Free Lance Writing

The first week of my new year has gone pretty good so far. I like the classes that I got. In each class we learn something new everyday. Today in math class our teacher had us do a pretest on sequences. Either to find the common difference or the common multiplier. I honestly had no clue what I was doing. I got the first problem I had to do but all the other ones, I was lost. I asked the teacher to help me and she did. After a while I still didn't know what I was doing. I took my time to ask my team mate and she helped me but yes, I was still lost. The timer then rang and we had to turn in one paper for the teacher to grade. She showed us how to solve the first problems using either Arithmetic or Geometric sequence. She explained to us as much as she could but unfortunately it was time to head on over to our next class. So if you ask me, my first day of Algebra 2 didn't go as planned. I came to the start of junior year with my head high and positive thoughts, but right now after I took the test, my spirits just went low. I have a tendency to give up quick. Which I know I shouldn't but I don't know. I feel like if I can't accomplish everything I won't accomplish anything. I have so many people that tell me "I believe in you" and I believe them when they tell me, but its like I don't believe in myself. My past ninth and tenth grade, I didn't do good. I had summer school this past summer for the classes that I failed during both years. I have so much confidence in myself but if I mess up on one thing, then I have a tendency of messing up everything else. I will still continue to keep my head high for the rest of the school year and have confidence in myself as well. Maybe if I keep my thoughts on the positive side I should be good. Who knows, only time will tell what will happen throughout life. Patience is key and that's all I need.

9 Ways to be Happy 

1. Be Grateful
 There are many ways that someone can be grateful. One way is to always say thank you when given something. Show the person that you appreciate what they have to give you. A quote that represents this new way is "Happiness isn't about getting what you want all the time. It's about loving what you have and being grateful for it." This quote is saying that everyone should be happy with the things that they do got. There is always going to be someone out there that wishes they had everything you did. Whether it's a home, or food, or clothes, someone out there wants or needs it. They wish they had grown up with the things you got, so for that reason you should ALWAYS be grateful for the things you do got and stop being hateful for the things you don't got.

  This is the quote that I found online. I chose this quote because it speaks about being grateful for your life because someone out there is fighting for theirs. Which is very true. There are many people out there that got into car accidents or is in a coma, wishing they could wake up. There also many people out there that say "I hate my life" "I wish I wasn't born" etc. Everyone was brought into this world for a reason. Which is why everyone should appreciate the life they got. Other people didn't wake up today but you did. Don't be ungrateful of life, for life is a beautiful thing. Yeah you may have problems but everyone does. Gotta learn to not let it get the best of us. From now on, I will wake up every morning thankful for living another day. I will be grateful for the life that I got and have now.

2. Be Smart
   The many ways you can be smart is by doing the right thing. If your friends were to invite you out to go and smoke, the smart answer would be to tell them no. You don't want to tell them yes because consequences come with the bad decisions you make in your life. The smart answer is "No thank you, I'm just going to stay home and study." Another way to be smart is to go to school and get your education so that later on in the future you an have the job that you worked really hard for. You can also have the dream car, dream house, and the many kids you plan to have also. This all involves with choosing the right. Making the right choices will lead you down the path of success. Lets say for example you want to become a doctor. You go to school everyday, graduate high school, go to college, get you doctoral degree etc. That's living the smart way because you focused on the dreams you want to accomplish and made it happen. On the other hand, if you miss school, don't do the work and fall behind, then you're going to struggle when it comes to the future. Your going to wish you passed the classes and got into a really good college. You will regret not getting the dream car or house that you know you should've worked hard for. Go on living your life by choosing the right. Good decisions lead you to success later on. A quote about being smart is "The trick to being smart is knowing when to play dumb."

