Moving Forward without Regrets

As we progress through life, we face various wins and upsets. We are afflicted with moments that make us crawl under the protection of our blankets and moments that inspire us to get out of our shell and show the world who we really are.  Often, our fear of these upsets make us stop taking risks, taking that extra step, or simply striving for more. We settle for mediocrity because we're scared to climb and fall off that summit that towers above us.

However, as I'm progressing through my own journey of ups and downs, I've realized a key idea. What I'm truly afraid of are not the bad moments we are all bound to experience; rather, the truly frightening idea is getting to the end of my journey full of regret, full of "should'ves" and "could'ves." I'm afraid of reaching the destination and wishing to go back to make different decisions. That is what truly frightens me.

That is why I've scoured far and wide on the world wide web in search of answers. After long hours of google searches, I've found answers...actually two answers which I would like to share with you. These are 2 fundemental ideas that I plan to live by to ensure every decision I make, good or bad, is something I can be happy with, learn from, and more importantly, not regret.

1. Live your own life

I've learned that as we grow up and transition from childhood to adolescence and then adulthood, we start to ignore what we want and instead work to make others happy. We start to let others make decisions for us, decide how we should live and who we should be with, and we start to crave their approval. We begin to live for the sole purpose of maintaining a public image that satisfies and pleases the friends, collegues, or significant others we put on a pedestal. Yet, none of that brings true fulfillment. Chasing validation from others is going to bring nothing but artificial and temporary joy. Start pursuing dreams and goals because you geniunely want to. Stop caring about what other people think and live the life you want. Don't put on this mask that hides who you truly are for the mere purpose of getting approval from others. Be you, not because it's the "cool" thing to do, not because you have something to prove, but because of the fact that there are over 7 billion people in this world and not one of them - not a single one - acts, thinks, and performs the way you do. You are unique so why take that rare gem you possess and cover it with something generic.

2. Nothing Lasts

This idea is kind of simple but often taken for granted. We sometimes forget that the items we possess, the relationships we have, and the life we live is temporary. That is why we postpone completing certain tasks because we think there's always a tomorrow - and that is our mistake. Don't take anything for granted because tomorrow is not a given. So take that extra moment to tell that special someone how much you care for them or complete that goal you've been putting off. Squeeze every drop out of every day so that every time you go to bed you feel exhausted. 

Alright... that's it.

Speech I Wrote about the Food Drive

Before I go, I wanted to talk to you all about the food drive. Every year, we have boxes set up in the cafeteria where you can donate non-perishable food items which will be given to the Calgary Food Bank, who in turn will distribute these resources to people in need. You see, many impoverished Calgarians don’t have the resources to provide for themselves or their families, and the food bank assists them in making ends meet. What might surprise you is that 4 in 10 of the people who go to food banks are people like you and I, who often find themselves starving everyday. More so, since the recession more and more people find themselves using the food bank. But enough of me spurting facts about the food bank, these people don’t deserve a scripted speech, lets be sincere here.

 What I’m here to do is urge you to donate to the food drive. Compared to Junior High and Elementary, Senior High has room for improvement. I know that in elementary you get points for bringing in donations, and in Junior High there is some other incentive, but doing the right thing shouldn’t need an incentive. Don’t get me wrong, I know it takes some effort on your part to go out and get items to donate. And you might think what difference can me bringing a few items truly have? The person next to me is probably going to bring cans, so what difference can I make. But it does make a difference for that one child, one parent, that one family. Every little thing you do adds up. You see, no great achievement was ever accomplished alone. It was achieved through the cooperation and contributions of each its members. So when you go home today and sit down at the dining table for dinner, think about those who are not as privileged as you. Think about those people who worry about what they’re going eat that night, those who are trying to survive. And think about how you have the potential to change that person’s world for one day by letting them go to bed feeling satisfied, feeling that someone cares about them to donate, feeling they’re not alone in their struggle to make ends meet. And boy, no incentive can ever compare to the feeling of knowing that you, through your actions, let one less child, parent, or family go not hungry. I urge you to look in your hearts, and donate, because at the end of the day, those boxes are going to be empty one way or another, but it’s up to us to decide how.