Drugs Are Bad, I Heard It From My (Step) Dad- Victoria Chamberlain

       Addiction is traumatic. Addiction is remembering your pregnant mother being forced to go buy more alcohol for her husband. She gets back and she is carrying the case of beer around the front of her car up to the porch for her clearly intoxicated husband. He gets into the driver's seat, puts the car in drive, and pushes on the gas. You watch your already struggling, pregnant mother get hit. You don’t realize what just happened, but you’ll get flashbacks of the memory quite often and it all begins to make sense. Addiction is a tremendous burden that can ruin lives of not only the person addicted, but their family and friends as well.
       Addiction can be anywhere. You never know who’s dealing with addiction. It can be your co-worker, your neighbor, your teacher; anyone can battle addiction. According to addictionsandrecovery.org, “addiction is more common than diabetes,” and “approximately 10% of any population is addicted to drugs or alcohol.” Anyone around you could be battling addiction. They are kids all around us addicted to drugs and alcohol. “In 2017, approximately 4% of the American adolescent population age 12 to 17 suffered from a substance use disorder... or 1 in 25 people in this age group.” (American Addiction Centers) Addiction is way more common than many people think.
       Addiction is full of little white lies that add up overtime. Addiction makes you lie to your friends, family, and loved ones. You’ll lie about everything to get away with your addiction. “No, I’m not doing that kind of stuff anymore,” “I need money for xyz,” any little lie you can think of to help them get their fix. Their brains are wired to lie to help them get things for their addiction. Sometimes you believe their lies because of how good they are at lying. Addiction is compulsive lying.
       Addiction is manipulation. The addict may do small acts of kindness to make you believe they have changed. They might take you out to eat, offer to help in your garden, or any other nice action to get you to think that they have changed. They twist stories and blame things on any innocent person around them.
       Addiction causes you to lose people in your life. One night a close friend of mine begged another friend of age to buy them vape juice. Their addiction is so bad that they got mad when they were told no and they asked to immediately go home. This hurt their friendship. I’ve seen this happen so many times with teenagers around me with nicotine addictions. They get angry at their older friends when they refuse to buy them nicotine products or alcohol. They will trash talk the person and make them out to seem awful when all they did was deny buying an under-aged teenager something that they shouldn’t have access to. It’s sad seeing my friends around me already struggling with addiction.
       Addiction is exhausting. You don’t have to have an addiction to be affected by an addiction. Any kid with an addict parent knows this. Anyone with an addict son, addict daughter, addict significant other, addict friend, or anyone close addict to them knows this. You get tired of being lied to. You get tired of being falsely assured that they’re going to stop or get help. You get tired of the begging, manipulation, and mood swings. You get tired of being yelled at because you won’t give them money for their addiction. You get tired of being affected by someone else’s issue. Addiction is mentally exhausting.
       Addiction makes you lose your integrity. You do things you think you would never do, things that disappoint yourself. You lie, manipulate, steal; anything to get your addiction fed. Your addiction takes over. You are not in control of your life anymore, your addiction is. You don’t care if you lose your significant other, your kids, your best friend, or your mom. You don’t realize in that moment how much it is hurting you. You don’t realize how much it is hurting the people around you. Addiction can ruin your life.
The story I told at the beginning of this is a personal story that actually happened. When I was younger, my mother’s husband had an alcohol addiction. That evening is extremely hard for me to try and forget. I didn’t understand what was going on in the moment, but the memory always followed me. I would have flashbacks of that situation and after so many I could piece it all together. My mother could have lost my brother that day. I can’t imagine not having my brother in my life. My mom had a miscarriage after my first brother was born, and I honestly don’t think she could bear to have lost two kids. I now think about how lucky I am to have my brothers everyday. That’s just one example of how someone’s addiction has affected my life. Addiction not only hurts the person battling it, but it also affects their friends and family members.

Grant Smith - Commitment

Commitment

 According to Lexico.com, commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc. The definition of commitment from the internet is very accurate to what commitment really is. My definition of commitment is a little simpler,but it is more of what commitment is about than what it means. To me, commitment is all about being there and doing whatever it takes to make for the better.

Commitment is involved in many things. To me, having commitment in things you love is enormous. Commitment to your marriage, your family, and your job are very important in life. I also think commitment to God is a big thing too. You could show commitment to your family by always being there for them and caring for them even when times are hard. You could show commitment to your spouse by showing that you would put your marriage before other things and being there to pick them up when things get rough. Some things that still require commitment but would be less important than those things, would be like a sport or a hobby, like bodybuilding. Bodybuilding takes great commitment because you can’t slack on eating right and making workouts. If you don’t stay true to your workout plan,you won’t be able to keep a fit body. It takes great commitment to be a part of a baseball or basketball team as well. I know for a fact.

Commitment to a team provides great potential, especially if the rest of your team is committed as well. Often, when teams are bad, it’s because of laziness or poor effort. Maybe if the team isn’t showing the most commitment, you can inspire them to have some commitment by showing them commitment. Commitment to the team would be like showing up on time and always being there for your team.

 There are many benefits that come with commitment. Commitment to a team can inspire your other teammates to work harder and to put more commitment into the team. A benefit towards your family could be closer bonding as a result of making time for them. To me, commitment is all about being there and doing whatever it takes to make for the better.

Although commitment can be rewarding, it can also come with consequences. Consequences of commitment would be sacrificing your time for something when you could be doing something else. For example, I would rather be spending more time hunting than working out and getting stronger. If it weren’t for my commitment to the team, I wouldn’t go to workouts and extra practice. Another consequence of commitment is consistency. Consistency is a hard concept to grasp.It’s hard to keep waking up every morning real early to go to your job or school. Consistency is probably one of the biggest factors when it comes to commitment. If you don’t show consistency in being committed to something,people won’t believe you are committed to the matter. Even though commitment has consequences, it still is something we all need to strive for.

There’s many things in the world that we can all do to commit to. Sometimes, we don’t know what we want to commit to. Commitment is a required factor if you want to ever succeed in anything. Commitment is all about being there and doing whatever it takes to make for the better.

Ethan Boatman - Beautiful

Beautiful

The lucky word of the day is Beautiful. Beautiful is a word that has several different meanings. My view on the word Beautiful could be way different than your view. 

Beautiful to me is seeing a guy and a girl walk around together happily in love. Beautiful to me is looking at a playground and seeing a ton of little kids playing and having fun. Beautiful to me is being able to wake up every morning to a family that loves me. Being able to look up at the sky and see all of the beautiful creatures flying around. Or being able to look up in the sky at night and just being able to gaze at the stars. 

