Short messages on Positive change from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
A role model is someone you look up to, where you aim to model yourself on their good example. They can be someone real, like a celebrity, teacher or grandparent, or a character from fiction. Imagine how they would act positively in a given situation, and copy their response – get a very vivid idea of what they say and do.
Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship. Friendship is more important that one small fight; make sure you practice this.
Never allow a person to get into your head and manipulate you. Your mood should never be influenced by anyone’s actions.
When you realise you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. Don’t let your pride get in the way of taking those steps. Apologise, taking full responsibility. That will speak for your character more strongly than the action of making the mistake in the first place.
If you live in the shadow of an expert, it can lower your self-esteem if you compare yourself to their standards. This is an unrealistic viewpoint – it has taken them years and lots of learning to get as good as they are, and you should expect to do the same. Instead, let them help you avoid the mistakes they made along the way.
Don’t let difficulties discourage you. To be able to see every obstacle as an opportunity for growth, you need to be focused on the goal you are pursuing.
Picture a future you want. It can be next weekend or in ten years. Have a clear picture of what it is that you want – write it down or draw pictures. Make sure you have really clear images of the future you want and how you might obtain it.
Wasting time can be addictive; the more you do it, the more excuses you find to keep doing it. Being able to resist short-term pleasure creates time for you to work towards long-term goals.
You are the sum total of your life experiences so far – so you don’t need to relive negative past experiences or carry them around with you any more. Take the lesson from each one, and learn to release it from your thoughts.
If you push someone too far, they will react to the pushing, not about what you are arguing for. Persuasiveness is more effective than force; gentleness does more than violence.