwar, Quote Me Everyday

Isn’t it odd that a simple little smile can brighten not only someone’s day but yours as well? Most of the time we just walk down the hall or through the office with a blank face, caught up in our own troubles or thoughts. We never really realize how that blank face we always walk around wearing can affect not only others emotions, but ours as well.

            A recent study in Sweden showed, that if someone around you was smiling, the people with blank expressions couldn’t help but to smile, even if they didn’t want to. This is because, like yawning, smiling is contagious. Smiling can also make you a happier, healthier person. Forcing yourself to smile can not only improve your mood, but relax your body as well, helping your immune system become stronger.

            According to a study done by Orbit Complete, 69% of people find women more attractive with a smile on their face, instead of make-up. This I find interesting, because as women, we think we need to cake on make-up to look good, but when in reality, all we have to do is smile!

            A smile isn’t just something for girls that are a size zero either, smiling is for everyone, no matter who you are, or where you’re from, you’ll always look better with a smile. (Note- this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear clothes).

            When you smile, people look at you differently, they will see a happier more successful person, and that’s how we all want to present ourselves right? If you smile, you give people less room to judge you, they can’t say you look sad or angry at the world, they’ll think you are confident in your appearance, making you seem more successful.

            Smiling is extremely important to the human race, without smiling we would never know when someone is happy unless they told us, then it would just be weird because they wouldn’t look happy; we would no idea if someone liked us; we would just feel like were being silently judged by others around us, and that’s how most of us feel now. We just stare at the ground trying not to make eye contact because it makes us uncomfortable, but there is a simple solution, just smile. 

Sticks And Stones

            

                        As children, we walked around saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But as we grew up, we realized that the sticks and stones actually don’t hurt as much as a simple word does. Everything we say or do it’s like we need approval from someone, anyone, just to feel excepted.

         

 Our society has turned to sarcasm for humor, because nothing is more funny then telling the skinny girl she’s fat, or the pretty girl she’s ugly, or the talented girl she can’t do anything right, or the star quarterback that his team doesn't need him, or calling the homosexual boy a faggot. After a few of these “jokes”, you actually start to believe you’re ugly or fat or anything else anyone has ever called you. Even though they think the exact opposite of you. They think it’s okay to “joke” with you, they think it’s okay to be rude and disrespectful. Even if it hurts you laugh, because you don’t want them to think you’re weak; you don’t want them to know how much it really hurts you. It’s just easier that way right? It’s easier to just pretend. But if you act like it’s okay, they’ll keep calling you names. Don’t be afraid to call them out! They’re hurting you but they don’t realize that; they can’t fathom you having feelings because you always laugh; you always pretend it’s okay.

          

 If you’re one of those people who makes sarcastic rude remarks to people you care about; stop. More times than not, they hate it; they hate the things you call them because they feel like you don’t care, or they cherish your opinion so much that they believe you. Have you ever told that person how much you truly care about them? Or that anything you say is in a joking manor? Maybe you have, but that still doesn't make it okay. Do you realize that you could be breaking their poor soul?

            

Yeah, maybe that girl you call a slut does sleep around. But have you ever wondered why she does what she does? Maybe she started sleeping around because you called her a slut. Yes I know that’s not always the case, but that still doesn't make it right. How would you feel if someone just called you out on something you’re insecure about? It hurts, words do hurt. And the sooner we all realize that, the sooner we can all be happier.

            

Why is it okay? Why is knowing you’re calling them something rude funny? How is that funny? You have no idea what they’re going through, so stop. What if you’re the one that pushes them over the edge? One simple word, that’s all it can take. One simple word could end a life.

Dear Parents

As a hormonal teen-age girl, my parents don’t really understand me, and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. They we’re this age once right? So why don’t they understand how we feel? We never really look at the fact that we come from a different more technologically advanced era, but that really shouldn’t matter when it comes to them understanding the way we feel right?

            As teen-agers we’re expected to do so much and then get a huge lecture when we forget about an assignment or bomb a test. It is like we have all the responsibilities of an adult, but we’re still treated as adolescents; we have jobs to pay for the gas in our cars and we buy our own clothes and we drive our siblings to school, ext. but at the same time we have to be home at a certain time and get good grades. And that’s really hard to manage, especially if you also want to have a social life or sleep for that matter. We get pushed and pushed and pushed and when we finally break down, when we’ve finally had enough, when we can’t take any more pressure, when our grades start to drop, we get a huge lecture or get grounded which makes us want to curl up into a ball and cry or yell at the fact that they don’t understand how hard they’ve been pushing us all this time. There’s a point when we need a break or we will break and parents usually don’t understand that.

            I know that our parents just want what’s best for us, but it’s so hard to see it that way when we just feel pushed. High school is supposed to be fun right? Not all parents are like this, but some are. It’s hard to live up to the standards of our parents and our society, let alone at the same time. Sometimes we just need a break, or maybe a little encouragement, but a lecture isn’t going to make us want to do better. So I’ll leave you with this, parents, when your child is getting bad grades or being a teen-ager and you want to rip their head off, take a step back and think about why they’re acting the way they’re acting it may be hard but just put yourself in their shoes. It’s much appreciated.   

