Letter to Yourself

Eliza:

If you ever feel lost, alone, or confused, reread this letter. You are such a strong and independent girl. You have been through so much in your life and I know you can get through anything. I know it is hard to remain positive and keep moving forward when you keep to yourself because of your trust issues, but never forget that you have people there for you. Always remember that everything happens for a reason and God would never put you through any struggle he did not believe you could not handle.

People have walked in and out of your life. Some were even taken away without any warning. Just remember those who helped you become the beautiful and intelligent woman you are today. They all have hope in you and know how much potential you have. Keep your head held high and do not let anyone ruin your dreams. Do not disappoint or let down the people who believe in you.

Be sure to thank those people who were always there for you. Keep striving for your goals. You can do anything you set your mind to. You made it this far, so keep it up. If you have not graduated when you read this, make sure you work hard and focus on your priorities. Do not let anyone see fall. Make your family, friends, and most importantly, yourself proud.

Love yourself.

I motion extra credit

Forgiveness

     Forgiveness is hard when you have been betrayed so many times before. A former "best friend" of mine disrespected me before over the Internet on social network and forgiving her was the hardest thing I have ever done. I do not think that I have fully forgiven her, honestly. After so long, I got tired of being disrespected and betrayed that I could no longer forgive. Eventually, I came through and I was the bigger person and forgave her, but when I think about it now, I am still upset over it. I do not think everyone deserves forgiveness. If I would have forgiven her completely, she and I would probably still be close friends. I think it is a good thing that I did not forgive her because she was not a good friend.

Companionship

          Companionship is important when it comes to people. Whether companionship is with a significant other, friend, family member, or even a pet, it still comforts us humans. No body likes to be alone. Having a companion helps when you feel alone or as if you have no one there for you. It is always nice to have a companion to speak with when you need help, advice, or even just a little bit of comfort. Even some animals have companions. I have seen dogs who are absolutely inseparable. I believe that both animals and humans grow a certain bond with others. This bond is love and without it, we would all feel alone. 

Rejection

When a person gets rejected, they may feel lonely or left out. I believe that they feel like people do not like them and they are not good enough. Nobody ever knows anothers story and it is not fair to leave someone out for no reason. It is not fair to reject someone because they are different or do not look the same as you.

Blame It On Me

It is really hard to choose who deserves the blame in a situation where you both of the individuals deserve to be blamed. For example, in a show that I watch, called "Best Ink," there was an accident on a tattoo that the tattoo artist did. The customer wanted a tattoo across their ankle of a bible scripture from the book of Philippians. The tattoo artist was not religious at all. She had never been to church nor had she picked up a Bible before. The artist made the client spell the word about 5 or 6 times and even had her write it down. After the client made sure that the artist had the speeding correctly, she began the tattoo. The artist was then confronted by another and was told that she spelled "Phillipians." This mistake could fall upon the tattoo artist because she did not look at the correct spelling, or it could be the clients fault for not correcting the artist. When I get put in situations like this, I try taking some responsibility. I believe that if I do something wrong, I should own up to it and accept the consequences. I believe everyone should do this, but this there are more people that are not as honest as others.

Creativeness

I have always been very interested in creative and artistic projects. I enjoy doing them when I get to be creative with them. One project that I spent a great time and effort on was a project in English class earlier in the school year. It was the one where we had to be creative and pick about seven topics an fit them on a poster board. I spent a lot of money on the project because I was excited that I was actually able to make it creative. I spent a few days on the project as well. I enjoyed the project and in the end, I believe that spending the time, money, and effort on the project was worth it. I got a good grade and I also had a very bright and pretty poster board.

Exploring the Unknown

            People explore the unknown for many reasons. They might do it for knowledge, true understanding, curiousity to find new land, or even a challenge. Like Christopher Columbus, people may explore the unknown due to curiosity or even to prove a point. I believe the main reason people discover the unknown is because of the curiousity. People want to believe there is more to life than what they have experienced or maybe even currently experiencing.
             People have attempted dangerous expeditions all across the globe. There has been times where people leave and expect to return home with a new discovery, but unfortunately, they do not return. If these people had not been brave enough to do so, we would not have had so many people try to finish thier adventures. These brave explorers are very important to history.
           Such great devotion to exploring new things makes people feel good. They devote themselves because they want something out of it. They feel like they may even get a reward for what they found. Explorers have to be willing to sacrifice their life, luxury, and reputation when they go on these expeditions.

The Lying Game

I believe that it is never ok to lie. Lying is way harder than telling the truth, because once a person has lied, that lie will continue to come up and then someone has to lie again to make sure that they they do not get caught in the previous lie. Even in extreme and difficult situations when it is hard to tell the truth, I believe that the truth should always be told. Eventually, that lie will get brought up again and if one cannot keep up with their lies, they will get caught. However, if one just tells the truth from the beginning, they will not have to continue thinking of more and more to lie about and it will be over. There are some pros and there are definitely some cons about this situation, but I think there are more cons than pros. People seem to think that lying will get them out of the situation, which it might in the beginning, but, it can also drag them right back into the same position as before. It hurts more to be lied to even if the truth may hurt.

