February 2017 - GiveTeens20

Aneesh Konda One of the most prolific inventors in history, Thomas A. Edison once said “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” We’ve all failed at least once in our lives. From studying until 3 am for a math test and receiving an F grade, to trying your best to win an officer position and losing, failure is inevitable. However, it’s not particularly the way you fail I am talking about, but the way you respond to failure. How do you pick yourself up, and move on? Here are 3 ways I deal with failure head-on, and move towards a clearer path of success.

I Accept It:

Before you I even start to move on to bigger and brighter things, I know that I need to accept my shortcomings to deal with failure. NBA legend Michael Jordan himself once said “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” Realizing that I have failed, accepting it, and being able to move on is, in my opinion, the first step in the path to success. This is not easy, and it can take a increasingly long amount of time to do so. There’s no rush; acceptance can take an hour, day or even a week to attain. Having an open-minded and optimistic attitude can help you in these situations.

I Learn:

After acceptance, I embrace failure as part of the learning process. I see it more as valuable feedback, something I use to improve rather than as a big blow and setback. Think to yourself, What have I learned from this? How can I improve on this mistake moving forward? The important thing before even beginning to deal with failure is to start thinking about the situation from this perspective and to be constructive about things. This is more vital to avoid getting stuck in denial or negativity.

I Stay Hungry:

Finally, and most important of all, I never give up. I stay hungry. Innovator and genius, Steve Jobs responded to failure with “Stay hungry. Stay Foolish.” Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to fail even more. A path to success is not a straight line of win after win, it can fluctuate. It can drop. It can rise. The most important thing to keep in mind is that every failure is just another step forward. Every failure is something you can learn from.

Every failure and every success is what makes you, you.
Aneesh Konda is currently a sophomore in highschool. He enjoys watching Youtube videos, hanging out with friends, and binge-watching Netflix.

Ananya Veeraragavan Being a sophomore in high school, balancing social life with school work is a constant struggle. High Schoolers are made to think that spending time with friends or going out is unnecessary, time consuming, and instead you could just be studying. However, as I like to see it, work twice as hard as you party and you are gold. For the uninitiated, here are 4 ways to lead a peaceful double life without missing all the important parts!

Don’t Procrastinate:

It’s one thing to say you’re not going to procrastinate and another to actually not do it. Students like to wait till the last minute to finish assignments for a couple of reasons: the thrill of waiting till the last minute, or the laidback attitude many teenagers tend to have. However, this feeling is nothing compared to knowing that you have finished an assignment. You feel accomplished, and now you know you have managed your time wisely!

Stay Focused:

When doing schoolwork make sure you are focused on working and when you’re with your friends try not to think about school. Sound impossible? Many students tend to worry and end up missing out on the rare enjoyable moments when they go out. Staying focused with school work will help you finish the work efficiently and effectively. By finishing all your work before going out with your friends or going on social media, you can enjoy the free time more, with 0% guilt. The thought of going home and finishing your work can be daunting, and by staying focused and finishing it before the fun commences, you can be stress-free.

Finding The Right Friends:

Having a group of friends that are trustworthy and supportive is important to a healthy school and social life. After working hard at school, the last thing any student wants is to be put down or spend time with people they don’t enjoy socially. This is going to reflect on the quality of your work. By spending time with people you are happy with, you are motivated to work hard knowing you can have a great time with your friends.

Spend Time For Yourself:

This current generation is constantly trying to please others, change themselves to be like the “popular” kids, and try to make their life seem perfect on social media. Students are so caught up on getting likes and comments on posts that they start living their life for others rather than themselves. Yes, having a balance between social and school life is important. However, the most important thing is to live life for yourself and no one else!

Ananya Veeraragavan is currently a sophomore in highschool. During her free time she enjoys dancing and listening to music.

Want to read more about making high school memorable? Read this!

Month: February 2017

The 3 Ways I Deal with Failure and Learn From It