Beautiful to me is being able to look in the eyes of the people you care about and know that they love you just as much as you love them and they will always support you. Beautiful to me is holding the hand of the person you love and never wanting to let go. Beautiful to me is just being able to simply wake up. Being able to come to a school that the whole staff cares about you and your education. Knowing that every teacher in the building would do anything possible to make sure you are okay and safe. Beautiful to me is just having a home to live in, a truck to drive, and a good bunch of people around me that will always support me. 

I believe every person in this world is beautiful in their own way. Maybe there is stuff on the inside that you will never know about the person because you never give them a chance. You may think on the outside that the person is not very attractive but they may have the best heart in the world and that is what I call Beautiful.  Beautiful to me is living in a country where I feel safe. 

Beautiful to me is sharing the word of God to people who are lost and either don’t know who he is or just simply choose not to believe in him.  Beautiful to me is being able to walk and talk and do some stuff that other people have never been able to do. When God looks down on us he sees something Beautiful in all of us. You may think you are no good, worthless, or just hate life and the world around you, but behind all of that hatred there is a Beautiful person with a Beautiful heart. 

Beautiful to me is bonding with that one person that means the world to you. Listening to her sing to you as you are out driving around. Thinking about her nonstop. Never wanting the time you have with her to end. Hugging her tightly and never wanting to stop. Listening to her cheer you on as you run up and down the basketball court and afterwards still being your #1 fan even if you lost or had what you call, “the worst game of your life.”

Beauty comes in all different kinds of ways. It could come from a spouse or a boyfriend/girlfriend, it could come from your children or something you really enjoy, or it could just be something as simple as the sunset. Beauty is a small word that can be taken in an infinite number of ways. You should use the word Beautiful more often, it may make their day.

Freedom Fighting - Robert Long

What is freedom? When the slaves were emancipated, “freedom” rang throughout the streets of the United States. This “freedom” came at a cost, as most things do, and that cost was blood. Was this liberation really “freedom,” though? When you’re old enough to live alone and away from your guardians, are you faced with “freedom?” When you quit your nine-to-five job in order to pursue a better career, are you truly “free?” Freedom is knowing you’ve overpowered your oppressor. Proper freedom cannot be earned easily, but it always outweighs being restrained. 

What is freedom? Freedom is a feeling of control. When you break away from your parents, you are faced with the opportunities of “freedom.” Living on your own, paying for yourself, and making a living are all great examples of expanding this freedom. That plays a huge role in everything, too: “expanding the freedom.” From my personal experiences, I’ve never been handed freedom. I have learned that freedom is one of those things you have to earn and show that you deserve. This quest for freedom often leads to the discovery of many other feelings and concepts in life, as well. The need for responsibility truly lit my pathway to freedom as I picked up on chores, got a job, and changed my overall behavior. Change was my cost of freedom, but that’s the point: everyone’s freedom is unique with its own cost, but it is never handed down to anyone worthy or deserving of it. 

Freedom is knowing that you make the rules; that you’re in charge. Freedom isn’t something that you are born into or just given, it is earned or taken. As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” As an American, freedom has been the goal to alleviate a multitude of problems I’ve faced. In 1776, our Founding Fathers fought our oppressors just to grant us such “freedom.” Years later in the 1860s, the African American slaves did the same: fought for their “freedom.” Women followed suit just years after that, as well as the African American community, again. The point is, a person’s whole life can be one huge struggle just to achieve freedom. Our Founding Fathers fought for freedom. The slaves fought for freedom. Women fought for freedom. This all ties into my definition of freedom: Freedom must be fought for, especially in order to maintain it. You cannot simply sit back and hope that one day something changes. Freedom isn’t handed to anyone. It isn’t given away. 

When most people think of freedom, they mix in historical experiences, usually leaving out personal ones. When I think of freedom, I immediately think of the obstacles and challenges I’ve been faced with. I never fought a war or trekked through a battlefield, but I did overcome my problems. That leads me to an expansion on my ideas of freedom: the oppressor withholding someone’s freedom isn’t always physical. Although I never broke out of confinement or declared my independence from a governmental tyrant, I did achieve freedom. When my grandmother passed away, I was met with the notorious man himself, Grief. I defeated grief and, through the light, my freedom was born. I didn’t get to sit the bench and pray for the grief to go away, I had to stand up and fight it. With realizations and help from my family, I did such. 

With hundreds of examples of the “Fight for Freedom,” I cannot stress this enough: freedom is the feeling of being in charge; the feeling of releasement. Once you’ve demanded your freedom, you truly understand why freedom isn’t given to just anyone. To earn “freedom,” you’ve got to show that you can handle it and that you deserve it. When the slaves in Haiti felt as if they deserved freedom, they didn’t ask for it or just forget about it, they took action. Sure their actions caused deaths of hundreds of people, but in their eyes, it was equitable payment for what they had been through. It was freedom. The world was built upon the idea that if you really need something, you’ll take it, and I feel no different about freedom. 

What is Faith When it Comes to Me- Tristan Smithee

 What is Faith When it Comes to Me 

 Have you ever thought about what faith means to you? It is a hard thing to think about. Myself have a few different views on faith. I have faith in God, faith in myself, faith in my family, and faith in my animals. Faith means to me believing in something and not letting anything shake it. Faith is believing in it even when everything is going wrong. It is not something everyone will believe the same thing about, because in the end everyone is different. 

 Faith means a lot of different things to many different people. For christians, it is God. For athletes, it is faith your coach knows what he is talking about. As for me, faith means God, and believing in myself. It means believing I know what I can and will do. Sometimes my faith is stronger than others, it just depends on the day. I have faith in myself on most things, sometimes I need to have faith in someone bigger than me. That is when I turn to God. Above everything my faith is in him, he has my life planned before I know what I am going to do. I am thankful for that, because I am certainly not perfect. 

I, myself, have had to have faith in myself that I will, in fact, be able to move on without my rock -- my mom. As the days after she passed, I lost my faith in myself. I thought I was going to be a goner. She would help me with everything, from homework to my hair. I saw my mom as my hero. After I lost her, I had to figure out who I was going to have faith in now. Honestly, that was the hardest thing in the world for me to do. I was at rock bottom. At this point, I did not believe in my savior, because I was mad he took her home. I didn’t have faith in my dad, nor myself. One day I decided I had to somehow find faith in someone or something. I didn’t know what it would be at this point. As I woke up, I started to make my mind up; I have to have faith in myself and God. I felt these things were everything I know I would always have. Now I have faith I can do anything I want to do, knowing I can do things helps me get through everyday. My lord also helps me get through these things. I feel he is like my best friends nowadays. 

