There are always positives and negatives in any scenario. However, positivity is important in our world. We can’t live in a world of negativity. If we did, we would all be miserable. Yes, we do need to prepare ourselves for some negativity in life, but not all the time. Positivity can help someone so much—it is the reason I am who I am today.
When I was in high school, I was shy about who I was, I was picked on for being tall, for not engaging in peer pressured activities that high schoolers tend to get involved in, and for not being sexually active. Hearing all of that made me feel bad about who I was. I said, “Okay, I just won’t be this person that I am.” I became extremely depressed, I isolated myself, and my anxiety got worse. I always put myself down until I learned to stay positive.
Every year in high school, I always had a class to look forward to because the teacher would be funny and make me laugh. If I was having a bad day, I just told myself, “Don’t worry, this teacher is going to make me laugh today.” One year, I had a French teacher who would tell us a story every day that would make us smile and laugh.
What got me to finish high school on a strong note was that I reminded myself that I was going to be ok and to think about my future. Eventually I got into makeup. I would practice makeup all the time and it made me happy. I also started taking more art classes in an attempt to get into the arts.
One of the ways I tend to think positive is by having a personal journal to write my own feelings down. One of the entries I would write is things that make me happy. I would write down things like chocolate, chicken strips, music, baking, etc. Anything that would put a smile on my face would make me happy. I encourage everyone to have a journal.
Positivity has also helped me get through tough times like breakups—not just relationship breakups, but best friend breakups as well. Over this past year I had a falling out with someone I was best friends with for 4 years. We ended on very bad terms, but in all honesty, it was something I had to do. I had to pull the plug on our friendship because it became very toxic.
After our friendship ended, I kept busy and told myself, “You are strong and mature. You don’t need someone toxic in your life.” Our friendship ended a week before I came to Kutztown University. That gave me the chance to move on and make a bunch of new friends who stick with me and support me for who I am.
Her words still hurt me, but I am strong for moving on from her and making new friends. I think of the positives that come out of ending that friendship. I feel less anxious, I do not feel attacked, and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
Don’t let anyone push you around emotionally about who you are. Everyone can have emotions and it is okay to have anxiety. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and it is mandatory to take care of it. Sometimes we cannot help it when our mental health gets in the way. If someone does not understand that, especially if you are having a bad week or need to cry, then they might not be a true friend. That itself is not positivity.
Positivity can go a long way, whether you are ending a bad relationship, going through a tough time, or just being prepared for something new. Positivity gave me strength and courage. I was able to make myself happy, because you must make yourself happy before you make anyone else happy.