Yes, life is the hardest challenge you will ever encounter. Whether it's forgetting a homework assignment or getting a bad grade, we all have had our fair share of mishaps. But just knowing that bad days happen to all humans ( and possibly animals) doesn't help when you're currently going through it. So, what can you do?
Take a spin back into childhood and adolescence. Some of our favorite TV shows have helped us learn life lessons and to endure growing pains.
For example, As Told by Ginger was a show featuring a redheaded Middle school-aged girl. She wrote in her diary every night and showed her life and daily struggles with no filters as she and her friends went through puberty and the transition from Middle School to High School.
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide travels through the struggles of Ned Bigby, who wrote a guide on how to get through Middle School. And let's just admit it: who didn't need one of those growing up?
Both Ginger Foutley and Ned Bigby went through the embarrassment that is Middle School without much fault, which is still inspiring to me, even as a Sophomore in college. If they could endure the toughness of puberty in a comical yet personable way, why can't we do the same?
Leaving a diary and a school survival guide in their midst, here are a few tips from our beloved Ned and Ginger:
1. Nothing is as it seems.
In one episode, Ginger leaves home to attend a private school. As the bus leaves her hometown, she says, "Ever notice how when you're standing right next to something, it always seems really big and important, but when you get enough distance, that same thing can suddenly feel tiny".
Ginger's words hold true for anybody that has ever had to leave something behind, or anyone who has fear of what is to come. Distance does make the heart grow fonder. Taking a break when it all gets to be too much is a great wayto get perspective and work out problems with less stress.
2. Accept the matter and move on.
Lois speaks the truth with this one. When you deny or try to cover up a mistake that has festered into something that overpowers your life, you lose both your sanity and what makes you so uniquely human. It is easy to blame others, but you'll overcome whatever is bothering you much faster when you acknowledge it and move on.
And the final piece of advice:
Ned comes to our rescue with the most important tip of all. If accepting your problems for what they are just does not fit into your agenda, then make them fit. Take control, because ultimately you are the one who decides your fate. Once you stop whining about what's going wrong and start working toward a solution, the trials and tribulations of life do not stand a chance against you.