Everyday I have faith in a 1200 pound animal. Sounds crazy right? Anyway, every time I step up and into my saddle, I am trusting my horse with my life. Most people find this a stupid thing to do, I myself find it a normal thing to do. My faith in this animal, is sometimes more than I have in myself. At big rodeos, I seem to go blank on what I have to do, in the end I just pray and have faith that my horses know what they have to do, and forgive me for not doing my part as I should. Yes, sometimes they mess up. They are a living thing, consequently, we all mess up and will continue to mess up. Yet, my faith stays in this animal will know what they are doing. Sometimes it is not easy, but no one ever said it would be. If it was easy everyone would be doing it. My faith in my horse is a great thing to me. 

I myself have faith in the fact that my grandparents will be able to support me through high school and college. They are older, and my grandpa is about to retire. I have faith in them that they will still have the funds to help me with clothes, my horses, my animals, and help me with my gas. I also have faith that they will be able to help me through college. They try their hardest to help me, I know I will never be able to repay them, let's be real, life is expensive. They also have this faith in themselves, and me. They hope I will get enough scholarships to help with the cost, I hope I do too. Vet schools are not the cheapest schools in the world. I do however keep my faith that they will somehow help me find a way to get to my dream. With some help through out the way. Never give up faith in people that want what is best for you, They are important. 

Who said faith always had to be in a good thing? In the end, everything good always has a bad side. With faith you will get hurt sometimes. I had faith in a certain person, I am not going to name names. Anyway, I just in my heart knew they would never leave me when I needed them the most. Last year I was having some issues mentally, and one of my best friends at the time, promised they would not leave me by myself in my own head. As it progressively got worse, they slowly began to disappear. My faith in them began to disappear in them too. I was heartbroken even more. But my other friends began to step in and slowly bring me back to you can have faith in a person and not get hurt. This was a big deal to me. It still hurts today knowing sometimes the person you trust the most, is the one that could turn around and hurt you the worst. It is a sad thought to think. My faith in my other friends however grew and I am thankful for it. 

Faith to me is not giving up on something when everything is messed up. Nothing is going to be easy, life is not easy. Everyone will find faith means something different. Some people may not believe they have faith in anything. In the end everyone is going to believe in something, it is a human instinct. So again I will ask, what does faith mean to you?

Shaping Opportunity - Austin Cottingham

Did you know that your opportunities are crumbling by the second? An opportunity is something that you can lose if you are not careful. What is opportunity you might say? An opportunity is a chance to change your circumstances for the better or worse. The American Macmillan Dictionary also says, “a chance to do something, or a situation in which it is easy for you to do something.” The word opportunity is also used for social justice and equality. Opportunity is everywhere, and all you need to do is find it.
Opportunity follows you around everywhere, like a baby duck. Opportunity is a chance for improvement in your current circumstances. Most circumstances are different and opportunity always finds a way to slip into your life. An opportunity has the power to change many things such as perceptions, feelings, life choices, and circumstances. Most cases of opportunity come in small doses unless you are faced with a hard situation. An opportunity could also be perceived as a bad thing; when you make bad decisions you take an opportunity to change your situation in a way that may not be favorable to you or others.
Sometimes people give you the opportunity to make a difference. An example of this could be help on your ACT or giving you advice that could aid your decision making. This would improve how you use your opportunities. Opportunities can come in different forms as well. Most opportunities come in the form of choices, and others could be not as noticeable in conversations. When you look for opportunities you tend to find more and care a lot more for your decision making as a whole. Half of what you do in your normal day to day life consists of decisions and opportunities that a person could take advantage of.
 The word opportunity in today’s society is usually chained to equal rights and monetary value. Opportunity means so much more than just equal rights. It also means better living situations, better qualities of life, and more ways to change the lives of others during the process. People on the other end of the political scale could also use the word opportunity in unique ways. This could be tied to how people with different ethnicities have a better or worse opportunity in this country. One of America’s slogans is the statement that this country is the land of opportunity.
My experiences with opportunity include being dealt a bad hand and trying to improve the bad circumstances. I have opportunities every day; some of these opportunities could be future impacts on people's lives. When I am faced with an opportunity I try to make the best of it. Sometimes I don’t recognize an opportunity that could help me with what I’m doing. These missed opportunities just show me what I could do next time, almost like a personal lesson. For me, an opportunity is not something to beat around the bush with; I have done this multiple times and the chance to make a change slips right out of my hands, never to be seen again. Almost half of the opportunities that cross my path end up fading away right before I notice they were there.
Opportunity is spotted everywhere you look for it. During your daily life try to spot some of these important chances to change your life for the better. Also be careful when trying to make an opportunity, because it could end up disastrous. You should always seize the chance to have an opportunity fulfilled because it could give you a leg up on the competition. Try to look for more ways to also improve your chance for an opportunity, like trying not to stay in a safe space and trying things in life. Remember opportunity isn’t something that life gives to you, you need to go out and seek opportunity.

alexis boatman-- What Rich Is

     The word rich is such a small word, but it means so much. What do you think the word rich means? If you look up the word rich in the dictionary, it would give you the definition of wealth. The word rich does not necessarily mean that. Rich only means wealth when you want it to mean wealth.
The concept of rich has become a new word in this generation. Rich isn’t having the newest things.             Most people think that they have to keep up with the “rich people”. Well everyone is rich in a different way. If you have the oldest phone in the world, you are still rich because you have a phone. Most people in society think that you have to have the newest BMW car, well that doesn’t define rich. You are rich even if you have the oldest BMW because you still have a car that is running and will take you from place to place.
     Rich does not mean having the most expensive things. If you have an off-brand pair of shoes or clothing you are rich. Rich does not mean having the name brand of anything. If you have an off-brand of anything, you are rich. The purpose of clothing is to cover you and to keep you warm. Any type of clothing will do that, it’s just the price tag on the clothes that make people think that it’s better. You are rich if you have any time of clothing because some people don’t have any.
     Rich means having all of you needs and nothing else. If you have running water you are rich, because some people do not have that. If you have a pair of shoes, even if they are as old as dirt, you are rich. Rich means living in the oldest house, because it still does its job of supporting you. Rich means having a good attitude. Rich means only having one dollar rather than none. You don’t have to have an abundant amount of anything, because if you only have one thing, you are considered rich because some people don’t have anything.
    Rich doesn’t mean what most people think that it means. In society, people have changed the meaning for the worse. Rich doesn’t mean wealth or having an abundance of things, it only means having your needs, because some people don’t even have their needs. So, if you have your needs you are rich.

