What does high school mean to me? Merriam-Webster defines high school as “a system of advanced exercises in horsemanship.”
But to me, those advanced exercises reached far beyond horsemanship.
High school taught me to love, to care, to take on challenges larger than life itself. In the words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves fast, and if you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you just might miss it.”
A lot of people spend high school looking forward to the next thing, and then the next, and then the next, eventually missing the little moments that come in between those anticipated events.
This was me in my freshman year.
Now, plenty of people would say I’m a sensitive, conscientious empath, which I would agree with; however, that emotional intelligence had not always existed in me.
I had to learn. I had to learn to appreciate my friends, my colleagues and my mentors.
I recall four years ago, wishing that my classes would end quicker so I could go home faster and be as far away from school as possible. This mentality is so detrimental to a person’s appreciation of life.
But around my junior year, I realized I was already halfway through high school, and I hadn’t appreciated my time nearly enough. So with that in mind, I started to take action and begin practicing those exercises.
When I went to school, I started trying to enjoy my classes. Instead of looking forward to leaving them, I spoke with my teachers and immersed myself in the classroom and curriculum. I found myself reaping greater rewards — making more friends, enjoying the content of classes and taking on greater challenges.
The importance of those challenges is one of my most crucial points. I think the most effective way to improve your life is to keep yourself under constant duress. If you keep pushing yourself to be better than your past self, you will constantly improve.
Throwing yourself into situations you’re uncomfortable in, trying things you think you may not like, and trying to diversify your experiences as much as possible — there are always ways to keep pushing yourself further and further, and these were the steps I took to become so sensitive and understanding.
In a world of stagnant and nonchalant people, be the chalance. In these four wild years of our lives, make sure those advanced exercises in horsemanship are truly worth it.