Self-esteem

As a teenage girl, I’m pretty self-conscious about my appearance, especially when I’m around other teenage girls who I feel, look better than I do. I know I’m not the only girl in America who feels this way either.  According to Oprah.com, 76.2% of teen-agers are self-conscious or dissatisfied with their appearance. Over 70% of 15 to 17 year old girls avoid going to school or other public places when they are worried about their looks. And according to dosomething.org an astounding 75% of these girls have engaged in negative activities such as self-harm, bullying, disordered eating, or abuse alcohol and drugs.

Young women feel they have to be perfect because that’s what society says; you have to wear a certain brand of clothing and wear your hair and make-up a certain way and you have to be so tall and you have to have the right amount of skin showing off and you have to have a certain facial structure, the list is never ending. Some girls believe that they have to be what society tells them to be.

Through all of this crap society tells us to be we get lost in what we should be and not in what we want to be; we lose our own self-worth and aren’t even catering to our own needs anymore, society has made us mind-less, soul-less clones. We forget that we are part of society and that we do in fact have a voice. We get so lost in society’s standard of beauty that we forget who we are, you’ve forgotten who you are. That’s a really scary thought, to know that you have no idea who you even are anymore.

It’s so sad that we don’t even realize what we’re doing to ourselves, or what we’re doing to our families, or our society. By obeying the standards of beauty society has set for us we’re just feeding the fire. It’s even sadder to think that we’re afraid to be who we are, but in all honesty we are afraid, I’m afraid.

Self-confidence isn’t about going with the flow, it’s about stepping out and being your own person, even if you’re scared. It’s about loving who you are, not what society wants you to be. Yeah, it’s hard, you don’t want to be judged and ridiculed, but isn’t it worth it if you know who you are? If you’re just going with the flow and not catering your own personal needs you’re just judging and ridiculing yourself. Now think, really think, who are you? Be who you want to be and not who you’re told to be.

Pain

In some way or another, we’ve all been in pain, whether it be physical or emotional, pain is pain. Yet for some reason, people still debate over which is worse. I agree that there is a difference between physical and emotional pain. But that doesn’t at all mean that one is more severe than the other. Honestly it just depends on the circumstance and the circumstance can vary greatly.

Physical pain is easier to see and there for, easier to understand. For example if someone broke their leg, you would have sympathy for them because you’ve probably broken a bone before, and even if you haven’t, you can still comprehend the amount of pain they must be in. over time this pain goes away, sometimes it takes a while but it does go away and you go back to feeling like brand new. You can go right back to your sport or job with little to no hesitation at all, and that’s good! Everything goes back to the way it was, and you get to go right back to what you love to do. It’s simple.

Emotional pain is very different from physical pain, a heart break is nothing compared to a broken bone, but sometimes that heart break can last longer than a cast on your arm or leg; sometimes that heart break turns into depression. But that topic is for a later date. Emotional pain is always in the same places, your heart, and for some people it doesn’t take a lot to make their heart break. Not everyone can understand the emotional pain you’re in because everybody can handle different amounts of pain, to you it may look like a little scratch but to them it could be a broken bone you know? You just can’t tell how much it actually hurts that person, and even if you could tell what would you say to them? It’s so hard to fell sympathetic towards people who are feeling this emotional pain inside because you can’t see it.

I fell there are some similarities between the two though. Like you can still go to school and work with physical and emotional pain, it might be difficult but it can be done. Another similarity is death, although it’s unlikely for you to die from emotional pain, you can end up dying. I know that’s a scary thought, but it’s the unfortunate truth. Believe what you will about physical and emotional pain and believe what you will about death.

Calm Down

On the weekends, I work at a little place called DonutLand. One morning a couple came in and were deciding on donuts, I overheard the woman say something about slivered almond, so I asked, ‘would you like some of those ma’am?’ she responded in a very sharp tone, with, ‘can we have a conversation without you interrupting? Thanks.’ I quickly apologized and remained quiet until I was sure they were talking to me.

I’m not a very emotional person, but when people that I don’t even know; that I’m trying to help, yell at me, I get pretty frazzled. My co-workers and everyone else that has a job serving people, probably feel the same way. I don’t really want to be yelled at before it’s even 8 o’clock in the morning and especially by someone I don’t know. I’m a teenage girl getting up every morning to work, either at school or at my job serving people with a smile. I don’t need sympathy or pity, just for you to treat me the way you would like to be treated. That is the golden rule after all isn’t it?

Food For Thought

For my A.P. language and composition class, we have to write a blog, hence this blog. We also have to have a blog focus, and as of right now, my topic has changed. My topic will now be ‘Food For Thought’. So if you scroll down past this post, my posts will be about high school.

            I know it might be confusing but please don’t freak out in the comments. I will most likely incorporate some high school and teenage aspects into my later posts. Something I might be talking about is stuff like self-harm, bullying, homework, and all the other beautiful things the world has to offer, she said sarcastically.

            Food For Thought, to me, isn’t a very positive subject. So I apologize in advanced if anything on here makes you feel any kind of negative emotions, but these things can’t be left unsaid any longer.

It’s a fair warning.