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Music is more than a bunch of notes.
It’s more than just a simple melody. Music carries a person’s heart. It conveys their true feelings. If my high school life was a score you’d be the rests. You were there with me at the start And I know you’ll be with me at the end. You were the first teacher I saw on zoom And probably the only teacher that I’ll really remember and miss. In a whirlwind of emotions and new experiences thank you for being my rests. For some peace of mind the band room has become my go to place. No matter what I’m going through your class is always the highlight of my day. You’re the pause that emphasizes a crescendo and ends a beautiful phrase. It’s kind of sad that I’m graduating in a few days But I want to say thank you for being apart of the music I’ve made. Like every score created there’s an end But I’m glad that you will be with me at the very end. To: Mr. Nishida From: Tera Thanks for helping me write this chapter of my life.
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Good morning Class of 2024, Seniors. This might be one of the last days you’ll be called by this name. Although I’d love to be cliche and say I can’t believe this day has come, oddly, I can. Even from our freshman year, we’ve seen the upper-class graduate, move on to greater things, and leave the old memories behind. But it’s kind of insane how fast time flies and it’s crazy that we’re the old ones now and that the same will happen to us. But before we part ways, I’m standing here today to share one of my main high school takeaways and give you all one last piece of advice.
Remember to cherish every moment. I know this too may sound cliche, and you’ve already heard it in the speeches before me, and you’ll continue to hear it again in the speeches to come, but it’s important, and it’s something everyone realizes, some just later than others. In elementary school, all we ever wanted to do was ditch the idea of being a kid. We’d look up to grown-ups and admire them, wishing we had their seemingly carefree and unrestricted lives. Then when we became teenagers we got upgraded to middle school, believing we were one step closer to adulthood. We tried to find freedom in our own ways: rebelling against our parents, trying to fit in, and acting like we were too cool for school. Then another four years later, middle school graduation was probably one of the most exciting days of our life. We all aspired to experience the life depicted in movies, cheering at football games, partying late at night and thought we were ready to enter the prime stage of our lives. Fast forward to today, I wish I could do it all over again and now I wonder, where did all that time go? Many people say life is like a rollercoaster, but instead, I would argue that our life is like an amusement park. Each adventure in our life is a different ride. Some are cute and fun like Slinky Dog Dash and others are horrifying like the Tower of Terror. But each roller coaster has its highs, lows, moments that make us scream at the top of our lungs, cry with laughter, and eagerly await to get on the next ride after the last one is over. In the past four years, I’ve lived life the same way. I’ve experienced low self-esteem and self-doubt and on the opposite side of the spectrum, found confidence and a strong conviction within myself. I’ve had my share of tummy-aching laughs and days where I could barely haul myself out of bed. But one thing you realize about roller coasters is that they all happen so darn fast. And after you finish the ride, you find yourself immediately waiting in line for the next. Similarly, life goes by too fast to not enjoy each moment. It seems as if even if you close your eyes for just a second, you miss out on the thrill of life. So before going on the next ride, look around. Look at where you’re at, who you’re with, and the terrifying but exciting drop ahead. Cherish each moment while you’re going up and down the roller coaster you’re on so you can remember who sat beside you and held your hand the entire time. While writing this speech, I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to remember. And right now, I want you all to dive into your pasts and remember with me. From the first day of our sophomore year, I remember seeing the shy waves, awkward smiles, and nervous faces while I walked past you all in the daunting, foreign territory of B Hall. I remember our first homecoming when I wore heels, moshed, sang my heart out, had a random dude spray water on me, and came home tired from dancing with bruises on my feet. I remember being surrounded by a field of green and gold at football and basketball games while chanting “We are SR!” and the occasional “You can’t do that!” to the terrible referee calls. I remember our silly group chats with really odd names filled with inside jokes, code names, and shocking tea. I remember frantically arriving to class before tests and praying that we would recall the formulas we crammed in our brains last night, the ones we still didn’t know how to use. And if I wanted to, I could take another hour standing here, listing all the memories I took for granted, funny events that happened, and unforgettable experiences that I’d somehow forgotten. I know it’s easy to forget, especially when time flies by so fast, but in these moments when we pause to remember, I hope these old high school memories bring back a smile on your face and that they’ll motivate you to savor every moment continuing forward in college. So before I conclude, I want to give a quick shoutout. To all the people who have been with us since day one, to all the unexpected friendships we’ve made but now can’t imagine living without, to all our families who have stuck by our side through thick and thin, to all the teachers who have watched us grow…no matter how far apart we far, or how many times you’ve made me cry, or how much homework you assign, thank you. Thank you for entering my amusement park and riding the same rollercoaster as me. Thank you for all the precious memories, endless laughter, and ugly tears. I’m proud to have been a wolf for the past four years and to be able to call this place my home. Now, I confer you all with a new name, congratulations incoming college freshmen, for having made so many special connections with the people you love, for bravely embracing the uncertainties of tomorrow, and for taking the first step into the unknown. Thank you. Self-Talk Tip #1
