Students are at such an influential age throughout high school and often need guidance from adults. Sometimes fear prevents students from reaching out to classmates, teachers, counselors, and even parents- it is in part the fear that they will not receive what they’re asking for, but much deeper is the fear of rejection. People often look for help in the wrong places. During high school, there is freedom to choose where you seek your help. What is going to get you through high school as you face the unexpected and endure challenging classes? What is going to get you up out of bed at 5am to get ready for school? Motivation is both extrinsic and intrinsic. There are awards, recognition, praise, and acceptance, but also the deep need to find a purpose. Students can find motivation from a variety of sources. The challenges students overcome to find what motivates them will be what makes it last into their adulthood.

Every student enters kindergarten, but grit determines who makes it to graduation and those who go on to pursue a college degree. Life is a pool in which people are constantly swimming upstream. Going through high school without trouble may make you feel successful, but going on to make something of yourself in a career is a completely different idea. Everyone is capable of working hard and achieving their own success in life. High school students are in a stage where they are learning what success means to them and how to get to that point from where they are at.

The moments that happen in high school do not define a person, yet people often give great weight to the gossip their friends share and the numbers in their gradebooks. When something happens that is out of our control and we’re not pleased with it, we should just move on and forgive whoever or whatever hurt us. It’s so pointless to fixate on one event in high school when life consists of a multitude of blessings which students have yet to even experience.

The question is, ‘what can we do right now to make life better for both ourselves and other people?’, and the answer is our purpose. People are going to disappoint you and school isn’t always going to go as you planned, but our struggles are not the highlight of our story. The important events are what people do because of the pain they feel. The moments people cherish are those where they overlooked offenses, forgave the unforgivable, persisted despite of difficulty, and took time for another person in need. With this in mind, let’s make as many memories as we can that are worth remembering!

Where people look for their motivation is vital to their success. When life is difficult it is important to reach out to friends and family who care about you. People must come to the realization that they are never alone. Even though you may be struggling, it will not last forever and there are people who can offer you support.

It is how they react to strong emotions that determines their strength or weakness. However unintentional our choices are, they still define us. People have to be responsible for their own actions even when the circumstance they are in is unfair. Everybody faces adversity, but the degree to which you suffer depends on your ability to bounce back.

People should strive to find purpose in every day. In this moment are you just alive, or are you living a life that you are proud of? If not, take your power back and reclaim control over your life because you are strong. You have a purpose and you will see brighter days the more you look for the light that’s shining in the darkness. When students do what is right, they empower other people to do the same.

If you need help, feel free to call Teen Lifeline at 602-248-8336.