By Cheryl Mattox Berry
Truth is a powerful thing. It’s scary. It’s painful. It’s liberating.
If you want to achieve success, you must face the truth. Can you handle it? Most people can’t. They want to blame others for things that happened or didn’t happen to them. They don’t want to accept responsibility for anything. It’s time to take a look at the girl in the mirror and come face-to-face with your truth.
School. As the school year winds down, ask yourself, “How well did I do this year?” Pat yourself on the back if you studied hard and did your best on exams. If that wasn’t the case, acknowledge it. Where did you go wrong? Social media and social life are usually the culprits. Some students get so caught up in what everyone else is doing that they don’t take care of their own business.
Friends. Take a close look at the company you keep. Friends can be a good influence or bad influence. Make a column for each category and see where your friends fall in. Like a bad boyfriend, sometimes you have to break up with a bad girlfriend. The end doesn’t have to come with a big blowup. Simply reduce the amount of time spent talking to her and curtail social activities after school and on weekends.
Boyfriend. Assess him the same way you do girlfriends. A boyfriend isn’t a must-have accessory, especially one that requires a lot of mental work. If he’s keeping you from making good grades or doing things you really enjoy, kick him to the curb. Do it swiftly because you don’t want to waste another minute on him.
Time management. It’s so easy to say, “I ran out of time,” when you don’t get things done. Are you trying to squeeze in too much in one day? The root of the problem could be that you’re not organized. That’s easy to rectify: Put yourself on a schedule, and stick to it.
Home. Are you pulling your weight or does mom harass you about doing chores? Factor in time on your schedule to do work around the house. You live there, so you should help take care of the house.
Now that you know the truth, the next step is to fix your life. Start with time management, even for the summer. That will help you get used to being on a schedule by the time school starts. Then, tackle your social life. Go places or participate in activities that will allow you to meet new people, who will be a positive influence in your life.
Revisit the girl in the mirror often. She’ll look you straight in the eye and tell you the truth. Yes, you can handle it.