Thursday, 27 December 2018

Published Thursday, December 27, 2018 with 16 comments

New Year Resolutions for Young Athletes

Holidays are over. New year’s party planning is in full swing. Once 2019 arrives, there’ll be yet another clean slate, a new page in the book of life. And if you’ve been having thoughts of how to begin writing on the new page, here’s a little help in getting you started.

Make a goal

Personal –

· I will try and listen more. Most of the time elders speak out of experience, friends speak out of concern and coach speaks out of authority. I will not just hear them out but listen to them, try and understand their point of view, it could help me get a new perspective on things. I will listen more.

· I will judge less. Before I express an opinion, before I pass a comment, before I name names, before I brand people, I will acknowledge the fact that it’s their way of being, I don’t necessarily have to act on it. Passing judgement, more or less, comes as a consequence of my insecurities. I will address my insecurities rather than judging others for theirs.

· I will consciously practice empathy. People can sometimes be in a tight spot, a tough situation, a detrimental environment, bad influence or plain helpless. I will try and see things from their perspective as well, before I plain downright discard their viewpoint.

· Respect. I will respect people, feelings, animals, environment and nature.

· Acknowledge. I will acknowledge rules, responsibilities, my blessings.

· I will strive to be happier, each day.

Athletic –

· I will set game goals. I’ll identify the area I need to work upon. I will discuss this with my coach. I will set small goals and work towards them. I will make such a list and keep a ticking what I have achieved.

· I will keep a positive approach towards sports. I will be conscious of the fact that playing sports is not all about winning. I will write every lesson I learn from every time I lose.

· I will not bully, physically, mentally or emotionally. I will rather spend that time on improving myself as a person or athlete.

· I will eat healthy. I will limit my intake of soda, unhealthy food. I will make my diet chart with my mother’s and coach’s help. I will eat my cheat meal once a week only when I’ve earned it.

· I will drink plenty of water. I will keep track of my water intake during the day.

· I will not miss my sports practice. Period.

· I will work on being a better teammate at what I am now.

· If I am stressed about something or something seems to be bothering me, I will discuss it with some elder I can trust, either an elder sibling, parent or my coach.

· I will strive to be a better athlete.

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Published Thursday, December 27, 2018 with 504 comments

Must & Should: Important Lessons for Every Teenager

These are tough times. An average teenager fights with so many challenges that it seems more like a struggle for survival than an opportunity to live and explore life. Depression, bullying, sexual issues, substance abuse, body shaming, peer pressure, academic burden, social media and so much more. It’s almost insane out there.

While as a parent my heart goes all out to my teen, I know there isn’t much I can do about it. She will have to learn to deal with all the complexities, all the insanity around her and create her own breathing space. If with my magic ‘momma’ wand I could, I would change the world around for her. But, I can’t. And my heart aches to see her sad. Almost like an answer to my desperate call for help, I stumbled upon this piece of wisdom on the internet. (https://thoughtcatalog.com/rania-naim/). It’s almost like the bible for teenagers. If you are a teenager reading this, you must read though the lines, maybe take a printout and pin it on your wall so that you can read these lines all the time. If you are a parent reading this, make sure your teen reads it too. As a parent, there’s nothing better I can tell my child. God bless the writer of these wise lines.

I am slowly learning that I don’t have to react to everything that bothers me.

I am slowly learning that reacting to things that upset me gives someone else power over my emotions.

I am slowly learning that the energy it takes to react to every bad thing that happens to you, drains you and stops you from seeing the other good things in life.

I can’t control what others do, but I can control how I respond, how I handle it, how I perceive it, and how much of it I take personally. I am slowly learning that most of the time, these situations say nothing about me and a lot about the other person.

I am slowly learning that I don’t have to hurt those who hurt me.

I am slowly learning that maybe the ultimate sign of maturity is walking away instead of getting even.

I am slowly learning that I am not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, and I won’t be able to get everyone to treat me the way I want to be treated, and that’s okay.

I am slowly learning that trying so hard to win everyone is just a waste of time and energy and it fills you with nothing but emptiness.

I am slowly learning that sometimes not saying anything at all says everything.

I am choosing to be the bigger person.

I am choosing my peace of mind.

Because that’s what I really need. I don’t need more drama. I don’t need people making me feel like I am not good enough. I don’t need fights, arguments and fake connections. I need a more meaningful life. A more satisfying life. A more gratifying life. I need a happier life. And I will get one too!