Not long ago I was stuck.  Everyday appeared to be the same to me and it had felt as if I lost who I was.  I wondered if I would ever be able to find myself again, until one day I told myself "no".  I said, "I’m not going to be like this; this is not how I wanted my life to end up. It wasn’t supposed to look like this."  Not that day at least.  It was feelings of betrayal and hurt that I had.  That day was special, it was hard, but it was very significant to me.  So, as the expression goes, I grew a pair and turned my life all around and starting doing things for me more rather than for others.  I did embrace what brought joy to my life and confronted things that didn’t.  No longer would I feel useless or unwanted. I took a stand to the inner demons and anxiety that I had and fought long and hard to get them out.  I forget how I let them in in the first place.  I found a map that day, one that would lead me through life, and that map was called confidence. No longer would I go down the wrong path.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLZ-i2hu6GA

-By Emma Oriold-Marek

Set From the Sun

Growing up I have learned quite a few things, but one of the biggest things that I have learned is that when you’re younger you see everything so differently including all bad things there are in this world.  As a young child I experienced the death of a really close family friend, but being as young as I was I didn’t really understand much about death.  Isaac was only 12 years old when he passed away and without him things did feel out of place.

Almost every morning Isaac and I would get up early and make our way to the beach to enjoy the calmness of the waves and sun. I remember Isaac never went to school and never ate the same things I would eat and I also remember him always being pale all the time, but I never thought anything more of it. The thing I didn’t truly understand was that Isaac wasn’t like me, Isaac had a rare blood disease that caused him to be tired and weak all the time. Two weeks before my birthday we got a call from my aunty saying the Isaac was in the hospital and about to undergo heart surgery due to a struggle of blood flow to his heart.  A few hours later we receive the news that Isaac went into a comma and four days later Isaac passed away. I was so heartbroken to hear that my best friend, who I loved so much, wasn’t going to be with me anymore. 

It wasn’t just until recently that I began to see his death differently.  Growing up I always felt like it wasn’t fair that he had to leave this world behind at such a young age, but then I realized that even though he was very ill he did live a very happy life. Isaac always had a smile on his face and such a contagious laugh that could cheer up a whole crowd. When I think of Isaac I think of the amount of courage he had because every action he did came from the heart. I deeply respect Isaac for all the challenges he had to overcome at such a young age. There was never a time where he would blame his illness or complain about the life he was given and to me that is strength - to pick yourself up and keep moving forward.  

  https://youtu.be/Cx1b6cgF4U4

Our favourite song that we would listen to.              

-By Salma Moreira

Overcoming Fear

Since we were little kids, we have always had to approach situations we never wanted to, but to rise up and overcome fear, we need hope and courage. Having these things are what gives us motivation and what makes us strive to get up every morning. Having courage can be very difficult in many ways; we need to have confidence and hope for the future. In an earlier time in my life, I didn't have confidence or courage to open up and share about myself.  Fear, that's want holds us down and keeps us from accomplishing what we want to do with our life.  If we constantly live in fear we won't become who we’re supposed to be. There are small and big fears that we have to face throughout life. Small fears are ones that don't hold us back, like being scared of spiders or heights. Bigger fears are ones that take over our life, like if we never left our house because times have changed too much or we are too scared of being judged. With my experiences throughout life I haven't acted with a lot of courage. I use to be that person on the sidelines, with the low marks and no friends, but when growing up I learned about courage and hope. I had a fear of putting myself out there because I didn't want to get judged by other. Even now I'm still struggling with my fear.  Hope and courage have helped me in my journey to grow and become who I am today.

I chose this video because it tells us the truth about getting disappoints in life, but it also tell us it's up to us to change what we complain about.  If we want change you gotta do it; ourselves.
http://youtu.be/aDCGrINPGUQ

- By Jaime Barnett

A Future That Fits

It is finally here!  With my graduating year comes all the stress of finishing the year successfully, and the fear of making good choices for my future.  If I were to take a trip in time to almost seven years ago I would be getting ready to move, and leave everything that was important to me behind.  I felt that moving from my hometown to a new city was like walking down stairs with a blindfold on; I did not know what to expect in the next chapter of my life. Through this experience of change, I have gained more courage to feel confident and hopeful in the choices I make for my future.

To this point in my life there has always been a guiding force whether it be my parents or my teachers. In a way it has felt like a bit of a safety net.  As high school ends, the net disappears and now I am left to make choices for myself. Some friends and classmates that I am surrounded by have applied and been accepted into college and university programs. To this point I have tossed around a number of ideas as to which career path I would like to pursue. I have yet to make, what I consider to be, an important decision. I feel it takes courage to stand firm and do the research, and not feel pressured to jump into a program that I am not sure is a good fit for me.