Tyler Peaster - What Happiness Means To Me

What Happiness Means To Me

Happiness has many different definitions for many different people. Happiness is such a varied idea settled on a shaky definition. There are official definitions of happiness, but they fail to give the word justice. Happiness will have no constant definition, we create the definition ourselves. So, what does happiness mean to me? Although happiness varies, mine 

I may have lied a little bit. There is a technical definition of the word happiness. Webster’s Dictionary defines happiness as “A pleasurable or satisfying experience.'' That may lead you to think that there is a defining factor of happiness. For some, this is true. However, even Webster’s has another definition of happiness, “A state of well-being and contentment”. There is a difference in a “satisfying experience” and a “content experience”. Two different people had two different definitions of happiness. This is because happiness is different for all. So, what does happiness mean to me?

A lack of happiness doesn’t represent sadness. Some people may think that not being happy means they sad, or vise-versa. There is a middle ground between happiness and sadness. For example, let's say a person is watching television. The show is good, and so is the snack. They probably feel fairly content. Now, let’s say the same person is out with some friends, laughing and enjoying the moment. Can both of these examples truly be defined by the same word? They are two totally different experiences.

Happiness is scalable. There is a threshold for happiness, but once the threshold is met, the tiers of happiness are shown. The example of “hanging out with friends” I had mentioned earlier is a happy moment, but there are happier moments. Seeing your child take their first steps is also a tier of happiness, but it is a much higher tier than “hanging out with friends.” Happiness is the high end of the scale of emotion. The scale, in its simplest form, would be sadness -> content -> happiness. Each area of this scale has tiers themselves. Happiness represents the higher options of the scale of emotions.

The simplest way to represent the tiers of happiness is with five main tiers. Tier one would be a quick burst of happiness that would only last a little while. Tier two would be happiness that lasts anywhere from a few hours to a day. Tier three would be an event that caused happiness that lasts a few days or a few weeks. Tier four would be a huge event that brings happiness for months or even years. 

Imagine a person playing a normal basketball game. They play really hard and win the game. When they win, the experience tier one happiness, they feel a temporary, short burst of happiness that lasts for a few minutes. Now, think of another person who is hanging out with friends. This would be tier two happiness, as it would be fun for those few hours, but have no further effect on their happiness. Another person had a bunch of homework assignments due over the next week. They decide to get all of the work due early. This would be tier three, as this would remove stress from them and that would cause them to feel happiness for the next week. Finally, a couple decides to get married. This would be tier four, as the marriage could potentially bring decades of happiness. All of these people are happy, but they are happy at different levels.

Happiness is not simply the lack of sadness. Happiness is a scale of tiers on a larger emotional scale. Scales and tiers really do justify the power of happiness. Happiness is not a strict definition tied to one set level of emotion.

Distance: Freedom --> Halee Mills

Distance.  It makes us who we are.  It helps shape and mold who we become.  To me, distance is trust, safety and positivity.  To you, it might be the opposite. It might be dishonesty, desolation and horror.  It might be darkness, but to me, it is light. It shines and it triumphs. It wins.  It always wins. Distance means many things, but my definition of distance is loyalty through love, security and complete peace.

When I think of distance, I think of safety.  There was a time in my life when distance meant danger.  It was not a danger from someone else; it was danger from myself.  It was dangerous for me to be away from others because of fear of what I would do to myself.  I have come to love distance for what it is: safe. I lived in Montana for three years, and during those three years, people hurt me time after time.  Distance has protected me from those I once wanted to be near. It has pulled me away from people I trusted; my friends. At one time, they were all I had.  They were enough for me, but I suppose I was not enough for them. They hurt me in unimaginable ways. They lied to me, talked about me, belittled me to other people, hit me and used me.  The pain I went through being around them was worse than just about any pain you can imagine. I also had a boyfriend during my ninth grade year of high school. He was all you could want in a guy, or so it seemed.  He was polite, respectful, smart and funny. He had a great personality at first, but then I saw the other side of him. He hurt me. It was more than physical hurt. It was mental and emotional hurt. He manipulated me, cheated on me and threatened to hurt others if I did not comply with his demands.  He terrified me. I could not get away. When I tried to leave, he treated me even worse. He told me to end my life when he got angry and told me the world would be a better place without me in it. Those words hurt me, and I almost did what he told me. The pain and suffering he and others inflicted upon me were far worse than anything I had ever experienced in my life.  With distance though, I have been able to get away from them. I have been able to move back home to Arkansas and escape their snares and biting words. I have found safety in people and places in which I never thought I could find.

Loyalty is what distance truly is.  Loyalty is just, true and perfect. There is no wrong in loyalty.  It is always right. Love and loyalty go hand-in-hand. You cannot have loyalty without love.  While living in Montana, I met someone. He went to the same school and church as I did when I lived in Arkansas before the move, but I had no idea who he was.  We hit it off immediately. We began dating in July 2017 while I lived in Montana, and he lived in Arkansas. The states are 1,600 miles apart. That is about 26 hours of driving one-way.  It was difficult, but we made it through. There were countless phone calls, FaceTime calls and “I miss you” texts. The emotional toll the distance can take on one is hard, but it is worth it in the end.  After a year of dating, I found out I was moving back to Arkansas. I cried when I found out the news, and he did too. We were so excited. We knew our patience had finally paid off. Because we lived so far apart, we could not see each other.  Over a year, we only saw each other three times. We trusted each other, though. We knew neither of us would cheat, betray or hurt the other. We loved each other. We still love each other. We have been together for two years now and counting.  They have been the most wonderful two years of my life. Distance helped build and strengthen our relationship and helped us endure through all the late night calls that just were not the same as being face-to-face. We both know that the long months in between visits helped us grow and become who we needed to be for each other.  Without the distance, our relationship would not be the same. I believe the distance helped us mature and made us able to have even more faith and trust in each other. It made us stronger. Because of the distance, when we are apart, it is not as hard as it would be if we were not used to it. The distance was difficult, but now I see how beautiful it was.

Distance is peace.  It is silence and stillness.  It is comfort. When I left Montana, I finally felt peace.  A peace that had evaded me for three years finally returned.  I was not myself at first, but after experiencing the things I experienced, I know I will never be the way I used to be.  I am glad, though. I am glad I will never be the same. I am glad I am finally away from all the awful and horrendous things I had to experience for three years.  I am glad I am finally at peace. I never thought that true peace would come. I never thought that it would want to welcome me and call me a friend. All I have known are sadness, guilt, pain and hurt.  They were the only things I knew for years. Now, they are like strangers. They are distant. They are far away. With peace, I have time to reflect on the events of my day. I have time to think about what is important.  I have time to be by myself and love those around me. I am able to fully love and cherish everyone, and forgive those who wronged me. It was not easy to do at first, but everyone needs forgiveness. Forgiving those who hurt me brought me peace.  It lifted a heavy weight off of me, and the burden I once bore is gone now because of inner peace knowing they are forgiven. Before I took care of myself, I could not take care of anyone else. Now, with peace, I can be who I need to be for everyone, including me.

