I loved today's challenge. I made my encouraging note during Study Hall while I was at school. It wasn't super creative- I'm not very good at art, art- but I enjoyed thinking of something encouraging to say. You can see my note below. I put my note right beside our bathroom mirror at my high school so that the girls could read it when they looked in the mirror and possibly felt bad about themselves. I like encouraging people. It makes me feel good too, to be honest.
Me: Ali, what did you do today?
Ali: I wrote an encouraging note for a younger girl that I know, and I just, I hope that she likes it- I don't know yet! But, you know, I always love receiving encouraging notes, so it always hopes me and I hope it kinda helps her, and it at least brings a smile to her!
Today's challenge has been one of the most fun so far, in my opinion.
Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness? Click here to find out more.
Just starting? That's okay! Feel free to start this challenge right
in the middle. You can make up the days you missed through November, if
you like.
Leave an encouraging note on a mirror. Have you ever looked into the mirror and thought, "I am so ugly and worthless. How could anyone like me?" Chances are, you have. Self-confidence is a huge issue among young people, so that's what inspired today's challenge.
Write an encouraging note. It could be simple, like, "You are beautiful," or it could be a poem about beauty or a letter to your inner self. Use your creativity and writing skills here. After you've written your note, stick it on the mirror of a public bathroom, at your school, or on a mirror at a cosmetics store. You could even stick the note on your sister's mirror or a mirror of your friend with low self esteem. Stick the note wherever you feel that it is needed.
Someone may go up to the mirror today, thinking, "I'm worthless!" When they see your note, perhaps their confidence will rise.
I want to hear your stories! Leave me a comment and share what
you did during today's challenge. If you have a picture already,
feel free to send it to me. If you're blogging about today, send me
the link and I'll feature it on this blog.
Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.
I was going to go to the bank and exchange a dollar for a hundred pennies, but I simply did not have the time today. Perhaps I'll do something similar later on in the month. Today I went ahead and got a dollar bill (the last one I had, actually... lucky me!). I wrote a little message on the bill that said "Have a great day!" (Man, I hope that's not illegal. Ali said it wasn't, so I believe her.)
I looked all around my school for the perfect, obvious place to set a dollar bill for someone to find. I finally chose a bench that sits right in front of the school. It has little round holes all across the top, perfect places for someone to stuff a rolled-up dollar bill. Best yet, those benches are where kids sit when they're waiting for their parents to pick them up. Many times, the parents are late. I often see these kids looking down and bored and world-wearied, ready to go home and get away from the hectic school environment. What a great way to make one of these kids' days, by letting them find a dollar bill with a friendly message written across the front.
I only wish I could have stuck around to watch someone come across the dollar bill. I wish I could have seen the look on whoever's face that found the dollar.
Another fun aspect to the day. I'm not the only one at school participating in the 30 Days of Kindness challenge, so a few dollar bills were left around the school. At one point in the day, a boy ran into the high school building, shouting, "I found a dollar! I found a dollar! Yay!" What a confirmation that we made someone's day better!
Stay tuned for Ali's story a little later in the day.
I actually completed Day 4's challenge on Day 5 because I stayed home sick, and I couldn't very well go around hugging strangers when I was contagious. Probably not the kindest gesture to give. Coincidentally, Ali was sick too! So we both decided to complete two challenges on Day 5 instead of risking getting anybody else sick. Best friends share everything, including colds, right? :)
I had in mind not to hug a complete stranger today. Instead, I wanted to hug some underclassmen that I didn't know very well. Hugs make everyone's day brighter, and I really need to branch out and meet some of the younger kids in my high school. However, I was faced with a problem. My school has recently come up with a rule that nobody is allowed to hug anymore. I'm not even joking. So hugging a student during school hours would be breaking a school rule and disobeying authority. My next plan was to go to a nursing home and hug random people, but my heart was set on hugging underclassmen.
Luckily, today was a National Honor Society meeting at lunch- and I don't think lunch counts as school hours- so I managed to hug some girls there. It was fun to hug them, and not like I felt obligated to hug those girls because of the challenge. I love hugging.
