Six Word Memoirs on Life Stories

ba_miracle says,

You need a worry doll to worry for you ;-)

Be a successful kid! You only have this one time to be this young.
You don't have to know every detail of how your life is going to play out and trust me on this one....even if you had every step planned, changes would happen.

You say "It's like being dropped in the middle of nowhere and trying to make it home without a map. " and to some people that would be a beautiful dream come true.

What is it you think you are going to fail at?

What is it that you think you should already know?
You're life's "calling"?

Do you have any ideas on what you think your life would look like if you were totally happy to be alive?

Would it be money, a big family, public service, recognition?

If you were to have told most people who have achieved anything...
(such as building an empire like Smithmag... for example ;-)
exactly how much effort it was going to take in advance, many people would choose differently. It would look too big and impossible.

But and this is a big one...if you had told them how much work it would be and they had no passion for it? It WOULD have been impossible.

You are always choosing a direction.
Maybe your goal for next year is to let your passion find you by paying attention but not actively seeking.

College and writing seem to be good ideas for you.

Layne says,

my parents want me to go into some sort of medical field, but i hate medicine. I pass out or throw up every time we've had to do a dissection or activity about the body in class. They say i'll get over it, but thats a long ways coming to do something like that. I think they just want me to be successful because I have the nit-picking hand coordination like my father. I'm in the top 25 of my class grades wise. I probably could go far in a science field, make a good sum of money, and be successful in their terms. But the difference between me and those other kids are that they have at least some direction as to what they want to do.

I love the weather. I always have because I'm a sailor and they go hand and hand. I love figuring out what the weather for the next day will be like and waking up with the satisfaction of knowing its already raining outside without looking out the window. This field isnt all that "rewarding" though, so its probably just going to stay a hobby of mine.

I also love english because you can just be yourself and that makes for the best writing. Again, I dont know where I would go with this. Nothing I really actually have interest in would give me that "doctor status" that my parents have planned out for me. To the, anything less would probably not be living up to my full potential in their eyes..

I also know I never want a girl to feel the way I do, like they just have to push through life and miss out on all the funs tuff because itll be "worth it" someday. I want to help them but I dont know how I would do that either and again with the whole "doctor status" thing..

I just dont know where life is going for me yet... i just want to be happy but i dont know how to make that happen

ba_miracle, thank you so much though:) you posed some tough questions that i definitely need to think about, but at least its a start. I'm trying to figure out what would make me happy, but I guess thats hard when that may not be what others want, so its a tough choice ill need to simmer on

ba_miracle says,

Us parents walk a fine line between helping our children live up to their potential and dream squelching ;-) most of us who pressure really do mean well.

Technically you can get a Ph.D in anything and be considered a doctor. Whatever it is you choose to do, I’d venture to say you wouldn’t be satisfied unless you were striving to be in the top of whatever field you end up in. Actually I hope you are satisfied enough during the “striving” to enjoy the process.

Regarding your concern that you fail? People who aim for high goals often fail many times. Part of success is the ability to recover from those losses. It sounds as if you have a decent support system to help you through.

I wish you well and always enjoy reading you.

Dragonflower says,

Layne, You are doing so great just asking the questions. I think it would be pretty impossible for you to fail. Can you even imagine that? I am sure your parents want the best for you. Have you talked to them about your concerns? They, no doubt, realize you have a lot to discover about yourself. You have mentioned your love of the weather. Globalwarming issues will need good scientists, I should think. Our oceans need tending. Maybe just brainstorming with someone could suggest more possibilities. If you become a psychologist, you might be able to develop programs for girls to empower girls to be all they can be, without feeling so pressured to miss out on fun stuff. Teaching anyone to be able to led a balanced life seems like a very valuable contribution in life. Again, talking this over with someone could give you more ideas.

I know you will figure all this out. You are smart, talented, and a really nice person. It will help immensely to not be so hard on yourself. Your unique gifts and talents will then be able to surface. Take care!

Layne says,

Everyone lately has told me not to be so hard on myself... i'm trying, I really am.

I've been in a pole vaulting mental block lately and my coach told me not to get frustrated. I'm trying not to, and I dont think I am, but he keeps saying i look it so I guess I have a little ways to go.