Distance. It made me who I am now, but it was painful.  Thankfully, it stepped in and took me away. It took me away from the bad friends and horrible boyfriend, and blessed me with the one guy I truly love and friendships that I know will last a lifetime.  It keeps me safe, secure and happy. It brought me peace in the midst of an awful storm. It taught me that the boundaries of trust have no limit. That it spans thousands of miles whose walls can never be torn down.  Distance is usually viewed as a negative word, but it has been the most positive thing I have ever experienced. Distance loved me and healed me. It was there when I needed it most. It set me free.

Cailey Qualls -- A Best Friend to Me

          When I think of the word best friend I think of the person that is always there for me. The person I can count on no matter what. Someone you can crawl to when there is no one else. I think we all consider people our best friends, but are they really?
A best friend is the person out of all your “friends” that goes the extra mile for you. The person that will come over late at night because you need someone to talk to. They will even wake up early to go somewhere with you because you don’t want to go alone. A best friend is the person that gives you a shoulder to cry on after a breakup. Best friends are hard to find, well the good ones are.
A best friend isn’t someone who goes around telling all your secrets behind your back. They aren’t the person that will go hang with people you don’t like, and the whole time they are with them they are mean to you. That isn’t a best friend. A best friend isn’t the person that constantly gets you in trouble, because a real bestie wouldn’t want that for you. They know what you are and aren’t allowed to do.
A best friend is someone you can go everywhere with. Go to the movies, family trips, girls nights, out to eat, and whatever else you can imagine. Someone that is always up to do anything. Someone you can always count on to have your back. The person you don’t have to worry about telling people your secrets. They are like your phone you just feed the information that they keep to themselves. A best friend is like your safe haven.
A best friend is more than just the person that always ask for things, and never puts the effort into the friendship. You will know who your best friend is when you finally find them. It will be the person that I described throughout the paragraphs. A best friend is your person. 

Definition Essay: Strength - Courtney Tucker

Strength

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “With a new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” This quote really embodies what I believe about strength. Commonly the word strength is referred to as a person who has muscles. That is not always the case, though. Strength is compromising for others. Strength is standing up for what you believe in. Strength is putting yourself in harm’s way for someone else’s well-being. 

In my opinion, strength is much more than being muscular. To me, one definition of strength is being able to compromise. There are many situations I get into every day where I have to stop and think whether or not to compromise. Compromising how you feel for other people is a huge part of showing strength. After you have compromised with someone who you have had issues with, now you are on the same team. This is now seen as a strength. Because of this compromise, there are more people agreeing on the same thing. Things get done in a more efficient way once everyone is on the same side. 

Strength is putting yourself in harm’s way for someone else’s wellbeing. Anyone who cares anything about another person has felt this kind of strength. Though a mother is getting mistreated by her husband, she stays in a household to protect her children. There are days where parents don’t want to go to work, but they do for the sake of providing for their children. Strength is staying up all night with your children to help them with their math homework knowing you will be tired in the morning. You do it anyway, though, because you want to provide for them. 

Strength is standing up for what you believe in. In our society, standing up for anything that is out of the ordinary, you are likely to be labeled “weird” or a “nerd.” I completely disagree with how most of society feels about standing out. For example, religious faith. There have been times in my life where I have stood out in my faith and others around me were not. The people I thought were strong in their faith weren’t really at all. 

In the summer of 2018, I attended church camp in Smithville, AR. For being at a church camp, people were not acting very churchy if you get what I’m saying. My so-called friends were cussing and gossiping knowing that wasn’t the right thing to be doing. Even worse, they were gossiping about me. It really brought down my mood, but I had to be strong to not fall into the temptation of in return gossiping about them. I used the strength I gained from God to deal with the situation efficiently. 

Strength is defined as many things. Literal muscles, compromising, standing up for what you believe in, and putting yourself in harm’s way for someone else’s wellbeing are a few main ones. Knowing this now, apply these kinds of strengths to your life. How are you strong in your daily life? How can you become strong for someone else in your life?

Growing - Anna Meurer

If you asked the majority of people what they think growing means, they would most likely say getting bigger or growing older. While both of these uses of the word are right, the word growing can be used in many different ways. Your personal perspective depends on how you view the word growing. You’re perspective is not wrong, it is just different than others. Growing is the most important thing in your life because you have the ability to grow as much and as little as you want.
The most common use of the word growing would be physically growing. Physically growing comes simply with getting older. You grow in height and weight as you get older. As you physically grow, you grow out of clothing and shoes. This type of growing could come with some financial struggles. In some cases, physically growing can cause money issues. For example, let’s say your child is just continuing to grow and grow and you can’t keep up with the things that they need. This would be an example of how money issues could come along with growing. There are also benefits to physically growing. An example of this would be growing from a child to a young adult. This situation of growing can bring many opportunities. Such as being able to drive, being able to get your first job, and being more respected than you were as a child. The last positive aspect that there is growing is being good at something because of your size. Whether that is being short or tall. A benefit of being tall could be having the opportunity to be good sports. In sports taller people tend to be better than shorter or smaller people. There are also other things that shorter people are better at doing than tall people. These are just a few examples of how physically growing can impact your life. 
The next type of growing is mentally growing. I would say that this is the most important type of growing. Mentally growing means to me that you are constantly trying to be the best you can be at something even if you don’t want to do it, or even if you are not good at it. I personally struggle with this one. For example, I play basketball and I like to play, but I do not like everything about the sport. Twice a week we run a mile, I often times find myself absolutely dreading these few minutes that I will be running. Simply because I am not a runner, and it is difficult for me to do so. While I’m running I always think to myself that it will be over in a few minutes, and that the faster I run, the quicker I get to take a break. Even though I am constantly telling myself these things it is often times hard to push myself to finish with a good time. But over time I have found that it is easier for me, just because I have gotten mentally tougher than I was before. Another example of mentally growing could be being able to come out of difficult situations with a positive attitude. An example of this could be a single mother getting laid off of her job. This situation would not be easy for anyone, much less a single mother, not knowing how they are going to pay for things now. Put yourself in this situation, it would probably be hard to have a positive attitude through this hardship, but it you do the situation would become less stressful, and probably work out for you. The last example of mentally growing is having the mindset to push through something hard. Studies have shown that people that are mentally tough often times come out on top in life, because when adversity came their way they didn’t shove it to the side, they faced it, and overcame it. 
The last way of growing is spiritually growing. Spiritually growing is one of the most important things in life to me. A way of spiritually growing is praying, reading the bible, and going to church. I know that religion is a touchy subject to many people, but if you do go to church and believe in God, then it is important to stay in the word and pray. You can notice when people are going to church, reading their bible, and things like that. They just have this natural happy glow about them, it’s like they have no problems. Speaking from a teenagers perspective on spiritually growing, you can oftentimes find yourself growing out of relationships. This doesn’t even have to be spiritually, it could be mentally as well. The friend that you could have had for years could start doing things that you don’t want anything to do with. There’s nothing wrong with distancing yourself from people that have a different mindset than you. The last thing that comes along with spiritually growing could be being able to stand up for what you believe in. It takes a lot of courage in today’s world to say that you believe in God. Just because of all the problems going on in society. Spiritually growing is difficult but if you are mentally tough it is not impossible. 
Growing in life can oftentimes be uncomfortable, just because as people, we don’t find it easy to get out of our comfort zones.  I encourage everyone to try and grow in some areas in their life. It won’t be easy to do, but it will be one of the best things that you will ever do. You won’t regret your decision by pushing yourself and growing in areas of your life. The most important thing to do in life is grow, so don’t be afraid, just get out of your comfort zone and do it. 