Hugging is very important. Check out this cute quote:
"Hugging is healthy: it helps the body's immun[e] system, it keeps you healthier, it cures depression, it reduces stress, it induces sleep, it's invigorating, it's rejuvenating, it has no unpleasant side effects, and hugging is nothing less than a miracle drug. Hugging is all natural: it is organic, naturally sweet, it has no pesticides, no preservatives, no artificial ingredients, and it is 100% wholesome. Hugging is practically perfect: there are no movable parts, no batteries to replace, no periodic check-ups, has low energy consumption, high energy yield, is inflation-proof, non-fattening, has no monthly payments, no insurance requirements, is theft-proof, non-taxable, non-polluting, and is, of course, fully refundable." - Sharon Lindsey
Me: Ali, did you hug anyone today?
Ali: I went up to a girl and said hi to her, and I hugged her. She wasn't a complete stranger, but she was definitely a girl I'd never talked to. She looked at me and smiled and said hi back.
Me: Did you learn anything from hugging people you didn't know very well?
Ali: I think it was encouraging to me and it was also encouraging to her. It was encouraging to me because, like, because I like giving hugs. And it was encouraging to her- I think- because, I mean, receiving hugs is nice, and when people hug you, it just makes you feel special.
Did you have fun hugging people? Did you hug a complete stranger or someone you didn't know very well?
Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness? Click here to find out more.
Just starting? That's okay! Feel free to start this challenge right
in the middle. You can make up the days you missed through November, if
you like.
Leave a dollar somewhere. Today's challenge will require all of your creative juices to flow. You need to find a dollar and leave it somewhere for someone to find. Now I want your creativity here. You could separate the dollar into a hundred pennies and place them all face up in various locations in your town. You could stick the dollar by a vending machine or a phone booth, where someone might need the money. Place the dollar on a sidewalk and hide in the bushes until someone walks by and picks it up (excellent photo opportunity). Attach the dollar to the end of a balloon and watch it fly far, far away.
There have always been moments where we have to pay for an item and then realize with horror and embarrassment that we're a dollar short. Today is our chance to help someone out.
I want to hear your stories! Leave me a comment and share what
you did during today's challenge. If you have a picture already,
feel free to send it to me. If you're blogging about today, send me
the link and I'll feature it on this blog.
Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.
Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness? Click here to find out more.
Just starting? That's okay! Feel free to start this challenge right
in the middle. You can make up the days you missed through November, if
you like.
Hug a stranger. I'm not going to be quite as strict with the rules today. Although it would be best if you hugged someone you had never met, I'll let you off if you hug someone that you don't know well. But when I say "someone you don't know well", I don't mean a casual friend. I mean someone you've spoken to maybe once or twice ever.
The reason for my lenience is because at times, you may not come across a good moment to hug a complete stranger off the street. Maybe the only few strangers you see today are on the phone, toting three kids, or driving in their car. Obviously not good candidates. So I'll broaden the spectrum for you. :)
When I'm upset, sometimes all I want is a big hug, no matter who it's from. Today, let's lighten someone's burden with a single hug.
I want to hear your stories! Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge. If you have a picture already,
feel free to send it to me. If you're blogging about today, send me
the link and I'll feature it on this blog.
Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.
Today's challenge was pretty simple, as it was a Sunday and Ali and I were at church. We both were able to compliment people before the service even started! I liked this challenge because it encouraged us to go out of our loop of church friends and greet somebody new.
I complimented a lady's necklace. It made my day to see the look of gratitude come over her face when I let her know that I acknowledged how cute she looked and how I knew she had worked hard on her appearance for church. I love the visible rise in self-confidence that comes over someone when you compliment their appearance. I love to be complimented- it makes me feel good- so I know that other ladies like to be complimented as well.
Me: Ali, what happened with you today?
Ali: We went to church and we were getting coffee, and the lady behind us had a cute dress on, and I had never met her. So I turned around I said hi... with a smile! I complimented her dress, which was way cute. She looked grateful that I complimented her dress, and I think it made her feel good. It makes me feel good when people compliment me.
Me: And what did you learn from this experience?
