Life Is What We Make It

So this week I was challenged to think about my life as a whole, and evaluate what can be beneficial and meaningful in my life as I progress through the many steps of eternity.

This has gotten me thinking, What do I find meaningful in my life?

What is it that keeps me going? That pushes me far off the edge and beyond? What motivation do I have for myself?

Let's break it down, shall we?

My life is full of failures, but it's also full of successes. One, for instance, is my family.

Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. How in the world is that a success, Hannah? And that is a good question. How IS it? For a minute, I want you to step out of your own shoes, and whether you know me really well or not, slip into mine.

Imagine the normal family trials: bickering, disagreements, nasty words. Now imagine a dream family: Laughter, shoving (but in a playful manner), games, support systems, everything. My family is like both of those. We have our fights, sure, but most of the time we are supporting each other, teaching each other, helping each other. That is my family. That is one of my successes.

Another one of my successes is my friends. I'm going to be honest real quick though, if you know me you'll know that I have lost many friends in my lifetime. But that's not the point. The point is that as those people left my life, I recognized a few that didn't. And those few are my best friends. They've understood me from the beginning, and continue to through the tough times of being a teenager. They are my guardian angels.

Another success: my education. My teachers are incredible. And no, I don't mean my Pine View teachers. I mean my Williamsburg Academy teachers. They are all such huge leaders in my life. They prove to me everyday that I can pull through, that I can end up on top. I've learned so much from them throughout the years, and continue to each day. The school work may be long and grueling but it's always worth it in the end.

Okay, I could go on forever, but for now, that's it for my successes.

The next step is this: How can I create meaning in my life? Well, for starters, I can (and will) start writing notes to individuals in my life.  I will thank those for the little things they do, and not only will that help me, but I'm hoping it will help that person as well.  I think that will, in turn, help create more meaning in my life because I will not only be thinking about how much I appreciate this person, but it will also bring me joy in seeing their expression while they read it. Or even just thinking about how they'd react.

I know you think this is personal and so I'll explain my reasoning for telling everyone,  for telling the world. I tell you this because I want you to hold me to it. I want you to tell me when you're having a bad day so I can cheer you up, because I love doing just that.

Now, my challenge to you is this- count your blessings, count your successes and count your failures. Because without your failures you wouldn't have any succession. And after you've finished counting, begin to think about what goals you can make that will add more meaning to your life. Look for opportunities to serve humanity, even if it's as small as a smile to someone random in the hall. It all makes a difference, trust me.

You can do this!

Okay, you can now slip your shoes back on now.