      


3.  Be Involved 
     When your in school, you would want to be involved in clubs, sports, and any curriculum activities the school may offer. Being involved doesn't just refer to school, you can also be involved in your community or church or city. You can help out around your street to help get the trash off the floors. You may also would like to join the neighborhood watch, if they have one. At church you can help with the food donations or help the priest during church time. The city you can go to beaches or parks and just do like 5 hours of community service. Help keep the city looking nice and clean with no trash on the floor. You can also join if they do a canned food drive. Help them sort out the cans or give a prize. For example, my sister, my mom and I are going to be volunteering at a health fair that's coming up at Rancho Los Amigos. This is on September 9 from 8:30 to like 12. We are going to be helping at the registration table where we give prizes to all the patients including kids and adults that participate. Win or Lose doesn't matter. Everyone is a winner no matter what. Everyone gets a prize to make not just one but all the kids happy. That's what we like to see, is everyone having a good time and enjoying the day. I was really happy my Aunt signed us up for it because we get to help around and get involved in our community to make everyone happy. Seeing other people smile makes me smile because you feel good that you can you make someone's day even if it's by doing something small. So, get involved in school, or neighborhood, your community, your city, anything. This looks really good on college applications and looks good for yourself as well. A quote would be "Being involved in the well-being and advancement of one's own community is a most natural thing to do."

4. Be Clean 
Do you like to live in a world where there is trash all over the floor? Everywhere you go people don't know where to throw there food or wrappers so they just throw it on the ground. If not then help keep the environment and the world around you clean. Go and volunteer with people that clean beaches or parks or your city. Help make the world around you a better place. If your walking and you see trash on the floor, pick it up and throw it in the trash. Don't wait for someone to tell you to stop kicking the trash around and pick it up. Do it without having to be told what to do. That's the right thing to do. Don't just be clean with your environment but with yourself and your home as well. Do your bed in the morning, sweep your room, the living room etc. Complete the chores you have to get done on Saturday morning or Sunday. Wash the dishes after you finish what your eating. Keep your room the way you want to see the world. Don't go out and throw trash on the floor if you won't go and do that in your own room. Be happy with the nice and clean air, streets, beaches etc you got around you. Instead of making it dirtier make it cleaner. Keep the world as clean as you keep your room. A quote about being clean is "A clean home is a HAPPY home." I will apply this by making sure I keep my house and the streets around me clean. If I see trash, I will pick it up and place it where it belongs. 

5. Be True 
When it comes to telling the truth or lying, you should be true. Tell the teacher or police officer the true story of what happened. Don't try to hide under a lie because your friend told you he/she wasn't going to be your friend if you snitched them out. Do the right thing no matter what. Make the decision to make the right choices everyday of your life. Staying true to not only friends but family and your teachers as well. If you go and lie to your friend and then they find out, they're not going to want to speak to you anymore. They're going to see you as a liar and someone who doesn't stay true to their word. You always break promises or cancel plans on the last minute. Your family will see you as being disrespectful to them and won't be able to trust you anymore. A quote about being true is   "Real beauty is to be true to oneself. That's what makes me feel good." I will apply this new way by telling the truth no matter how in trouble I will get. It's always best to tell the truth and suffer the consequences than to not tell the truth and have to live with the guilt all throughout life. Eventually someone will find out that you lied and you will get into more trouble then. So, save yourself the guilt and punishments, Be true forever and nothing will go wrong. 

6. Be Positive

You should always be positive in your thoughts, your actions, anything. Staying positive is what helps you get through life and enjoy it. If you go through life just telling yourself "I'm a failure, I will never be good at anything" then you won't get far because that's all you will be thinking about. A positive mind is also a positive life. Live your life with positivity. If you have a lot of people bringing you down, those aren't the kind of people you want to have in your life. They will just keep you from succeeding and having a future. Have hope when it comes to you wanting to accomplish the many goals you have set for yourself. Always think of the good aspects you have and never the bad ones. If you don't succeed at first, don't give up. Don't let that one mistake stop you. Learn from that mistake and make it better. I will be positive by always keeping my mind clear from negative thoughts. If I do have negative thoughts, I won't let it affect me for I will go on with my head high and have hope that I will make it. I will accomplish the many goals I have set for myself. I won't let goal busters come into my life and let them stop me from achieving my goals. I know that I will accomplish them whether people believe in me or not. I have myself and that's all I need in my life.
7. Be Humble


The meaning of being humble is to be yourself. You can feel good about yourself and happy but don't show it out to the whole world to see. Show the world that you don't care whether you have special importance to them like other people do. There are things that you can brag about to people but don't brag too much. Have respect towards yourself and other people as well. Don't get your confidence so high because some things might not happen as you like. For example, you got a good grade on an exam you took, but you don't show that you are proud even though you are screaming on the inside. Being humble is being proud of yourself but not showing it . You know good things are coming to you, and you don't mind waiting for it. You show that you care for other people and want to be there for them. You don't expect to wake up happy, because you know you already will be. You are not afraid to try new things and discover new people as well. I will apply this by not being stressful all the time. I will continue my life not expecting that happiness will come to me. I know doing what I love will make me happy no matter what.  