Ali: I learned that you can make someone smile by complimenting them. Everyone likes to feel good about something they do or wear, so I will try to compliment more people more often.
What did you learn today? Do you have any fun stories? Be sure to check out my YouTube channel to see more personalized stories of each day's experiences.
Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness? Click here to find out more.
Just starting? That's okay! Feel free to start this challenge right
in the middle. You can make up the days you missed through November, if
you like.
Compliment a stranger. I know, I know... You're being forced to come out of your shell and reach out to all of these strangers. The first four days of this challenge do revolve around communicating with strangers, but there is a purpose to this aspect of the 30 Days of Kindness. Have you ever heard the story of a man called John Kevin Hines? He actually jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in a failed suicide attempt. He said once in a conference, "If someone had smiled... I would not have jumped. [A smile] could well save a life."
Have you ever felt completely down while going about your day, but when someone offered you a sincere smile, you felt like a burden had been lifted off your shoulders? When you smile, greet, or compliment a stranger, you are brightening their day. What if your smile helped to save a person's life?
When you compliment your stranger today, be sure to speak in a sincere voice and smile. Compliment their hair, eyes, clothes... Make them feel like you care.
I want to hear your stories! If you have a picture already, feel free to send it to me. If you're blogging about this day, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.
Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.
Today, we went to the mall in search for strangers to greet. Ali and I ended up saying hello to twenty people each, which means that we greeted forty people! It was surprisingly awkward and difficult to come out of our shells and speak to someone we didn't know. Most people seemed to be taken aback or even uncomfortable... with a mere "hi!" Several times, my target would look me up and down and walk away without even saying hi in return.
It saddened me that our nation has become so turned off to friendliness that even a mere greeting is taken as offensive or startling. I plan to make it a habit to greet strangers more often. This stiffness needs to end.
Me: So Ali, what did you learn from today?
Ali: It was just kind of different. People aren't used to others saying hi to them, and so sometimes we'd get strange looks, and other times, I would wonder whether someone heard me or not or if they just ignored me! A few times we got "hi"'s back, but most of the time, people just smiled and walked away. It makes me want to change that, and I want to start saying hi to strangers more often and be more friendly. I mean, I consider myself a friendly person already, but this showed me the opposite!
Me: So how do you plan on changing this?
Ali: I plan on smiling and saying hi to people more often and caring for strangers, just by saying hi.
We learned a lot from merely saying hi to strangers. What were your experiences from today?
Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness? Click here to find out more. Just starting? That's okay! Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle. You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.
Greet a stranger. Say "hi" or "how are you?" or "how has your day been?" to someone you don't know. A complete stranger. I want you to be sure to sound sincere and genuine when you greet this person. Be sure to smile! Make someone feel like you truly care about how they're doing.
This should still be a fairly easy challenge. Greet the cashier at a store. Greet someone when you pass them on the sidewalk. Waiting in line at the bus stop? Start up a conversation. There are billions of people in this world that you do not know. It should be fairly easy to find one of them.
After you're done, share your stories below! If you have a picture or video with the stranger you greeted, feel free to comment with the link and I'll share it on this blog for everyone to see.
Tune in later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.
Today's challenge was easy. My best friend, Ali, will also be participating in this thirty day challenge.
We went to a gas station in a poorer side of town, determined to find people to smile at and show kindness. I turned around and smiled at the lady behind me in line. She was thin, wrinkled, and wearing worn clothes. She seemed stressed out to purchase even her Coke. When I smiled at her, she looked up at me with weary blue eyes and seemed to hesitate, as if she was unused to friendliness of any kind. While the lady seemed taken aback by my bright smile, she didn't seem to mind. I wonder if my friendliness made her day.
Ali: "I smiled at the cashier. She looked like she was having a bad day, so I thought I'd brighten her day, and it brightened mine."
Me: "Could you tell if she seemed happier after you smiled at her?"
Ali: "Mmm-hmm!"
What is your story for today? I would love to see a picture of your beautiful, genuine smile. Tell me about today's challenge. Did you make someone's day? Did your target smile back at you? Did they ignore you? Who did you choose to bestow upon your smile?
Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness? Click here to find out more.
