Journal #5

Lee Philosophy

Always give it your best. As long as you gave it your best and put your effort in, it does not matter whether you succeeded or failed. You should always look to give your full effort in whatever you do. Why do it if you're not going to give it your best? There have been many times where I failed but was happy with myself because I gave it my best shot. At times where I put little effort in, I knew I could not expect much out of the experience and overall made that experience almost worthless and a waste of time.

Be open-minded. Everyone comes from a different background and has different experiences. Don't think your world is the only world and everyone else's revolves around it. Understand that not everyone thinks like you and look to understand others' view. Having a broad perspective will allow you to understand the world better. As a minority, I live in two different worlds where I must understand both sides. While those two worlds may be dominant in my life, I must realize there are many other worlds out there for me to see. This has helped me to understand my community and the different cultures of the world.

Look to help others. Helping others can help you. You learn that there are people not as fortunate or privileged as you. You have values and experiences that can help others that have not yet learned. However, that does not make you superior. It is a mutual relationship where those that may seem below you have important experiences to share with you as well. As a frequent volunteer, I enjoy helping the community and have found that help will always be wanted. I have skills and abilities that I can offer to help others.

Respect yourself and have pride. Be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Don't constantly think about your past failures, but rather look to the present and future. Respect yourself by taking care of yourself and doing what is best for you. Make yourself believe that you matter and have an importance in the world. However, understand that there should be a limit to these. Do not become full of vain and respect others while you respect yourself.

Don't let criticism rule you. People will judge you but don't let that affect the way you live life. The natural inclination may be to fit in and be like everyone else, but having a uniqueness is important. As long as you enjoy the way you live, it shouldn't matter whether or not it's what the majority is doing. What the majority is doing may not always be the right thing to do.

Enjoy the present. While thinking and preparing for the future is a shrewd thing to do, make sure it is not ruining the present. If you are always living for the future, how will you know when that "future" has been reached? Without knowing it, you may constantly live for the future until you reach the point where life can be hard to enjoy as an old person. My experience with IB has shown me that the present may be difficult, but the future will be rewarding. However, I try to make the most out of my high school experience despite the difficulties with IB.

Take advantage of opportunities. There are countless opportunities in this world. These opportunities can have a great impact on your life and can help you in many ways. Take the opportunity and don't be afraid to try something new or different. Once it goes by, you never know if it will come back or not. School and education is a great opportunity for us. As something not everyone freely receives, we should take advantage of it and make the most out of it.