The Holidays

      With Thanksgiving in a few days, Christmas in a month and New Years right around the corner I feel these are the best times of the year. You get to spend time with your family and friends. Football and basketball get to become prime time events on TV. Good meals to savor your hunger on. Yet, there's a few things missing to these great moments. These are the times where the best qualities come out of people.
      There are millions of homeless people on the streets. They can't have what we have but we can try to help them. When you see a homeless person or a man trying to raise money for charity, give them any loose change in your pocket. One dollar can feed a family in China these days. Crazy as that sounds, we tend to waste our money on meaningless things so why not help someone else out? Better yet, do some volunteering work. Every year, I try to volunteer as a tutor for little kids or help out at a daycare. There's no monetary rewards but the smiles on people's faces are priceless. Be a Good Samaritan, it couldn't hurt.
       Regrets. Self-pride. Dignity. Around this time of the year, I think it's important to remember what made you who you are today. The people around you play a great role in shaping who you are. Yet, there are those few who just make you angry or lose all respect for. But I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Be the better person and put aside your dignity for once....

Birthdays

     Birthdays. The one thing that occurs the same day every year. No matter what, you can't stop it. Personally, I love when this day comes. You would be surprised what you accomplish in a span of one year.
     Every year, the day before my birthday I usually like to think what I have done to make it a great year. I count the simple things like making new friends and learning a new talent. It's those little things that make you realize how great you are. Every single person is special yet they just don't know it sometimes.
          I don't understand why people say I don't know why I am here I should die. That's a horrible mindset to have. I believe everyone was put on this Earth for a reason and there's always someone out there that would say they miss you, if you ever left. Better yet, those people always come out on your special day. They will try to take the time to say Happy Birthday. If they don't get you anything, I wouldn't worry about it. It's the thought that counts in the end. Those gifts over the years get shoved to the back of closets or just end up in the trash. But having those true friends and knowing you are loved will last forever.
       Everyone needs that date to look forward to. That date keeps you excited and optimistic rather than gloomy. The social trend is you get happier and happier as the day comes. These are great characteristics in oneself. So why not look forward to your birthday?! By one being happy, others will follow creating a snowball effect.
        In the end, I love when my birthday comes. It's not about the gifts but it's about remembering all the great things I accomplished the year before, having friends call and catching up on each other lives and creating happiness all around. Life is tough but you need to have those bright spots to make it worth wild.

"A person has a lifetime. For example, a person may have lived from 1945-2007. The only thing important however is what they did during the hyphen(-). It doesn't matter at the beginning or end. The middle is what is most important. So take the time the time to think what you did during your hyphen years or life isn't dandy."
 ~My mother, Alice Chin~

Find a secret spot to do work

     This seems very practical but many people don't follow this rule. I have found this helpful in the last few years especially the last week. I can do work and some light studying in my room but when I really need to focus, I leave my room. There are too many distractions in my room with the television, xbox 360, cellphone, laptop, food and roommate. Those things can take away your precious time and leave you scrambling late at night. I tend to turn my phone off when I really need to work and leave any unnecessary things behind.
     In high school, I had two secret spots for studying. When I was at home, it was my bathroom. The lighting was perfect and it droned all sound. I can remember when I needed to finish a 100 page book for class the next day, I just went in there and read non-stop. I finished relatively earlier than I expected and had some free time of my own. Even though, my parents were curious what I was doing in there. At the high school, when I needed to study and get away from distractions, I went into the Yearbook office. The place was so quiet and secluded. Only members of the newspaper or yearbook were allowed in so it was great place for me to study.
    When you are in your secret spot, you should also disable any means of outside communication. What I mean is your cellphone or laptop. This can cause you to lose interest in your work and deviate from your purpose in the first place to come to your secret spot. Earlier in my high school years, I was on acebook for hours without doing any work. This caused me to get very little sleep at night and make me irritable the next day.
     So go out there and find your secret spot. Become productive with your time and don't let the little things distract you. Find your secret spot before someone takes yours.