I wanted to start off the 30 Days of Kindness with an easy challenge. This will give us a chance to ease into the kind gestures.
Smile at a complete stranger. Make someone's day with your smile. Make someone feel like you care about them.
You don't have to take a picture of yourself deliberately smiling at someone, because it should be somewhat spontaneous, but I would love to hear your stories in the comments below. Answer these questions: Who did you smile at (description, boy or girl, etc.)? Where were you? What was their reaction? Would you do it again?
Tune in later today to see what I did for today's act of kindness.
Tomorrow is the big day. The 30 Days of Kindness will begin on October 1st. It's going to work a little something like this: I'll begin the day's blog post with the challenge and the challenge requirements, and later in the day, I'll be posting photos, videos, or stories of what I did during this challenge. I'll also be sharing tomorrow's challenge so you can have more time to plan. The next day, I'll do the same thing.
If you would like to participate in the 30 Days of Kindness, then please comment below! If you're a fellow blogger, feel free to post about these challenges on your blog. Send the link to me and I'll share your blog with my readers. If you're a YouTuber, send me the links to your videos. If you're a photographer, I'll share your pictures. If you love to write, I'll post your stories.
This challenge was originally designed for Christians, so some of the challenges will be faith-based. However, if you're not a Christian and you would still like to participate in this challenge, feel free to replace those days with a secular alternative. For example, if the day's challenge is to leave ten encouraging Bible verses in various locations, leave out ten encouraging quotes. If the challenge is to give away a Bible, give away one of your favorite books instead. I would love for anyone to participate in this challenge. Our world needs more kindness.
Share the link to this article on your Facebook or MySpace page. Feel free to participate with your friends.
Here is the planned schedule: October 1: Smile at a stranger October 2: Say hi to a stranger October 3: Compliment a stranger October 4: Give a stranger a hug October 5: Leave a dollar for someone to find October 6: Leave an encouraging note on a mirror October 7: Donate five dollars to a charity or to someone who needs the money October 8: Leave an encouraging note somewhere October 9: Donate clothes to a needy person October 10: Hug ten people October 11: Make a snack for your friends October 12: Leave an encouraging note for a friend October 13: Compliment ten people October 14: Personally encourage a friend October 15: Take someone out for coffee/ice cream October 16: Offer to do an odd job for the elderly October 17: Give food to a homeless person (if you can't find one, leave food for someone who needs it) October 18: Offer to help out around the house October 19: Pay for someone's lunch October 20: Volunteer your time October 21: Leave an anonymous letter of encouragement on the windshield of a stranger's car October 22: Leave a Bible somewhere (or give one away) October 23: Give away a pair of shoes October 24: Write a letter to someone you admire and give it to them October 25: Leave ten encouraging notes/quotes/Bible verses October 26: Write an encouraging note to a service worker October 27: Pray for someone you know October 28: Pray for someone you don't know October 29: Leave five dollar bills in different places (or give them away) October 30: Buy someone a thoughtful gift October 31: Your idea
We have a week left before the month-long kindness challenge begins. I'll go ahead and post the schedule of kind gestures today, so you can begin planning a week in advance.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, during thirty days of October, my friends and I will be sharing deliberate acts of kindness. We're trying to bring back the habit of kind gestures, especially amongst fellow Christians. We're also trying to show that Christians aren't stuck-up. We are loving. We're like our Father. We're like our Savior.
If you're a blogger like me, I invite you to share this thirty-day challenge, posting a little something about your kind gesture each day. If you do, I would love it if you linked back to this original site. I'll also be sharing the links to blogs that participate in this challenge on this site. If you love to take photos, then document your daily act of kindness and send your pictures to me at emilytheperson@yahoo.com or post a link below. I'll feature them on this blog! Make YouTube videos and send me the links. Share your stories in the comments below. I would love for anyone to participate in this, Christian or not.
