By Clara Mia R.
Besides having my birthday in June, December is definitely my favorite time of the year! There’s snow, chestnuts, the sweet smell of Christmas trees, and the reunion with family and friends. I must admit that there is a bit of irony in December: it is the month that brings the most stress and at the same time, the most happiness. This irony makes me like December even more: I look forward to a challenge! Speaking of challenges, one of my New Year’s resolutions is a challenge; however, I don’t want it to be only for me to enjoy. I want to challenge everyone to do something that’s not only going to make themselves feel better, but also make a huge difference in John Jay and perhaps even outside of school. Here’s my challenge: let’s have that cheery, “Christmas attitude” that the Holidays bring throughout the entire New Year.
Let me be clear, having a “Christmas attitude” does not mean wishing people “Merry Christmas” in the middle of April. There is something about December that makes everyone—even the grouchiest person—crack a smile. Perhaps it’s the snow, the presents, or the anticipation of children as they wait to be seated on Santa’s lap in the mall. Whatever the reason, December is the month in which everyone—blood related or not—acts as a family, and I think that’s what makes me like this month so much. By asking everyone to maintain a “Christmas attitude” throughout 2016, I’m implying that we do not let that cheerful attitude get chucked out the window as soon as New Year’s Day ends. Do not be afraid to smile when the Holidays aren’t around—and don’t worry, your face won’t break. I got this idea while I was texting my friend; we were talking about an anime series, and somehow the conversation led to the wars that are happening in the world now and terrorists. It seems as though the world itself is becoming—or rather, it is—a horror story and we are the words.
One of the reasons I like words so much is because you can change them to be whatever you want them to be. That’s exactly like us: we are our own responsibility. We can change and become an entirely different person with an entirely different lifestyle, and since we are the words, the world is our sentence and history is our story. The world is our responsibility and all you need to do is look at the news to find out that we don’t have a very good storyline. Before my conversation with my friend was up, I told her my goal, also known as my “Christmas challenge.”
This world is full of horror. That’s why no matter what I end up doing in the future as my career, I want to do everything in my power to make the world in a better place, a beautiful place. Every compliment and good deed that is done makes the world brighter, no matter how insignificant the deed may seem. I strongly believe that if everyone were to have a “Christmas attitude” throughout the year, the world would be a better—and more beautiful—place. The reason that I do not watch the news is because a good 90% of it has to do with tragic events. I’m tired of hearing bad news. I’m determined to wake up and make people happy, even if it’s just one person.
Getting up early in the morning and being optimistic every day is not an easy task. In fact, it can be very challenging, but it is worth it. There is no such thing as a price tag on a smile. If you take on this challenge as a New Year’s resolution, you’ll begin to notice that your happiness will increase too. I find that the human nature reeks of a beautiful sense of irony; we generally look forward to receiving gifts and service, yet it is only when we give gifts and our service to others that we truly feel satisfied. That is what my “Christmas challenge” is all about. Do you accept my challenge?
Besides having my birthday in June, December is definitely my favorite time of the year! There’s snow, chestnuts, the sweet smell of Christmas trees, and the reunion with family and friends. I must admit that there is a bit of irony in December: it is the month that brings the most stress and at the same time, the most happiness. This irony makes me like December even more: I look forward to a challenge! Speaking of challenges, one of my New Year’s resolutions is a challenge; however, I don’t want it to be only for me to enjoy. I want to challenge everyone to do something that’s not only going to make themselves feel better, but also make a huge difference in John Jay and perhaps even outside of school. Here’s my challenge: let’s have that cheery, “Christmas attitude” that the Holidays bring throughout the entire New Year.
Let me be clear, having a “Christmas attitude” does not mean wishing people “Merry Christmas” in the middle of April. There is something about December that makes everyone—even the grouchiest person—crack a smile. Perhaps it’s the snow, the presents, or the anticipation of children as they wait to be seated on Santa’s lap in the mall. Whatever the reason, December is the month in which everyone—blood related or not—acts as a family, and I think that’s what makes me like this month so much. By asking everyone to maintain a “Christmas attitude” throughout 2016, I’m implying that we do not let that cheerful attitude get chucked out the window as soon as New Year’s Day ends. Do not be afraid to smile when the Holidays aren’t around—and don’t worry, your face won’t break. I got this idea while I was texting my friend; we were talking about an anime series, and somehow the conversation led to the wars that are happening in the world now and terrorists. It seems as though the world itself is becoming—or rather, it is—a horror story and we are the words.
One of the reasons I like words so much is because you can change them to be whatever you want them to be. That’s exactly like us: we are our own responsibility. We can change and become an entirely different person with an entirely different lifestyle, and since we are the words, the world is our sentence and history is our story. The world is our responsibility and all you need to do is look at the news to find out that we don’t have a very good storyline. Before my conversation with my friend was up, I told her my goal, also known as my “Christmas challenge.”
This world is full of horror. That’s why no matter what I end up doing in the future as my career, I want to do everything in my power to make the world in a better place, a beautiful place. Every compliment and good deed that is done makes the world brighter, no matter how insignificant the deed may seem. I strongly believe that if everyone were to have a “Christmas attitude” throughout the year, the world would be a better—and more beautiful—place. The reason that I do not watch the news is because a good 90% of it has to do with tragic events. I’m tired of hearing bad news. I’m determined to wake up and make people happy, even if it’s just one person.
Getting up early in the morning and being optimistic every day is not an easy task. In fact, it can be very challenging, but it is worth it. There is no such thing as a price tag on a smile. If you take on this challenge as a New Year’s resolution, you’ll begin to notice that your happiness will increase too. I find that the human nature reeks of a beautiful sense of irony; we generally look forward to receiving gifts and service, yet it is only when we give gifts and our service to others that we truly feel satisfied. That is what my “Christmas challenge” is all about. Do you accept my challenge?
© 2016 Clara Mia R. All rights reserved.
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| JJHS Lobby before Winter Break |