I feel that as we grow older and mature all our life experiences transform us into courageous and hopeful individuals. Through the support of family friends and our school community we grow stronger and learn to believe in ourselves. So, my plan is to be courageous in my search to find a career that will be satisfying and fulfilling for myself.

http://lifehacker.com/advice-i-wish-someone-had-given-me-after-graduating-hig-1573178134

This link has enlightened me and I would suggest that my fellow friends and graduates may be interested in taking a look at it.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z_NL-1eG0Q

-By Mark Dilworth





 

The Significance of Courage and Hope

My Grandma was the biggest part of my life; she was the one who taught me how important having courage is and how it impacts our lives.

Starting from the day I was born to only a year ago, she was like my second mother. Grandma used to pick me up every day from school and then take me home and watch over me. I used to worry a lot in Elementary school, but if I had a bad day at school it did not matter, because Grandma used to always have a saying or some advice to keep giving me hope to finish school.

The first day of junior high I started to get nervous because I didn’t like change. I didn’t even want to go, but mom made me. 7:30 am came around and there was Grandma out front of the house waiting to take me to my first day of junior high. I explained to her how I didn’t want to go and once again she talked to me until I had enough courage to start. I walked in the front doors and saw my friends, and thought about Grandma, and kept going. A few months went by and with the help of grandma I got through it. Before I knew it I was graduating Junior High and once again there was Grandma in the audience cheering me on as I walked across stage.

Before I knew it the summer of grade nine was over and it was time for grade 10 (high school) so I called Grandma to ask for advice. She like always gave me courage and hope to graduate and hopefully get a good job like my old man (dad.) Once again, before I knew it I was in grade 11.

The middle of grade 11 we got a call that Grandma had cancer. The doctor said she only had a couple of months left, but she didn’t believe him. Grandmas had the courage and hope to keep getting treated to hopefully make her feel better. The two months the doctor said she had went past like a speeding car. Grandma was still doing well.  I used to go see her every day at lunch and talk about whatever came to mind, just to take her mind off things, much like how she always did that for me.

Before we knew it a year went by and grandma was not doing well anymore, but she still had the same courage and she taught me to keep pushing. Unfortunately she couldn’t keep going anymore. Grandma passed away at Saint Michel’s on May 1, 2015.

I think we were so connected because she taught me how important having courage in hope is and I will never forget that.           

- By Jared Kunz

 
During my childhood, I had many monsters during that time while I was growing up. For me the monster were the fear of not fitting in, the bullies in my class and the fear of losing my superhero. The man who was my superhero who helped shape me into a young man was my grandpa. He was a great man, and he was always there for me to cheer me up whether that was making me laugh to block the steady stream of tears coming falling from my eyes, or to give me courage and strength when I thought everything was falling apart. He always knew how to cheer me up. When I figured out that he was drinking and had become an alcoholic it hit me like a brick wall. The reason why he was so good at cheering me up and why he would always be there for me is because he didn’t want what happened to him to happen to me.  He also needed some way to get rid of the urge to drink, so I was my superhero’s superhero. However, one day the urge was too much for him to handle and he drank himself to death. I loved him more than anything, his death was the hardest thing I have ever been through, he was my superhero and I was his.  His death didn’t bring me to tears because I realized that I now had to be a superhero for my dad because he had just lost his. 

https://margiewarrell.com/how-powerful-are-you/ 

-By Dustin Kaminski

 

Don't Give Up On Your Dreams Because They Never Give Up On You

I think right now in my life I can’t say that I would like it to be different, because I honestly like it. When I go to college my mom expects me to do something that will make me “successful”, meaning making money in her point of view. However, I honestly want to do something that I know I will enjoy, something that will make me happy for the rest of my life. Money doesn’t really manner to me; I think making money is just something people have being making a big deal of in the past years. Money is overrated. What I would like to become is a professional soccer player.  I don’t really care about the opinions of everyone else, some people might think that it is impossible, but if it makes me happy I'll work hard and hopefully achieve it.  I know many people say it is an impossibility, but I honestly don’t see myself doing something else other than that. When I describe myself soccer comes up many times. I’ve been playing soccer since my first memories with my friends and family. As I grew soccer became something that slowly became a part of me and then I started to wonder if it would be something that I would love to do for the rest of my life and the answer is "yes".  It is my dream and no matter what people say, they will not make me think different. I love it with all my heart and I think it worth taking a chance on it, and facing the challenges that come with it.

-By Dany

Love At First Lift

I am very passionate about weightlifting. I got introduced into weightlifting by my previous gymnastics coach. When my gymnastics career came to an end she asked me to try Olympic Weightlifting, so I went in and tried it for a week and I absolutely loved it!  I was so excited to go back and get stronger and get the technique down, and I wanted to compete.  To start off, yes I am a girl who loves lifting and no I’m not to “small” to be lifting heavy weights. Any time I tell someone I’m a weightlifter those are the answers to the questions I get asked, but it just so happens that I’m pretty good at it. I’ve placed 1^st at provincials for 3 years running, and this year at nationals I managed to place 2^nd, so take that for being small and a girl.