Here is the planned schedule so far. It is still subject to changes at this point: October 1: Smile at a stranger October 2: Say hi to a stranger October 3: Compliment a stranger October 4: Give a stranger a hug October 5: Leave a dollar somewhere for someone to find October 6: Leave an encouraging note on a mirror October 7: Donate five dollars to a charity or to someone who needs the money October 8: Leave an encouraging Bible verse somewhere October 9: Donate clothes to a shelter or to a needy person October 10: Hug ten people October 11: Make a snack for your friends October 12: Leave an encouraging note for a friend October 13: Compliment ten people October 14: Personally encourage a friend October 15: Take someone out for coffee/ice cream October 16: Offer to do an odd job for the elderly October 17: Give food to a homeless person (if you can't find one, leave food for someone who needs it) October 18: Offer to help out around the house October 19: Pay for someone's lunch October 20: Volunteer your time October 21: Leave an anonymous letter of encouragement on the windshield of a stranger's car October 22: Leave a Bible somewhere (or give one away) October 23: Give away a pair of shoes October 24: Write a letter to someone you admire and give it to them October 25: Leave ten encouraging notes/quotes/Bible verses October 26: Write an encouraging note to a service worker October 27: Pray for someone you know October 28: Pray for someone you don't know October 29: Leave five dollar bills in different places (or give them away) October 30: Buy someone a thoughtful gift October 31: Your idea
I would like to go ahead and post this challenge two weeks in advance. During thirty days of October, my friends and I have decided to be shining examples for Jesus Christ by deliberately giving a gesture of kindness during each of those days. I want as many people as possible to participate in this, especially if you are a Christian who struggles with the apathy, timidity, and shyness that so many Christians have today... and I think we all struggle with those things.
We can be united as one, sharing God's love everywhere we turn.
If you would like to participate in this challenge, then please comment below. If you're a fellow blogger, then feel free to take on this thirty day challenge as part of your blog! If you like to take pictures, send them to me at emilytheperson@yahoo.com or give me a photobucket link in the comments below, and I will feature them on my blog.
October can be a month for expressing kindness and sharing the love of Jesus. And perhaps after we have deliberately shared acts of kindness for thirty days straight, kindness will become a habit that will be a natural part of our lives.
That's right. I got this idea from a fellow blogger. I think this list of 30 topics is a great way for the readers to get to know the blogger. So for the next 30 days starting tomorrow (September 1), I will be answering a question from the list, along with other topics on my schedule. Here is the list below:
Day 1: A favorite song Day 2: A favorite movie Day 3: A favorite book Day 4: A favorite quote Day 5: A favorite pair of shoes Day 6: A moment you wish you could relive Day 7: Five things you couldn't possibly live without Day 8: A thank you letter to someone who has changed your life Day 9: A photo you have taken Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago Day 11: A photo of you taken recently Day 12: A song that you want played at your wedding Day 13: Five strange facts about you Day 14: A vacation you would like to take Day 15: Five funny fears Day 16: A song that makes you cry Day 17: An art piece Day 18: A photo of your favorite room in your house Day 19: A talent of yours Day 20: A food you like and a food you do not like Day 21: Something you know you do differently than most people Day 22: A website you like Day 23: A way in which you want to be remembered Day 24: A movie no one would expect you to love Day 25: A recipe Day 26: A childhood memory Day 27: A physical feature you love Day 28: A scar you have and its story Day 29: Hopes, dreams, and plans you have for the next 365 days Day 30: A motto or philosophy
I'm excited about this, so please feel free to leave me a comment on each of these days, telling me facts about you!
Prices and Origins: Shirt: Old Navy, $19.50 Cami: Aeropostale, $8.75 Pants: Charlotte Russe. I couldn't find them online, but I purchased them out of the store for an easy $30. Shoes: Rocket Dogs, Journeys, $35 Necklace: My necklace is a one of a kind piece made out of paper that I purchased while in Kenya, Africa. You can buy a similar Kenyan necklace here for $15.
