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Happy New Year!

New School Year, New Start, New Chance

Happy New Year (new school year that is...)! Today I begin class again after a very short and action packed 3 week break. I don't really feel like I got much of a vacation at all because almost every minute was filled with some sort of activity but I must say I am happy to be starting classes again. I am a little overwhelmed having not finished a full semester at college since Fall 2010 but I am excited about starting this Fall semester- new school year, new start, new chance. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous or that I didn't have my doubts but I am attempting to stay positive and optimistic. I always have that fear that history will repeat itself and that I will be unable to complete the semester but as my mother constantly says "we are what we think about most." If I think I can do it, stay well, succeed in my classes, and make it through the semester than hopefully I will be able to. I can't go into this new start full of fear and doubt. If I allow myself to be overwhelmed by these feelings and thoughts I am sure to get discouraged which will not help me in succeeding this Fall. As a student September acts as another New Year. We have the opportunity to start new classes, buy fresh school supplies and books, meet new teachers, and start with a clean slate. We don't celebrate the start of school in the traditional style of celebrating the New Year- drinking champagne, watching the ball drop, and partying with friends and family. But one thing we can do that is similar is create a new years resolution. This Fall I am going to make a resolution to embrace the new chance that has been given to me and do my absolute best to stay healthy and well. I will not let the stress and concerns I have overwhelm me and force me to fulfill a self-fulfilling prophecy of allowing my history to repeat itself. This is a different Fall semester and therefore it can start and end differently than previous ones. I am the key component in making this semester unlike any one before. Today I have two quotes for us to look at. The first is about success and endurance while the second pays homage to education and the new school year. 

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."  

- Winston Churchill

The ultimate success for me at the moment will be completing my college education but for now I will compromise and be happy with finishing this semester on schedule without needing to take leave or finish incompletes later on. My road has not been perfect or ideal but very few roads are. We all face challenges, struggle, and will often fail. Temporary failure is inevitable but permanent failure is not. If we can continue on and strive for our goals after we have failed than we have achieved something. We have gained the skill of perseverance and the ability to endure despite a momentary let down. I have not lost my enthusiasm for learning, I have not given up on my college experience although I have not gone the typical route, and most importantly I know I owe it to myself to finish school. I have too much to offer the world to give up. I owe it to my mind to complete my college education and owe it to myself to go on into the world and follow my passion (although I am not sure what it is yet). No matter what stands in our way we owe it to ourselves to keep going and remain enthused about our goals in life. If we allow failure or set backs to consume us we will never succeed. I will not allow my worries and my past to ruin this semester for me. I am excited and ready for this new beginning and I am determined to make the most of this new chance. 

I have included the next quote in order to follow up with my subject for this entry, the New School Year.

"Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves."  

- Abbé Dimnet, Art of Thinking, 1928

I believe that this quote not only pays homage to the start of school but also ties in well with my theme about perseverance, success, and new beginnings. Both children as well as adults can be taught many subjects in school but many things remain that we need to learn for ourselves. For example the ability to cope with disappointment or failure and choose to grow from it rather than allow it to deter us. Over the course of the last 4 years I have been in and out of school, transferred, been in treatment, kicked out of treatment, made friends, lost friends, and failed in every sense of the word many times. But I am still here. I am starting school again. I am a 22 year old college Junior or Senior and I have not lost hope. My experiences and the world has taught me many things that I could never have learned in school. I feel more knowledgeable and prepared due to my many out of the ordinary experiences and situations. While school has educated me about American History, French, Math, and many other topics life has educated me about myself and my strength. Failure teaches us how strong we can be and what we are made of. Life will never give us the perfect hand but it will teach us more than school ever could. No matter what life deals you today or tomorrow or 10 years from now remember that failure is only permanent if we allow it to be. If we choose to grow from disappointments, let it teach us about ourselves and how to achieve our goals, we will never be defeated. Jump from failure to failure with an air of confidence and enthusiasm and ultimately you will find the success you are looking for. 

Look failure in the eye and fight,

xo