Weightlifting is practically part of me, well it is part of me, but it’s not just something I do for fun or to stay fit, it’s like my hair; weightlifting is a part of me. I train five days a week and I love everything about it from being sore, to the feeling after a killer workout, but most of all the competitions. I love the rush when I walk out onto that empty platform and it feels like it is just me and the weights, nothing else in the world matters. The only thing I can hear is my coach yelling at me to push up or get my head through. But the best is when I make the lift and hear the buzzer sound signaling for me to drop the weight, everything that I blacked out from comes back and it’s the happiest feeling.

This sport is my passion, it’s the only thing that makes me feel like I can just let go, lift and be myself.  If I am upset, mad, and sad or in any mood my favorite place to go is the gym to lift. I’m surrounded by my wonderful team members who are practically my family; they listen to me talk about everything going on in my life, they dance around the gym with me when my favorite song comes on, but when it’s time to work they push me to do my best. The passion of this sport grew the moment I put my sweaty hands on the bar and it has just kept growing from there. I am so happy I have a passion that keeps me busy and healthy and strong. Weightlifting will always be a part of my life.  I’m looking into scholarships all over the world and hoping one day I’ll be able to prove this passion I have for this sport at the Olympics.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrZHPOeOxQQ

I chose this as a link because this is the song I always listen to before competing.
   

Am I the MONSTER?

 
Monsters, are they just imaginary or is it possible for these creatures to be real? What if they are real and they are just hiding inside of you?

As a child my imagination said that monsters are real. Whatever I saw was not just a shadow. There was a big, bloody, creature with a thousand sharp teeth hiding under my bed, someone looking at me while I was sleeping, someone grabbing my feet, someone standing over me. All of this, was running through my head when I was a kid. It is weird, right? But luckily, when I was a child when I would shout and cry in fear my grandparents were there for me to calm me down, make sure that I would be alright, and let me know that no one would harm me. When I was a child, I thought that monsters were just in my head, but sadly they are not just imaginations. There was a point in my life when I realized that monsters are not just big bloody creatures with a thousand teeth, but they can be a person, a situation, an emotion, a reality.

As I’ve grown older I realize that the monsters that bug me now are just my emotions that take control over me. Until now, I never thought I could do something so stupid that I would regret it for the rest of my life.  I became a monster because I let my mom feel that she was not enough for me; I became a monster for making her cry and feel like a bad mother. I became monster for letting my insecurity control me so much that I couldn’t see my own worth in this world. I became monster so that even my relationship with my brother and sister were affected.  I became a monster for hiding my true self and let this monster win in my body, my mind and my heart. And now I do not know who I am.

I still find it hard to believe that this monster that I am scared of could be myself.  As Stephen King says in one of his quotes: “sometime they win”, but in real life I realized that I should not let them win, and I need to fight back to see the real me, and to seek real happiness. It is not easy to fight back against this monster inside me, especially when no one is going to help me because it is inside which means I am the only one capable to fight it.  It takes courage and the hope that I can conquer my mind, my body and my heart again. Courage and hope? Did I say that?  They are big words for me. Well, ironically, I don’t apply these things in my life, especially the word “courage”. Can I just say that I have only hope? I am hoping that when the time comes that I find the courage and combine these two words together and it is not too late for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjDV543xuzc

This link is a song called “Nightmare” by natewantstobattle. This really gets my attention. My interpretation of the song is that they also have the monster inside of them and this monster conquers their soul and now they see them selves being trapped by the monster that inside of them. This reminds me of myself, especially the line: “It’s only a nightmare and soon we’ll be set free” because I am hoping too that this is just a nightmare and soon I’ll be free.

-By ZS

Courage and Hope Importance

Having courage and hope is anything but easy. It is something that must be practiced and tamed. Sometimes your hope can be shut down in just a matter of minutes after months or even years of hoping. Sometimes your courage still isn't enough to achieve your goals. If you keep on giving up hope or not attempting to be courageous, then it can lead to the build up of stress and depression. Being hopeful or courageous does not mean putting people down or risking people's lives. You have to keep within the boundaries of good intentions. For example, A soldier can hope that his country will win a war and be courageous and go out and fight for his country, but that doesn't mean he can go along killing people to get what he wants. Some people in the world have been killing so many people that they have become immune to feeling remorseful and sorry. People like that have used their courage and hope, but for the wrong intentions.


Sometimes there can be consequences of courage and hope, even if it is being used for good intentions. Depression can be the result of crushed hopes and dreams. Depression can be the result of post traumatic stress after taking action and being courageous. Sometimes we just have to push through tough times in our life to get good times. Sometimes we are too shy to be courageous, but when we don't take action, we end up regretting not doing anything. When my Grandma was on her deathbed, I didn't have enough courage to go and see her in that state. I still regret not going to see her to this day.