Comfort Factor: Shirt: 6/10
Cami: 7/10 Pants: 8/10 Shoes: 7/10
Total Modest Outfit Cost (not including shoes): $73.25 Total Modest Outfit Cost (including shoes): $108.25
I love the color of my blouse, which is the main reason why I bought it. The dark green shade turn my eyes a bright green. See the picture to the bottom right? Yes, that's my real eye color (although with a different shirt on a different day...). However, the blouse wasn't super comfortable. I had to wear a cami underneath it to stay modest, but it tended to ride up and be too short on my long torso (thank goodness for the cami), as you can see in the picture. I had to constantly pull it down over my hips. One thing I do love about this shirt, however, is the fact that it isn't clingy or form fitting. I also loved the stitching on the blouse. You can see the picture below.
A cami is a cami. I prefer Aeropostale's the best. The only thing about this simple white cami is that it starts to fall low and I have to check every so often to make sure I don't need to pull it up. I have a long torso, so I like the length of Aeropostale's camis most of all.
I loved the fading on my jeans. They came in "short", so I didn't have to get them hemmed. They weren't too long for me. They're a little "low riding", but other than that, they were comfortable. I liked their color as well.
My shoes are new. I love their style, but I wasn't thrilled with how they fit. As the day dragged on, they tended to cram my toes and the sides of my foot into the front of the shoe. I've heard they're like that at first until they stretch, so I hope my new Rocket Dogs become more comfortable than they are now. They're super cute, if that means anything.
Overall, I thought this outfit was cute, but it wasn't the most comfortable. I preferred yesterday's outfit a little more.
The outfit I wore for the first day of school is not very "glamorous." I decided to go for comfortable rather than extremely cute. After all, a good friend of mine advised me, "Don't worry about what you're going to wear on your first day. Everyone else is going to be so focused on their own cute outfit, they might not even notice yours." So I went for a little cute and a lot comfortable. Best of all, my outfit was completely modest.
Total Modest Outfit Cost (not including shoes): $49.50 Total Modest Outfit Cost (including shoes): $113.50
Overall, I was very satisfied with this outfit. It was comfortable and cozy, and I got a lot of compliments on the blouse. Nothing was slipping around or too tight, so I didn't constantly have to worry what I looked like. Even though it was a simple dark gray, I loved the flowery design towards the top. It was big enough so that it didn't draw specific attention to a certain part of me, but the design was simple and attractive. I loved the beading. I'll go ahead and show you a close up picture of my blouse so you can see the intricate beading designs. Mind you, these pictures were taken after I got home from school, so I don't look very "fresh."
My new jeans were also very comfortable. They came in "short" size, so I didn't have to get them hemmed. I also like the way they fit. Comfortably and not too tight.
My shoes were old, but they were as comfortable as always. I love TOMS. Even though this specific style of shoes is no longer for sale, I'll go ahead and show you a picture of my shoes. They give facts about "if the world was a village of 100 people", how many would have AIDS, how many would have no shoes, etc. They're amazing.
For my hairstyle, I left it down and straight. I wore some eye makeup, but that's it.
Perfectly modest, I'm thinking.
Do you like this outfit? Leave your comments below.
Click here to see yesterday's five tips for surviving high school.
These are my last five tips for surviving high school. I hope my tips have helped you out and eased some of your fears. I also hope that you take my advice to heart and apply it to your own life. I know what I'm talking about. I'm a senior in high school. These last five tips that I have saved for today are five of the most important things that I think you should know.
1. If you don't like high school at first, give yourself a few weeks. High school is different, new, and a little scary at first. You might not like it right away. Don't close your mind after the first day. Approach high school with an open mind, even after the first day is over. You're going to develop and mature as your freshman year progresses and you make the transition from middle school brain to high school brain. You might not believe me, but you're going to change a lot your freshman year. Don't believe me? To the left is a picture of me in the July before my freshman year. To the right is a picture of me in May of my freshman year. Do you see a difference? In less than a year, I look older, a little more mature and sure of myself. You'll change too. Give high school a chance.
2. Try not to worry about what others think. Do not strive to please others. Strive to please yourself and God. Wear clothes that you like, not what others want you to wear. Do not be so concerned about being "cool". What anybody else thinks shouldn't worry you. Be happy and don't be concerned about what others are thinking when they look at you.
3. Be yourself. Don't let peer pressure transform you into somebody you aren't. Do not become a person that you don't want to be. Always be you, even if that does mean standing alone. High school is tough sometimes. Don't fall into temptation and become someone else. Stay you.