depression - alexis courtney

“People think depression is sadness. People think it is crying. People think it is dressing in black. But people are wrong. Depression is the constant feeling of numbness. You wake up in the morning just to go back to bed.” Depression is a word in today’s society that is very overused. The definition of depression is: a mental health disorder characterized by persistently being in a depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing impairment in daily life.  Depression to me is something far more than a feeling of sadness. It’s a mentality that is uncontrollable and affects the way you live.

Just imagine, waking up each morning feeling sad, worthless, alone, and completely helpless. That’s simply what depression feels like. Depression is an ongoing battle that many people have to deal with. Depression can have an overpowering effect on someone’s life. People aren’t born with depression. It is formed by the reactions people have from life events. Depression isn’t something that can just be taken away. It’s something people have to fight for months, years, or maybe even their entire lifetime.

In this lifetime, many people have the misconception that sadness and depression are the same thing. Those people are wrong. Sadness is a normal mood that everyone at some point in their life feels. Sadness comes for a reason and leaves after a short time period. Depression is a mental illness that affects your mood, the way you understand yourself, and the way you see things around you. Depression can come for no reason, and last a lifetime. Sadness is triggered, but depression may have no identifiable cause.

Depression has an overpowering effect on someone’s life. “Blaming myself for all the things going wrong in my life and the world in general is just the early stages, I soon graduate into thinking I deserve nothing more than cold silent isolation.” This quote explains how someone with depression thinks. People with depression may joke about their problems to act like they matter less than they do. They may put on a mask so they don’t have to explain why they “look sad.” People with depression are like everyone else. They have some days that are harder than others. On those days, it may be harder to find a way to hide how they are actually feeling or to pretend to be okay. Depression is waking up in the morning without any hope that the following day will bring anything good to them.

Depression causes you to see the world differently than most people. Billie Eilish once said, “I ruined so many things that could’ve been great because I was sad.” People with depression can’t help but feel empty or “sad.” Depression makes you miss out on some good things, but it’s not your fault. Depressed is a monster that can only be faced head on. If you don’t deal with it and handle it the way you should, you could possibly never get rid of it.

Depression is a mental illness that many people struggle with. Depression is a monstrous battle to overcome. It can take a few months or a lifetime to finally come to the conclusion that you are depressed. Depression has to be dealt with. So, next time you decide to joke about being “depressed,” I hope you realize that you are mocking people that can’t control how they are feeling on a day-to-day basis.

Baby Don't Hurt Me - Vin Boyd

“Stay away from people who make you feel like you’re hard to love.” The pleasure you get when you’re around someone you trust, someone you care for; that’s love. It isn’t fear. It’s the ability to be who you are. It is infatuation, but it is not possession. It is affection, but not an obsession. Love is caring for those who make you feel like the best version of yourself. It is the ability to control and express your feelings.

Being kind towards a lover or lovers is the main product of love. Expressing kindness or empathy towards someone creates a catalyst that releases chemicals from inside the brain to show attraction or adoration. On the opposite side of the spectrum, being unkind towards someone pushes their spirits down. It decreases a person and makes them feel lesser. It causes emotional and sometimes physical pain. It often puts out the fire that is seen inside someone, the spark or light they have that keeps them going. Being unkind douses this flame. It causes a break in character, an intense or fatal feeling of not being good enough, a pain often unexplainable. This isn’t caring for someone. It’s degrading and humiliating and painful. Love isn’t being unkind.

Often times, romantic love between people is seen as primarily or only a sexual attraction or expression. “Love” is seen as sex. It is seen as the bonding between people. It is taken literally; to make love, or to only have a high amount of compassion for your partner(s) when it is introduced through sex. A relationship can consist of sex and limited contact. This is the use of the human body. It isn’t emotionally stable, nor is it compassionate towards a person or people. It is disregard for a person or people. This isn’t healthy for a relationship. Love isn’t sex.

In breaking down the most toxic relationships, we find intensity. A partner who pushes the other into doing things quickly. Obsession comes in the form of always wanting to talk or see the other and never letting the other have time away. Unhealthy relationships are manipulative. They use your emotions and stress the lines between comfortable and not. Unhealthy partners try to use apologies and gifts to influence the other’s decisions and secure themselves a positive place in their partner’s good graces. Manipulation and blame-games aren’t love.

Unhealthy partners keep you isolated from others--this possibly being friends, family, and others entirely. They make the other person in the relation choose between them and their friends or peers, and making sure you feel guilty if you want to get away. They sabotage your reputation or how others perceive you. They make sure others know your theirs. Their obsession is strong enough to make others cut off ties with you. They guilt-trip you and belittle your emotions. “Walking on eggshells” and making excuses aren’t part of a healthy relationship. This isn’t love. Unhealthy relationships aren’t love.

Jealousy makes up the basis of an insecure relationship. A healthy relationship is filled with communication and trust. Without it, even more instabilities arise. Respect towards a partner or partners is seeing them as your equal and treating them as such. Insecure partners find the line between love and spite and erase the edges. In a relationship with an overly insecure person, the other can’t get away from the struggle of finding a way to please their partner. They can’t escape the crippling fear of failure. Jealousy and fear isn’t love.

