From my journal📓✒️

  People often say life as a teenager is the best life anyone can ever experience. They say how the exposure we get molds us into better people, which is true but to an extent. I'm sure we've all heard older people say how we have it easy or how life and education were way harder back then which might be true but it's definitely not getting better with time.  Being a teenager means having to constantly balance between social life and education, sleep hygiene and physical exercise and honestly, it's easier said than done.  I feel we're constantly under a stress cloud, from worrying about getting all our assignments done on time to stressing about the endless exams we're supposed to ace, to always participating in extracurricular activities, it just never gets any less stressful. Most teens also have the pressure of impressing their parents and maintaining those high expectations even if it means not caring about their own health.  One of the toughest decis...

  I consider myself to be an observant person and quite recently I started noticing how some people put in so much effort trying to please others that they often forget who they are in the process.   I’ve had a few friendships in the past where I used to do everything to keep that person in my life, to the point where I’d stop caring about my own feelings and some people took that as an opportunity to mold me into the person they wanted me to be. Granted, I was a kid back then...still am but I never thought it would actually have an effect on me until now.   It’s necessary to put in your effort to make friendships work but honestly, if you don’t see those efforts being reciprocated and appreciated, then it’s not long before everything falls apart.   I have a friend who recently had a fall out with someone she considered her best friend. And initially, everything felt okay but as the years passed she began to realize how it was always her constant efforts that ...

  Can’t believe I had my last class photograph taken today! It feels unreal mainly because I used to look at all my seniors getting their last pictures taken and think to myself ”it’s gonna take forever to get there!”. But now here I am done with it! It’s crazy how fast time flies.   Since it was our last class photograph, we decided to make some really cute props and pose with them. It felt incredible getting to work with all my friends making props, dancing and singing along to old Disney channel songs and taking way too many pictures.   We initially didn't plan on making props and were only focus on our main banner but I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day and came across these really adorable ideas so it was basically a last minute plan...which turned out great!   So we ended up making our own props at home and doing the final touches at school. The picture turned out pretty amazing leaving everyone excited and satisfied.   You’ll usually ...

  Have you ever stressed about an important exam that you decided pulling an all-nighter was the only way to get things done? Yeah, I tried that once for my 9th-grade final, that was my first and last attempt at pulling an all-nighter.   Since I’m not really a night owl, staying up all night felt like the longest most dreadful task I’ve ever had to do. Everything was going great up until midnight and I actually felt proud of getting that far...but that’s when everything suddenly turned around.   It initially started with the nonstop yawning every 2 seconds. And since I heard how downing coffee helps you stay awake, my 13-year-old self went for it. By 2 am I had already downed 3 cups of coffee because I didn't feel any more awake than before. That’s when the panic set in, I was getting nothing done and couldn’t help but doze off every time I looked at my textbook.   So I decided to call my best friend to help me out and well, it gave me some sense of comfort kn...

 Don’t you just love talking to your friends about things that bother you and literally feeling at ease once you’ve let it all out? Yeah, that’s how I feel today.  As a teenager, I feel there is so much that goes on in our lives whether it’s relevant or not and there are not many people that feel comfortable talking about it. And honestly, it’s understandable to not feel comfortable but sometimes talking about things that bother you makes it all feel less stressful.  The one problem I know most of us teens face is a lack of belonging whether it's in a friendship or relationship. I just had a conversation with my friend and she talked about how sometimes we feel so overwhelmed by the people we’re surrounded by, that we’re willing to change and bend our morals just to ”fit in”.  There are so many of us who’ve probably been with a group of people we didn't particularly enjoy with. Or being friends with some people mainly because you have a history together and fe...

 I’ve never really paid attention to pet peeves. The other day, someone asked me what my pet peeve is and at first, I couldn’t really think of anything mainly because I never thought about it...weird I know!   So I actually sat down and started to think about the one thing that can automatically change my mood and the first thing that came to my mind was ”people who’re rude”. I’m sure this is a really common issue but wow people who are unnecessarily rude really transform my mood. I never understand what they get out of being harsh. Maybe the fact that they give off intimidating vibes? Or maybe they think it's ”cool” to be mean in general. Whatever the reason is I really can’t stand it. My other pet peeves include people who are always late. Whether it’s to a family gathering, a casual meetup with your friends or an important meeting, I get easily frustrated when people don’t reach on time.  I’m one of those people that makes sure to always be on t...

 Since my morning classes start around 8 am, I thought I’d write a post before leaving. This post is actually just about my morning routine and how my usual day goes by.  As I’m an early bird, it’s usually a routine to wake up around 5 am on a weekday, also because I hate being rushed to do things early morning.  So my day usually starts pretty early and the first thing I do right after I wake up is to drink a warm glass of lemon water. To be honest, I initially didn't like lemon water because of its taste. But after noticing the differences in my skin and overall looking more hydrated, it became part of my morning routine.  Then it’s a pretty average day from there, attending all my classes and meeting up with my friends. The one thing I love about my school is their taste in tea! They serve the best warm tea I’ve ever had and that’s something we always look forward to and it helps keep our sanity throughout the day.  Tea and doughnuts are basi...

  Have you ever met someone who randomly stops in the middle of a busy street just to take pictures of a pretty sunset? Or maybe someone who constantly makes videos of fluffy clouds and has a specific album for it? Well if you don’t know of someone who does that, you do now!   I don’t remember when or how it all started but I’m glad it did. Photography can become an addiction once you realize how beautiful nature is!   About a year ago, I went on a trip to Malaysia. When people asked me what I loved about the place, the first thing that popped into my mind was nature. The greenery, breathtaking sunsets, and most importantly the fluffy clouds you get to see every day!  I think I spent the majority of that trip clinging on to my phone and power bank! I still remember, the first day we went sightseeing was the day I knew I’d love to call this place home.  There’s something so therapeutic about being connected to nature, the way it clears your mind, recharg...

 Today was a really draining day for everybody including me. So most of my friends got their October/November exam results and they were disappointed, to say the least.  It was heartbreaking to see how grades affect our mood. We were all having a pretty good day until one of the teachers came in to tell the results leaving everybody shocked and disheartened.  The fact that most of them worked so incredibly hard to get good grades but ended up with unsatisfying results and negative comments made me realize how small progress is never appreciated.  I get that there is always room for improvement, but if the small progress you make goes unnoticed by everyone, it makes it really difficult to pick yourself up and keep going.  You're not always going to ace your exams, nor will you always keep failing them but honestly I wish people started realizing that they're so much more than what they get on a test and how their performance at school doesn't necessarily...

  I consider myself to be a nostalgic person. One of my favorite things to do is make videos of the most basic and random moments and reminisce on them later on.   I was scrolling through my Instagram feed the other day and came across an ad of an app called ”one second every day” and it basically lets you make 1-second videos of any moment you wanna capture and later turns it into a movie which for some people like me is one of the best ways to reflect back on those moments.   Back in 2016, I was a die-hard fan of making slideshows with all the pictures taken on special occasions like birthdays and end of summer breaks.  I never realized how one day, years later I would look back to those videos only to feel waves of nostalgia looming over me but also feeling incredibly happy for taking the time out to make them! I guess that’s exactly when my obsession began and if I’m being honest, it’s a bittersweet feeling.  I remember one particular video I made a...

  It's hard to believe there was a time when I didn't journal. Before I even thought about making a blog, I used to write letters. Yeah, letters...weird right? Well, it was sort of a hobby back then. A hobby I didn't know existed.   I still remember the first letter I ever wrote to my "future self'" around 3 years ago, Finals week was around the corner and I was stressing about how I didn't have enough time to get everything done. So in the midst of having a panic attack (not an actual one... I think), I wrote a short letter on a pink paper, folded it and kept it in one of my books only to forget about it...until now.   Since I'm very specific about mentioning the time and date, I wrote "ugh I have so much to do and no time or motivation to do any of it, how will this tough time EVER pass? I hope I'm in a better place when I read this some years later" - 8:09pm  25th Jan'16.  I continued writing letters everytime stress crept u...

  Winter break has finally drawn to an end which means I have less time to do things I love like sleeping in, binge-watching shows, going out with friends, writing blog posts and most importantly not being able to walk every day.   I'm not a big fan of working out but walking has got to be my favorite kind. Initially, I thought of it as a burden, something I needed to do in order to stay fit and healthy but over time it made me feel euphoric, maybe because of all the endorphins that were being released!  So I set this in motion during the start of summer break which was roughly a year and a half ago. The fact that I began binge-eating ALL the time was what provoked me to start. It was impossible to resist sugary treats when that's exactly what I wanted to eat all day!  If I'm being honest, it wasn't easy to motivate myself at first. But I kept pushing which resulted in leg cramps and muscle pain.  However, that didn't stop me, my main f...

  As a student, one of the most important focus of my life is getting enough time to study and at the same time being able to de-stress.  One of my teachers told me the power of waking up early. He mentioned how it changed his life for the better.  For most of us, getting out of bed earlier than usual on a working day is physically impossible and I was one those people that never thought it would work for me, mainly because I thought I needed as much sleep as I could possibly get.  Long story short, I decided to give it a shot and the first day I attempted to wake up at 5am, I literally had to fight myself to get out of bed but failed and overslept.  I kept trying until eventually, I woke up early and that day turned out to be a lot different than the other days. I felt eccentrically energetic. A sense of productivity loomed over me.  That day was one of the most productive days I ever had and so, I turned this into a routine. Waking up early m...

 Happy New Year guys! Hopefully, this year acts as a stepping stone to success for all of us. I hope we achieve everything we set our minds to and stop doubting ourselves, fearing failure and instead pick ourselves up after the worst of times and keep going.  I see people making all sorts of resolutions, which I think is great because it shows how we're willing to bring change in our lives. Even though I don't make resolutions, the one thing I want to do this year is to prioritize myself in every situation.  I've always been the kind of person that gives too much. Too much time, effort, attention and the list goes on.  It's great to give your all to people who deserve it, who're genuine but that doesn't mean allowing them to walk all over you and take advantage of your kindness. I was talking to my friend the other day and she said how I shouldn't always justify the way I do things. If what I do makes me feel satisfied, then I'm doing it ri...