4. Find a good group of friends. Friends are some of the most important people in your life when you're in high school. You will most likely dress, talk, and act like your friends, not because you're copying them, but because you naturally grow to be like the people you're around the most. Having a godly, encouraging, supportive, happy group of friends is essential to making the right choices and having a good time while you're in high school.
5. Listen to the advice that others give you. You might hate me for saying this, but does your mom have advice for you as you enter high school? Take it. Did your older sister or brother give you a tip or two? Listen to them. Did a high schooler at church or at a store offer up a piece of knowledge and experience? Listen to what these people are saying. All of them are older than you. They've already been to high school. They have experience that you don't. They know what they're talking about. Take advice. Keep your mind open. Listen to what people have to say, even if it's your own mom.
More than anything, have fun. High school has been the best three years of my life so far. I can't wait to begin this final year. High school can be amazing for you too. Relax. Don't worry about it. You'll make it through okay. :)
Click here for yesterday's five tips of how to survive high school.
I'm curious. What state/country do you live in and when do you start school? Are you an upcoming freshman? What are your fears? What are you confident about, if anything? My high school starts on August 18. It's coming up quickly. I'm pretty excited... but I'll be a senior. If you're an upcoming freshman, it's easy to become afraid of the unknown. That's why I'm here, offering you friendly sisterly advice.
Here are today's five tips for how to survive high school. Be sure to check back tomorrow for five more.
1. Be ready to study hard before your very first test in each class. High school tests are way more difficult than middle school tests. Plus, you're learning the testing system of all new teachers. At the beginning of my freshman year, I practically bombed every first test in each class. Study harder than you ever will that first couple of weeks as you get used to high school academics. It will pull off.
2. Please do not act rudely towards the seniors because you're insecure or nervous around them. A lot of insecure freshmen act like hotshots to the upperclassmen, trying to show off or pretend like they're better than them. Don't do that. You'll only be ridiculed. Don't act defensive whenever you see a senior. Don't treat us rudely just because we're older than you or because you're afraid of us. Smile and act sweet and say hi. Ask us questions about high school. We'll treat you like a person if you act normal and don't try to be way cooler than you are.
3. Share your fears about high school with a friend. I know it can be embarrassing to admit that you're scared, but it's tough to hold your emotions and fears and doubts inside. Find a close friend to talk to, or even better, an older mentor of sorts who is already in high school. Talk to her about what you're feeling. You will get so much encouragement from a good conversation than you will if you hold everything inside until you're about to burst. Talk about your fears. Practice this throughout the year as well. It will keep you from feeling like you're constantly walking on egg shells. Talking to a close friend is a release.
4. Try to get a good night's sleep before school starts. The first week of school is the most stressful. Don't make it worse by being exhausted. I know it's hard to sleep before first day, just like it's hard to sleep before Christmas. Try. Pray about it. Don't do anything too exciting the night before school. If you have to, get into the routine of going to bed and getting up earlier than usual. Do anything you can to help you not be too tired that first week of school.
5. Don't try to hang out with upperclassmen all the time. Yes, we want to mentor you and be a positive example to you. No, we don't want you to hang out with us every second of every day. Don't constantly text, tweet, and Facebook us with messages like, "When are we going to hang out? You're my best friend!" Don't try to get a ride off campus every single day. There are always a few freshmen who try to be upperclassmen. You aren't one of us yet. Hang out with kids your own age too. You'll get to be a senior in a few years. Don't try to rush it so much. Being a freshman is fun too.
do something similar later on in the month. Today I went ahead and got a dollar bill (the last one I had, actually... lucky me!). I wrote a little message on the bill that said "Have a great day!" (Man, I hope that's not illegal. Ali said it wasn't, so I believe her.) 
rolled-up dollar bill. Best yet, those benches are where kids sit when they're waiting for their parents to pick them up. Many times, the parents are late. I often see these kids looking down and bored and world-wearied, ready to go home and get away from the hectic school environment. What a great way to make one of these kids' days, by letting them find a dollar bill with a friendly message written across the front. 
Prices and Origins:
