CTeenConnection

Purim is over, we need to make sure we carry out the tremendous happiness throughout the rest of the year.

As high schoolers, it’s not easy to take a break from our hectic schedules and “be happy.” I’m sure we all have heard the phrase “don’t worry, be happy” before. Sorry, but since when is it so easy to just ‘be happy?’ There’s no book of instructions for happiness. How exactly can I be happy? I am drowning in homework, have thousands of tests, and to top it off, need to write a million and a half essays! But, maybe there is happiness to be found in writing the essays or taking the tests…?

Think about it like this: everyday we get to wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and go to school. We get to see our friends, hang out, and even learn some new things. We then get to take these things we learned and shape them into a career. Afterwards, we take this choosing of a career, find a job, and live happily ever after. Backtrack! We have all heard of this so called “college” where we need to decide on career. And sometimes the career we choose isn’t the one we truly want. And, we’re all still in high school, but already worrying about where we’ll end up. But, it’s really all about the journey of how you get there.

As a passionate CTeener, I have learned that my approach to Judaism and my life all depend on my attitude. The places I go, the people I meet, the experiences I experience-they all depend on me and my attitude.  

 So let’s rewind back to the school work. I study for about five hours for a science test. Hours and hours of practicing and looking over my notes. The test day arrives, I take the test, and guess what? I fail! So, I go home all upset, not wanting to talk to anyone and continuously tell myself how much of a failure I truly am. How I’m never going to get into college, never going to become a doctor, and never going to achieve my dreams. But let’s suppose I took that bad grade with a smile. I decided I was just going to study a little harder the next time. That would have changed everything!

And that’s exactly it; a simple smile could change everything! Carry out the day with a smile, no matter how hard. Life isn’t fun with depression or anger, so why live life like that? Make these years the best ones yet! You never know how far you will go, but you will always know how to get there with the right attitude. This is one of the lessons we learn from Purim, one which goes beyond the day itself. One we can apply to our everyday lives through the most simplistic things; whether it be getting a bad grade, or waking up in the morning to go to school.

I hope we all had a happy Purim, and may we take this happiness of Purim and transform it into our daily lives.