The significance of courage and hope is that it is whatever you make it out to be. Whether you are trying to escape a war torn country, or whether you are having trouble finding courage to present a speech, courage and hope will always be there in our lives. It will always be there staring at you in the face waiting for you to take action. It is what you do with courage and hope that is significant.

http://www.motivateus.com/motivational-messages-135.htm

-By Nathan Telke

Finding Who You Really Are

I used to be a big athlete. I used to be a top tier baseball player, and I also dabbled in junior high basketball, but then it all disappeared in a couple of seconds. I was trying out for Team Alberta’s baseball team. We were doing forty metre sprints. I was known for my speed, but as I stepped up to the line next to me was a kid who was also known for his speed.  The whistle went and we were off. About half way through the race all I could here was a loud snap. Pain shot all the way the way through my left leg, but I end up finishing the race anyway barely beating the other guy. I hobbled over to the dugout to get some water and to get my glove to start warm up. I sat down take a drink of water and tried to get up, but I collapsed because I couldn’t get my left leg underneath me. The pain was insane through my left thigh. I knew from that point on I couldn’t play baseball at the same level again. My hopes were shot. My hopes of going to college for baseball down south, and all my dreams were shattered. I had to go through intense physiotherapy because I tore my quad. After this incident I got down, maybe I could even say depressed. I had nothing left to live up to. My life was baseball and then boom, gone. My friends and family helped me get through it. Before my injury I didn't want to get into the family business, but after the injury the family business gave me something to work towards. It gave me hope, a dream, a goal to work towards. The goal of taking over the family company is what is giving me hope; it’s my motivator now instead of baseball. How I look at it is that the injury was a good thing. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life before the injury, but after I found out who I really am, what I really want to be in life.

http://galkohomes.com/

-By Brian Galts

The Path I Follow

I’ve always had a dream to serve and protect my country whether it’s on the home front or overseas. The only problem was that I feared being away from my family for long periods of time or not coming home. As a seventeen year old boy it was a big decision for me to apply for the Canadian Armed Forces. In a short period of time I built up the courage to go down to the recruiting centre and sign myself over to the Canadian Army. The first thing my mom said to me was that she knew I would end up joining at some point in my life, being that at one point I wanted to be a police officer like my dad. In the end I know my parents love and support my decision. To me the Army is more than just a job, it’s an education and an opportunity to gain a perspective on life through seeing the world while picking up skills and serving our great nation. I believe those who serve our country are true heroes and I couldn’t ask for more from them. The military life isn’t built for everyone, but I know I am meant to go down this path and I hope this experience shapes me into a greater person every day. I’ve always been passionate towards an occupation where I get the opportunity to protect and serve. Sometimes I get stressed out and worry about the decisions I make in life, but I believe it’s only my mind tricking me into doubting what I believe in. I am my greatest critic, but I know I’ve found my calling no matter what anyone else says; I am truly proud of the path I follow.

http://cdn.forces.ca/_VIDEOS2010/dnd_travel_adventure_en.mp4

-By Jordan Lewis

Am I Good Enough?

I am going to talk about growing up and about how we need courage and hope daily.  We all have been little, and we all had a childhood. Some better and some worse, but we have all experienced growing up.  Do you remember when you were five years old, and your major worry was not getting off the black lines when you were drawing? Well, I think that it has changed for all of us, we have grown. In our periods of growing up, we all have experienced the adolescence, that period when all became harder for us and sometimes we think the world comes over us.

Parents sometimes became our enemies, and we wanted to do whatever we want, knowing that we can´t. It is difficult stage in life when we sometimes lose hope and courage and we have to find ourselves through many doubts, but we not only feel lost in this stage of life. We all have a lot of insecurities that make us feel worst and helpless day to day, but the important thing is to find our place in this world, and reach the happiness, with our family, friends...to reach that important thing we need courage and hope.

We need courage and hope for everything, not just for growing up. We need it every day to face the simplest thing.  What is courage and hope? They are two important values that we need for everything, to go through difficult situations, to be faithful in our religion...  Courage is the ability to do something that frightens one; bravery. And hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. Is a feeling of trust.

I have always had the same fear: talking in public. I am still working to overcome it, and it is not an easy job. I have been dealing with it a lot of years, and thanks to courage and hope qualities I am improving. I am not done yet, but I will some day.  This is just a little one of my fears. I am a person full of insecurities, and I have to work in all of them. That is why I need willpower to overcome all the fears that blind me, that don't let me go forward in path.  We all need courage and hope to go to go beyond fears, because we are not going to overcome them the first time we try, we need to experience failure to reach our goals, so we must keep courage and hope.