8. Be Still 
   

To be still also means to be calm. If you feel stressed or angry, the best way to cope with it is to go to a quiet place and red a book. You can also listen to music if that's another way it helps you calm down. Empty your mind while your're at your quiet place. Get some peace and quiet for yourself, away from all the loud noises. One way I like to be still is go in my room and listen to soothing music by myself. Another way I like to stay calm is take a shower. I just let the water fall down myself and I feel free and empty if my thoughts. I will also go on a walk or go to the park and enjoy the fresh air. The feeling of being calm and free from stress or any problems I or you may have, feels good. You don't have to worry about nothing except for your peace and quiet. If it helps you can simply just breath in and out for one minute and calm yourself down. Find your happy place in the world. It can be in your room, at the park, working out, or doing yoga. Anything that you know will help you be still and free from worries. Anytime you feel like you have too much weight on your shoulders, take a break. Go on a drive by yourself, to the beach, or the park just to free your mind and be stress free. You can also go and get a 30 minute massage if that may help as well. The point is to be calm, stress free, etc. Take some time off alone to get some relaxation. A nice warm bath, with soothing music, and just being nice and calm.
  
9. Be Prayerful 

Final Reflection: 

The nine ways to be happy will make my life better. I follow these because I want my life to be filled with happiness. I don't want my world to be nothing but sad faces and no color. I want it to be all cupcakes and rainbows. I will continue to use these methods with me for as long as I shall live. They really have a good meaning to me because I know that these will help me get through life. If I'm ever feeling stressed, I will learn to be still and calm down. No matter what obstacles are thrown my way, I will always remain positive. If there are people that want me to lie for them, I will say no because Mr. Haymore always taught me to choose the right, even when other people aren't. I will make sure my environment around me stays clean. I will pick up any trash I see and throw it away because we shouldn't be hurting our earth like that. In order to get my extracurricular activities for college. I will be involved in my school work, school clubs, sports, and my city. I won't let people tell me I'm not smart, because I know I'm smart no matter what. Last but not least, I will ALWAYS be grateful. Grateful for the things that I do got in my life. 

 







 
    

Summer '17

My summer was pretty good. the first week of my summer vacation I spent it at San Francisco. We stayed at San Fran for almost a week. When we got there we went straight to the Golden Gate Bridge. As we drove over, we looked out our windows and seen the amazing view of San Francisco. All the boats, people on cruises, and the Alcatraz Island. We pulled into a parking lot so we can take pictures of how the bridge looks with the sunset in the background. It was really pretty but cold at the same time. When we were done taking pictures, we drove back to Ghirardelli chocolates. As we were there, we all shared an ice cream together, which in my opinion was really good. After we were done, we headed back to our car. When we got there I noticed my mom's back window looked weird. As soon as I got closer, I noticed her window was shattered. I yelled to her so she can look at her window. Luckily they didn't take anything important. Yeah, the robbers took my mom's luggage, but she said it wasn't a big deal because she had nothing valuable. We then called every place we could think of to fix the window, but everything was closed. We got her sun shade and tied it to the back window so it could be covered. We drove to the hotel, checked in, and she and my brother went to Walmart to buy gorilla tape so her window could be fixed. The next day we headed on over to Alcatraz for our visit. It was so much fun. We took an audio tour and we listened to everything that went on in there. The jail itself was really big and creepy at the same time. It took us to certain cells where the bad people were, showed us how some of the inmates tried to escape but didn't make it. Overall I had a lot of fun taking the tour. The second thing we did was go to San Diego. We stood over there for just one night but we had fun. Before we left, of course we went to the outlets and shopped for clothes, shoes etc. The final thing I did for summer was go to summer school. I really slacked off during my 9th and 10th grade year. My consequences for that was summer school. I actually had fun during summer because I got to see my friends and not be bored at my house. I would say my Summer of 2017 went pretty good, if you ask me. Next year hopefully it goes better.