The Climb

Being a teenager in high school can be a very stressful experience. There is many obstacles that one may face during these years. During my high school experience, I have encountered many obstacles, some good and some bad.
I have learned that not everyone will make it through high school without a little struggle. I am one of those people who get very stressed when I struggle with something. I struggle with many things that I know I can fix if I work a little harder. I have issues when it comes to test taking. I know I can improve my test taking skills by taking practice tests. I also do not follow along well when I read aloud. It is hard for me to comprehend what is being said. I understand more when I work alone. Another issue I have is that I procrastinate. Sometimes, I think this is not such a big problem because I work well under pressure, but I know it is a bad habit.
Although I have had some struggles, i have also accomplished many goals. I managed to make it into National Junior Honors Society my 8th grade year and finish my year with a 4.0 GPA. Before high school, I always made honor roll and had very high grades. I am glad to say that I have many awards for my accomplishments. I have earned many metals and certificates for achieving my goals.
I have so many plans ahead of me after I graduate from Early College. I plan to join the military and become a U.S Marine and serve for my country for two years. I will join the military and I will already be a Sargent since I will have my associates degree. When I am finished in the marines, I plan to come home and finish school. I want to go to college for my Masters degree in criminal justice in law. I will be a great lawyer because I love to argue and hate to be wrong. I have not decided which college I want to do this a yet, but I have thought of a few.
My high school experience has helped me conquer many obstacles. I cannot wait to achieve the goals I have set and make my former teachers, family, and friends proud. I am determined and will not let them down.

Cyber Bullying

People do not realize that cyber bullying is a huge deal. Sometimes, people do not even notice that they are doing it. People fail to realize how much cyber bullying affects people. From 2003 to 2010, 56 percent of teens who were cyber bullied committed suicide. From January 2011 through April 2012, 44 percent committed suicide. I have been a victim of cyber bullying. Surprisingly, I was bullied by someone I used to call my "best friend." It is not a great feeling at all. It is embarrassing and very hurtful. It makes you feel like a "nobody" and it lowers your self-esteem . So, why do people still continue to do it? People still cyber-bully others to make themselves feel good. It helps boost their self esteem by lowering someone else's. It makes them feel good about themselves when in reality, they look very foolish. It definitely does not make them look "cool." They seem to think that making fun of someone and getting people to laugh along with them makes them look good. It is ridiculous to believe that someone would do so much just to feel good about themselves. Sometimes, they do not like to see people happier than them, so they have to ruin their happiness by hurting and embarrassing them. It is very true when people say "misery loves company."

Borrowing, Claiming, and Stealing.

I do not think that anyone has any type of right to claim something that does not belong to them. It is not fair to take ownership of someone else's possession. It is very disrespectful to just take something away from someone without any permission at all. Someone does not know if the person they took something from worked hard for it. I find it very rude when someone allows someone else to borrow something and that person never returns what they borrowed. It gets very annoying and frustrating when one is kind and allows others to borrow things, but they never get it back. When this happens, it makes people not want to let people use their things. Once someone claims something without permission, it is no longer "borrowing," but stealing. It is just wrong.

Saving Yourself Before Others..

In some cases, people risk their life, time, and energy to save someone else. However, in other cases, people do not care to save anyone but themselves. I think this depends on the type of lifestyle somebody lives. If someone grows up in a bad lifestyle and nobody is ever there for them, they might be the first ones to save themselves. Although, if someone has always had someone there for them to show love and support, they will most likely save someone else first. I think it might also vary on the situation. Someone could be scared and the first thing they may do is save themselves as a natural instinct. Sometimes people might not put much thought into their actions and just do whatever comes to mind.

If I could meet anyone..

If I could meet anyone, I would want to meet Taylor Swift. She is such a great role model and I look up to her so much. I think we would get along so well and I would love to hang out with her. She is one of the very few celebrities who have not gotten into any trouble. She seems like a lot of fun to be with. Her music explains a lot of things I have experienced like she has. I feel like she and I can relate and understand each other so well. I would absolutely love to meet her.

My winter break.

             My winter break was all about my family. I spent all of my free time with my family. I had a few basketball games I had to cheer at, but that and work was the only thing keeping me away from my family. I spent the days I did not work or have a basketball game at home with my siblings and parents. They mean so much to me and I try spending as much time with them as possible. You never know when the last time you will see somebody may be, so I always cherish the time I have with the people I love. I had such a great time spending my Christmas Eve and day with my family from both sides of my family. They keep me so happy and in a great mood. I also spent my new years eve with my family instead of being out with friends or at parties. I am so thankful for them and I love them more than anything.