You are your worst critic, but you are also your strongest supporter... Talking negatively about yourself is the first thing you must stop doing immediately. 1. Don't tell yourself things that you don't want to happen 2. Don't tell yourself things that aren't true 3. Don't tell yourself things that limit you As a person who often practices self-talk to reflect and refocus throughout my daily life, I can tell you there are two types of conversations that go down in my head: the positive ones that motivate me and the negative ones that cause me to spiral down a rabbit hole of doubt, self-criticism, and a whole lot of overthinking. While only so many things can be said aloud, the words we refrain from saying and keep to ourselves usually reflect how we truly perceive things- including how we view ourselves. The most alarming effect of negative self-talk is that although many of these thoughts aren't true, the longer we dwell on them, the more likely they will come true. You are what you feed yourself, so don't feed yourself pessimistic thoughts. If it's not something you would appreciate or let others say to you, it's not something you should say to yourself. While you are your worst critic, you are also your strongest supporter. It's inevitable you'll encounter many haters in this world. There will be more than a handful of people who say things to discourage you and make you feel as if you're worthless. And trust me, you don't need yourself to become another one of those people. So start now and be your strongest supporter. Feed yourself positive thoughts that benefit your mind, heart, and body. If you can't even do this for yourself, who else would? So remember this: you are your #1 fan, you are the person you believe you are, you can overcome negative self-talk, you can become the person you want to be. One of the main challenges I had last year was balancing my school, sports, social, and personal life. At the beginning of my sophomore year, I immediately noticed a significant increase in difficulty from middle school to high school. Since I had my first year of high school online, because of Covid, my transition wasn't as smooth sailing as I'd hoped for. Although I hate to admit it, this event changed everything. It completely altered our everyday routines and changed many aspects of our lives. Adding onto the abnormalities, it was also my first year playing on my school's varsity basketball and golf team. I had known my commitments would consume a lot of time after school; however, I overestimated my ability to balance everything. Eventually, I found myself juggling the pressures of school, sports, and the relationships in my life. I had a lot of expectations for myself and cared a lot about the expectations other people had for me. While I attempted to gain control of my life, instead, I found myself spiraling out of control. In order to gain control of my life, I found that first, I had to gain control of my mind. I spent a lot of time and effort changing myself to become stronger. Even though I still have a lot to work on, hopefully, you find some useful advice here that you can add to your daily life.
Hi readers!
When I started my blog, I mainly focused on sharing my positive experiences in life. I often liked to share motivational thoughts, life-changing realizations, and inspirational messages I learned along the way. However, I've matured and realized that life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Today, I'd like to share some thoughts and tips I found useful hoping that they can benefit you. While I'm no professional blogger or certified psychologist, I understand that some of my writing may be inaccurate or not helpful for you. Nevertheless, I want to be authentic and show that everyone has their ups and downs and the fact that it's totally normal and okay. What matters is that we continue each day with a positive mindset and a strong will to overcome what we're facing. I truly hope my writing can resonate with some of you or inspire you to stay strong and keep moving forward. Adventures start with a leap of faith, then progress one step at a time. "Broken" was a poem I wrote near the end of school in 2022 that conveyed some emotions and concerns I had throughout my sophomore year. While I know I'm far from being mature and wise, I can confidently say that a person learns the most during difficult times. I took a break from writing last year because of writer's block. I felt like everything I was going through was negative and not "good for the soul." I had set the wrong goals for myself, had the wrong mindset, and didn't know how to get out of the hole I dug for myself. At the same time, I didn't want to let others know what I was going through, afraid of being judged or criticized. "Life isn't that hard"..."You're making things harder for yourself"..."Stop being so weak"... However, as I'm slowly getting out of this low point in my life, I realized that I wanted to share what I've learned so that others know that what they're going through is only temporary. You can get through this, and I want to help.
Part I
Why do we try to act so brave, When we're a broken puzzle that's left to be saved? Just how are we supposed to piece ourselves together, When we're only being held together by the words "it's okay?" Next to me is time that runs forever. Is it just me, or am I the only one who can't be changed? Part II I've broken down too many times. Would you care to listen sometime? I've wasted too many tears on sleepless nights, Even though people have told me it's not alright. It's always been "stay strong and fight through it. Hide your fears because you're weak if you show it." But at the end of the day, I can't keep it in. Can I start over? Where do I begin? Part III It's okay to show weakness, because no one's perfect in the end. Don't build a tough wall around yourself, because you know it's all just for pretend. Ripping ourselves to pieces, simply being torn to shreds, Stop being self-conscious of what others have said. You're so much more than what's going on inside your head. It's never too late to start over. It's never too late to start now. Even though it seems impossible. Even if we don't know how. It's okay to be afraid of change. It's okay to make mistakes. Life is a game of trial and error. It'll take more than one day to make that change. July 30, 2022 Hey everyone!
As many of you guys have seen, my website has been undergoing some changes since I first started my blog. Recently, I moved all my quotes and poems under one tab so you can find them all in one place. The next thing I did was add the "mylife" tab. From now on, this is where I will be sharing my more personal experiences and going into more detail about how I'm working to overcome some mental challenges I struggle with in my daily life. There are two goals that I want to achieve through this: find techniques to build the strong positive mindset I aspire to have and help others facing similar difficulties who need support or encouragement to get through them. Feel free to share your experiences, struggles, failures, and successes if you feel that any of my words resonate with you. I hope that sharing a slice of my life can help others realize that everyone has their ups and downs, but what matters most is continuing each day with a positive mindset and a strong will to overcome what we're facing. I like to think that adventures start with a leap of faith, then progress one step at a time. |
Hey guys it's me!The page you're currently looking at is going to give you a small peek into my life. By sharing some of the highlights and lowlights in my life, I hope that people regain the confidence to face adversity and motivation to appreciate the little things. Prepare to dive into the story of my life :) |
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