Week #15 - Hard Work Paid Off

So last week I had a conference, right? Well, remember how I've said that these conferences can be a guide to practicing my virtues because they encompass all three of them? Yeah, it's finally paid off and I'm grateful for it.

Essentially what had happened was that even though the entire committee was against the Archie group and our resolution had failed, I kept my cool, spoke a great number of times, wasn't arrive to call people out on what they've said and done, kept trying even though we know something else was going on (the rest of the committee's eventual betrayal), and I ended up with Most Improved Delegate.

And I'm damn proud of it. 

Let this be an example for how hard work pays off because even though it won't happen quickly, it WILL happen and you just have to give it time. 

Week #11

This week was actually pretty good! Well, except for Tuesday but let's not get into that ;)

(ONE PERCENT, I SWEAR TO GOD, WE ONLY NEEDED ONE PERCENT)

Anyways, yeah, good week. I had MUN today and my god, the committee was so dramatic at the end, it was super funny. I practiced my excellence virtue by trying every day to do my research better and better, and then my tenacity by not giving up on super long stuff like Merino's homework (which I was really extra with, why am I like this). I guess my courage as well actually because today was my first time in a committee with more than a 100 people (it was 108 people, 54 countries) and jesus it was hectic.

Anyways, how's yall's day?

Week #4

For any of you who sent to AMC, you'll know the overhanging fear factor used by most of the faculty and the principal. That is not to necessarily say our teachers were either horrible or excellent but the fear factor was evident and obvious.

I would always see kids casually convincing teachers to change their grades, make up assignments, and ask to postpone exams/quizzes. To me, that was a bizarre concept. I've grown up all my life fearing authority to a fault. I was scared of just talking to teachers. But I've found that AUC is different.

In AUC, I've found that the teachers are so much more relaxed than those compared to the middle school or any school I've ever been to. They look at us like adults, not as toddlers, and understand our concerns with patience. They understand that these are the years usually marked as "your development time."

In AUC, I've been comfortable talking to teachers, faculty, etc. It's only been a month. This entire week, I've noticed that I've been asking Mrs Morgante everything and anything I was curious about or had trouble with in regards to Debate. Before high school, I would only ask my friends for help in things related to school.

I know I have three virtues I want to work on, but honestly, I find that courage is my most important one. Self-esteem and self-confidence are big factors on my life and I always tend to have a very little amount of them.

I dunno, I just really want to be more sure of myself.

Week #3

Ask anyone who knows me. Go ahead, go ask anyone who hangs out with me. Go and ask them what I bother them the most with. They'll probably respond with musicals. Or they'll respond with YouTube and that's what I want to talk about right now.

Specifically about Jacksepticeye: if you don't know him, he's loud, Irish, and extremely genuine and caring. Last year, 2017, was a horrible year for him mentally. You know what he did? He started a whole movement this year called Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). If you haven't figured it out yet, I'd say my hardest virtue to practice is courage. (I think I mentioned that last week.) I'm usually a very shy person, very humble and okay with just about anything, whether I go last or if I go first in something, or if I'm assigned to a group with people I don't normally work or not. It doesn't matter all that much. I think I need to change that. 

But anyways, to my main point: I really like YouTube. I'm not talking about vloggers or the typical things people associate YT with. I'm talking about the small part of YouTube that's full of genuine creators, people like Jacksepticeye or Markiplier or Thomas Sanders. I'm in love with the stories they've created and the characters they've made. I'm a sucker for good things like that.

It's inspired 20 million people and even more. Recently, he came out with merch for this movement, to spread the message of healthy mental states. I, in love with the message, really wanted a pin for it (the hoodie was too expensive :I) but my parents absolutely hate YT. I was scared to even talk about what I like to them. They always seem to judge me.

Yesterday, I took a deep breath and I asked my mother if I could buy one of the pins. I explained to her about PMA, really hoping she won't try to shoot me down, and surprise! She really like the idea of it and told me that if it doesn't cost too much, I can buy the pin for my birthday (a gift from myself to myself lol). I opened up more about Jack and she seemed to like him, especially when I mentioned all the charity work he does.

I know gaining courage is gonna be a long process, but ya know what? I'm ready for it.

Week #2

I'm going to be quite honest: I did not necessarily practice any of my aforementioned virtues. However, I do have a little story that I think is helpful and relates a lot to one of the virtues I want to work on: courage.

So, if you may not know, I am in the Debate team. The thing is that all the freshmen had to fight for their spots on the team because there were so many people and they couldn't have so many. So, they made us prove our worth by doing the MUN (Model United Nations) work we normally would do in a month but we had to do in about 4-5 days. Long story short, I did not do the very best in one part of that assignment because I had given up, I had lost my tenacity. I knew it did that part horribly but at the time, I only wanted to submit something. 

I did very well on the other parts, however, and got in. But my mother had recommended that I ask the teacher what I did wrong and how to improve upon it.

I didn't ask. That was two weeks ago. 

Then, today, as we left from a Debate parent meeting, my parents told me of how a friend of mine had thought of the same thing-- to ask the teacher about the assignment what he did wrong. The difference is that he had to gut to ask, he had the courage I didn't have. I admire that very much. 

So why am I saying this? Because don't do what I did and shy away. Get out there and show the world exactly who you are. Don't be afraid. 

Because if you're shy, or timid, or scared, life will pass you by. You need to take the chance when your given the opportunity. Stand your ground. 

And this is exactly what I intend to do from now on. That's how I'll find my courage.