Plenty of people in abusive relationships don’t recognize the harm being done. More often than not, an abusive partner will coerce the other party into thinking they’re at fault and don’t have free will. This commonly extends to hurtful or degrading terms. In a victim position, the abusee is tricked into thinking their being mistreated is actually healthy, or just how their partner expresses their care and emotion. Most are tricked into a situation in which they are not allowed to make their own decisions or form opinions without the help of their partner. This power, no matter how strong or weak it seems to be, is a form of possessive abuse. It limits one partner’s abilities and power in a relationship and physically shifts it, so that one has a higher title than the other. This is abuse. This is common. Love isn’t abuse. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

In romantic, platonic, and familiar relationships alike, there are dangers. There are struggles and there are roller coasters or emotions and hardships. Healthy relationships make it through these, while others falter and fall apart. Some partners can cause these spikes in a bad situation--they may be the catalyst or the main point of the fighting in the first place. This isn’t love. Love is trust and security, communication and understanding, assurance and empathy and acceptance. It is growth and struggle, but it is making it through.

Dedication - Anna Mason

When I think of dedication, I think of hard work and effort. Dedication can be used in many different ways and different situations.To be dedicated is to realize that it will take a lot of hard work and effort to achieve a goal, but it is worth it in the long run.
Dedication is seen in sports very often. Most people who partake in sports want to get better and have fun playing. To get better, you have to work hard. When I say work hard, I mean practicing at least four days a week, and when you are practicing, you need to give 100 percent effort. When it comes to game days, you should be giving 110 percent and want to be the best that you can be; you should want to stand out from others. With hard work comes hard decisions. I know from experience that there will be some tough decisions that you will have to make. Sometimes you may have practice and also may have a birthday on the same day. You have to decide which one you think that you should participate in and which one you should miss. I have had to miss many events for sports and in the long run, it was worth it. Your attitude also helps with dedication. Your attitude shows who you really are and how you react to things that don’t end up going your way. 
Dedication is also used in your faith. I'm not trying to persuade anyone into finding a faith, but it is a good thing to have.  Dedication in faith is wanting to make your bond with God stronger and closer.  You can be more dedicated by going to church on Sundays and Wednesdays and going to classes that are provided at the church. Getting involved in church group activities helps a lot when it comes to wanting to get a stronger bond with God. You should always want to listen to the preacher when he is preaching. He may teach some really valuable things that you need to know about. The more you pay attention and listen, the more you are going to get interested and want to know more about what you are hearing. The more you know, the more you are going to understand and you will soon begin to get a closer relationship with God. To maintain a strong relationship with God can be difficult at times because other people can try to say things to get you to stop believing because they don’t like the fact that you have a religion. Always stand strong in what you believe in, and don’t worry about what other people say because their opinions don’t matter.
Dedication plays a huge part in a relationship. If you aren’t going to be dedicated to your spouse, then there is no need to try to continue the relationship. The relationship is going nowhere. In a relationship, you need to truly care about others’ feelings and care about them. You are supposed to date for marriage and you need to be dedicated to make the relationship last. You have to put effort into keeping the other spouse happy and wanting to continue the relationship. Dedication is listening to the other person and showing interest in what they are saying. Dedication is making time out of your day to go and be with that person and spend quality time with them. If the other person sees that you are not putting out any effort to keep the relationship healthy and happy then they are more than likely going to want to end the relationship; they didn’t get into this relationship expecting it to dissolve. They got into it because they see a future with this person and wanted to spend their life with them. Being dedicated isn’t going out and partying all the time, hanging out with girls, and just making the person lose the trust they have for you. Dedication means doing the right thing for the right situation. Showing dedication proves that you actually care and that you want it to work out. Be dedicated.
Always be dedicated and give 100% effort. Giving effort shows that you actually care about what you are trying to accomplish and shows how committed you are. So no matter what you are trying to accomplish, always put out 100% effort.

What Does Family Mean to Me? - Ella Servadio

“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything (Michael J. Fox).” Family means different things to everyone, but, to me, family is everything. In every aspect of life, my family is there. Family is a special bond and a long-lasting relationship. That bond is there from the time you were born until you die, but things families do for each other make the bond even stronger and more special.
Family means friendship. The first person one turns to in times of trouble, pain, happiness, or sadness is family. Something as simple as your dad teaching you how to ride a bike and how to play a sport, or your mother sitting in your room with you listening to whatever you have to say shows the friendship among family. When you were little, and you were outside playing with your siblings or cousins; you were creating a friendship, even if you did not realize it. Your siblings taking up for you when you get in trouble shows the friendship among brothers and sisters. Baking cookies and dying Easter eggs with your grandmother develops a friendship between the two of you. The friendship between family is one of the closest friendships you can have.
Family is love and acceptance. Family always accepts you for who you are. Family does not judge you. It does not matter if you like different things than they do, they accept you. They accept every decision you make, regardless if they think it is not the right one. Family accepts all of your friends, regardless of race, gender, or beliefs. Family accepts everything you do because they love you.
The love a family shows is the biggest and best kind of love. Parents find ways to go above and beyond for their children, simply because they love them and want to give them everything they possibly can. Grandfathers showing up to watch you in any activity you participate in is a way of showing their love toward you. Grandmothers cooking your favorite meal on your birthday or taking you shopping is a way of showing love toward you. It does not matter what you do, your family will always love you and accept you.
Most importantly, family is encouraging. Whether it be making good grades in school or excelling in a sport, your family is there to tell you that you are doing great. When you want to give up, they are there to tell you to keep going. Even though my whole family encourages me, my grandmother is the most encouraging. Anytime I talk to her about how hard school is, she always says, “I know it is hard right now, but it will be worth it in the end. I’m proud of you, keep working hard.” My family members are the most encouraging people in my life. No matter how hard of a time I am having, I know that I have encouraging family in my corner, and, to me, that is the most important meaning of family.
I can not imagine living without my family. They are my shoulder to cry on, my favorite people to laugh with, and so much more. They are more than just aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents, and siblings; they are my very best friends. They are everything. They are so encouraging and accepting toward me, and they are always there if I am having a hard time. The bond I have with my family is unlike any other bond.

Bethany Tucker - Like A Bouncy Ball

  Have you ever noticed just how offended some people get over the most insignificant things? What about the way some completely stop in their tracks over a minor inconvenience or setback? What these people lack, or simply don’t practice, is resilience. Resilience is an important quality that everyone can possess, and all it requires is a bit of patience and self-control.
     Resilience is a word that we hear in many forms: tough, strong, springy, adaptable… the list goes on and on. To have the quality of resilience is to be “thick-skinned,” you don’t let things get to you too often. It’s taking blow after blow, not necessarily in a physical manner, and getting back up. Even though it’s just a word, to be called resilient is one of the greatest compliments any self-respecting person can receive -- it’s a reflection of your strength, composure, and integrity. It’s important that we don’t misuse or abuse the word.
     Resilience is not limited to mental strength -- it can also be used to describe physical strength. For example, someone who falls ill and quickly recovers can be accurately described as resilient. In this sense, everyone is resilient to a degree. Some people go days without food and yet they are able to carry on. They are resilient. I have shown resilience in my ability to recover from a difficult surgery. Something that should’ve taken me four to six months to heal from has only taken me three months. Even everyday objects like a bouncy ball can show qualities of resilience. No matter how many times it hits another surface, the ball will always spring back.
     Resilience is not allowing the things people say to get to you. Let harsh words roll off your back; however, if you find yourself caught off-guard by insults and unwarranted negativity, compose yourself and carry on. Resilience is not a “tough guy” act. Don’t ignore your problems, no matter how much easier it may seem to do so; instead, face and solve them. Be patient with yourself and with others. You shouldn’t put your life on pause because of a negative circumstance. No matter how bad things may seem, being resilient will help you get through it.
     In today’s world, resilience is difficult to find. It seems as though everyone gets upset over the most insignificant things. I recently witnessed a beautiful young girl reduced to tears over not placing in her pageant; the opinion of three people was simply too much to bear. Such minuscule things. The quality of being resilient seems to hold little value to society now. The media is constantly plastered with political parties bickering over small disagreements. Someone is always upset about something that the president says on twitter; albeit, he does say some pretty questionable things. There’s always something, be it intentional or not, that will offend someone. Resilience simply isn’t as valued as it should be.
     Resilience is vital to our development in society. It teaches us to think before we act, to carry on during hard times, and to embrace what we cannot control. Resilience is the motivation we need to surge forward in life. It’s the understanding and acceptance that life will throw obstacles in our paths -- we need to overcome those obstacles.
     Resilience is a rare quality, but it is an important one. Anyone can be resilient if they choose. Rather than getting mad and reacting negatively to a circumstance or to the vocal/written opinion of others, stabilize yourself and move on. That is resilience.

 

Bryce Despain - How Work Is Misleading

How Work Is Misleading

If I were to ask someone what the term work meant to them, I guarantee that they would most likely tell me the definition of the word by looking into a dictionary. However, most people fail to realize that work is one of those terms that have a way deeper meaning behind them. It all just depends on how exactly the context of the word is used. In today’s society, work is no longer looked upon as a one-sided word. Generations ago, the term work was considered transactional. Today the term work is just a way of living. 

Work is a part of life and or a way of living. From the very beginning of elementary to the time you graduate high school, you are constantly told that if you don’t go to college, then you won’t have a good life or job. However, that is all false. In today’s time, you are not required to go to college in order to theoretically “work” and or have a “good life.” What most people don’t understand is that the term work is very misleading. Everything that you’ve previously heard in school, about working for the rest of your life until you are of retirement age—which right now is currently 66—isn’t true. The teachers and other adults tell you all of that because they are trying to mislead you. All of them just want to make sure that you don’t become successful in life. The saddest part about it is that a lot of people tend to fall for these lies. This is mainly because as a child you really have no presence in the real world at all and you aren’t that educated to begin with. This leads you to believe whatever the teacher tells you. However, I am here to encourage you that you don’t have to go to college in order to have a good job.

You don’t have to work at a job that doesn’t suit what you truly want to do in life. You don’t have to let what others say affect your decisions and what you want to do in life. You don’t have to let others tell you what you are good at and what you aren’t. You don’t have to let others decide what is best for you in your own life. You just need to follow your dreams and work the way you see fit to accomplish anything you want. 

Work is about making relationships with others. When you become of age to get a job, you start to see that work is a lot more then what it is perceived to be. A major thing that happens when you start working somewhere is you make a lot of new relationships with the people there. Some of the relationships are good ones, and some are bad. It all just depends on your perspective of that person and how both of you treat each other in those relationships. 

I work with my father in the summertime and have made many relationships with the people that I work with. You would be surprised about how many relationships you will make when you start to work somewhere. It may not seem like it at first, because you aren’t technically friends with some of the people. However, after you continually talk to the people that surround you day after day, you start to create a relationship with them. After that, it is up to you whether or not you want a relationship with that person. 

Work is about having responsibility for whatever you do. Working is a huge responsibility on its own to have, however, there are many other responsibilities you have while you work. One of the major responsibilities being that you should make sure that you are always doing your job to the best of your ability, regardless of the position you are in. The entire reason for this is because if you want to keep your job, you have to be willing to commit to it. Otherwise, if you aren’t going to be committed to your job, why are you even there to begin with?

While you are working somewhere, you should show up to work when you are expected too. Many people don’t understand, but this is one of the key factors as to why a lot of people get fired from their jobs. Wherever you work, you have the major responsibility to show up on time. This is because of the employer, they aren’t just paying you to show up late. They are paying you to get a job done, and if you are constantly showing up late to work, then that isn’t occurring. 

Not only should you show up to work on time, but you should also manage your time well while you are there. These two responsibilities are connected to each other, as if you don’t have one of them, then you have neither of them. That is because if you don’t show up to work on time, then how are you going to manage your time well, get anything done, or even be productive? Managing your time well is important as you have to get a lot of various tasks done while at work.

Work is essentially about all your previous experience with whatever you choose to do in life. Throughout your entire life, time doesn’t stop for you as you continuously age. So because of that, you usually tend to gain a lot of new experience. Wherever you work, the experience that you have previously learned is crucial, as it becomes helpful later on. It is so crucial because if you go straight into a new position with no previous experience with it, then you aren’t going to be in any good situation. Sure, if it is something new that you have never done before then you could just learn. However, it is much better to go into a field of work that you have had past experience with, as you would have a much easier time. 

Many people wouldn’t agree with me that the term work has a way deeper meaning behind it then what it was originally perceived to have. On the other hand, some would agree that the term has a deeper meaning, as I believe it to have. However, even though we all will have differing opinions on what the term work really means. We can all agree on one thing, the term work is no longer a one-sided word as it once was long ago. The term used to be considered transactional. However, it is now just a way of living in this time and age.