Who's Winning?

Your classmates, if that's what you want to call them, pick on you daily.  They say horrendous things to you to make you feel inadequate.  They say things in front of the entire class or in front of a special person that you like and make you feel incompetent. These so called classmates do everything they can to make you feel pathetic.  Your reaction to this because you don't feel accepting to the things they say or do is to skip a day or so of school.  Then that day or so will turn to a week or so.  Then eventually you decide to drop out of school because you feel better about just staying away altogether.  Who won?  Do you know who won?  They won.  They were able to drive you away from the circle of people they wish they could attract.  There was something about you that they became jealous of and they felt the need to drive you away.  You walk around the halls of your school with a scowl on your face because you feel unpleasant about the way you have been treated when you should be doing exactly the opposite.  You should be walking around with a smile on your face big enough to out shine the sun.  Face your enemy and show them that whatever they are doing to you, hasn't effected you.  Carry your head high, stick your chest out like a good soldier and march on through the mud.  Your weapon will be your smile and your outward projection.

When you get home, if you feel the need, breakdown.  Cry.  Scream.  Do something that makes you feel better at getting the frustrations out so long as it does not harm others.  When you are done, write it down.  Journal it.  You think, 'Oh, what a stupid idea!'  Really?  I used to say the same thing.  As described in my book, The Train Runs No More I was bothered by a dream for thirty eight years because I did not think that by writing all of my disappointments down would do any good.  The moment I began to write is the moment a pressure valve opened and began letting off all the steam.  You will be amazed at how well it works.  For years I would refuse this suggestion by professional psychologists that I would go and express myself to.  Then I began to write.  A week after I began to write, the dreams had stopped.  I began to get more sleep.  I began to feel rested when I woke up in the morning.  I should have done this years ago.  For those of you reading this and are still young, you should do this now while you are still in your formative years.  If you feel you must find another school to attend, find it.  Stay in school and get your education.  While these other people are burning up their energy to figure out another way to drive you nuts, you are getting your education to possibly do some good in the world or place yourself in a better position than they could ever dream of.  Your happiness may not be now.  Your satisfaction may not be now.  Your gratitude may not be now.  All of this you have to work at.  Once your satisfaction and happiness come, you will be able to appreciate more.  Everything does not have to be now. 

As a teenager, you know more than your parents.  At least you think you do.  Even though your parents have lived a lifetime more than you, you still feel you know more than your parents.  It's when you become educated and have children that grow to be teenagers that you begin to know less than their children.  It happens with every generation.  You, yourself will be thought of as knowing less than your children when the time comes.  You will be amazed at how that works.  However, once you begin to sit and talk with your parents and I mean actually talk, then you will become as well educated as your parents and you will be able to handle your position in the world so much better.  You just have to be willing to open your mind and throw away the lock.  Listen to what they have to say.  Apply their ideas of yesterday to your issues of today and your world could be a better place.  Open up and listen.