I've decided im not going to strive for ivy league schools anymore. That was always the goal, but I realized that once i got there, if i got there, i would be in the exact same situation as i am now... with all the same stress and pressure, the kids who try less and do better. I dont really want that. I like to have fun; I absolutely love to dance and do karaoke even if im not the greatest at the later. I still dont know what I want to do with my life which scares me, but I've also realized i dont know if I really have to decide right now. I'm in high school and i want to have some fun because sooner or later I wont be so young anymore, so even if i have a a lot to figure out about myself still and a lot to improve on, i think maybe it could be worse, and i dont know if all of it has to matter so much right now.

ba_miracle says,

Striving for an an ivy league school is a very admirable goal, keep aiming for that. There is going to be stress and pressure throughout your life. Consider the angst you may feel for passing up the opportunity?

I have heard that there's karaoke in even ivy-league schools ;-)

Again the key word here is "strive". If you do the best you can in every circumstance that has to be good enough. If you have the opportunity,ability, drive and support to get into top colleges...then do that and if you don't get accepted? Go to the best school you possibly can.
And if you do get accepted and it's all too much? Slow it down a bit but never give up learning.

As for us humans not being too hard on ourselves? Some of us just seem to be "wired that way" Maybe you'll be the one to find a cure for that;-). Be satisfied when you've done the best you can and then dance it up to celebrate.

Layne says,

:)

Dragonflower says,

Layne, Good thoughts all around. Balance is a good goal for you, I think. Not being so rigid. I think you already know this fundamentally, being a sailor and pole vaulter. Both areas require flexibility and balance. I wonder if somehow you can apply those principles to your studies so you don't feel so stressed. I don't know much about sailing, but I think there's something about not keeping the sails too tight so that they can pick up the wind?? That's what I'm talking about. And I notice how much the pole bends as the vaulter makes that big jump over the bar. Be the sails, be the pole. :)

I sorta hope you still keep the ivy league schools on the burner. I can imagine you really liking being at one of those schools, once you find your balance. It is so different at college than high school, so many opportunities to discover yourself. You are starting to realize you have choices in life and that is a big step. You want to keep your options open so you can make good choices for yourself. And how jazzed you will feel getting your acceptance letter! Even if don't get accepted, you will have tried and that's amazing in itself! Your secondary choices will be a good back up plan. You've got what it takes, I have no doubt!

Oddly, for me, I feel relief from stress and the pressure I put on myself by allowing myself to think that I don't have to do something. As soon as I do that, I find I really DO want to do the very thing that is causing me stress! And I usually end up excelling at the thing I was going to give up! ba_miracle is right that some of us are just hard wired to be harder on ourselves than others. I remember Tiger Woods talking to some kids about golf and one kid asked how does he handle the nervousness before a game. This was back in his glory days. He was so cool and told the kid, I love feeling nervous before a game. That's what's fun for me. It means I'm going to try my best. --I remember thinking, 'Fun to feel pressured and nervous? What on earth is he talking about? I feel like being sick!!' haha! He found a way to put his own high expectations into a positive light. I know you can do the same and find a way to channel your doubt and uncertainty into something useful for yourself.

You are asking all the right questions and thinking all the right thoughts, Layne! Keep your doors open, keep having fun, and maybe find the fun in excelling. I think you have huge potential. I am excited for you! I'm excited the world has someone like you in it! Do yourself proud, Layne!! :)

Layne says,

Autumn, I cannot thank you enough:) I struggled with a mental block in vaulting for the past week, but today was finally taking the baby steps back to where I was before. Along the way, it was not doubt frustrating but I tried to keep it cool- that's the only way I would get better. Today, I was talking to a fellow teammate and he said to 'keep calm and vault on' which I loved. I realized that I had been so worried about the mechanics that I was messing myself up. Instead, I took a run through without thinking and preparing like a usually do; it worked. Not perfectly, but I was improving for sure. And all I had to do this whole time was just calm down a little.

I think I can learn something from this for my life as a whole though. Maybe, if I stop worrying and start enjoying the things I do, even if that is studying for a chem test or learning a new and challenging violin concerto, then just maybe it won't be so bad.

I think I may still keep sights on the ivy leagues. We're sending my name and application out to some of them soon so they know I want to sail for their teams. If I was able to sail in college that would be a dream come true because I look forward to each summer when I can go out again and collegiate sailing occurs during all except the winter months. I love nothing more than being out on the water, so maybe not just going to an Ivy League will be my goal, but doing what I love and having a little fun along the way.

Layne says,

Also, a professional hurdler, fawn dorr, once said that before each of her races, she would smile at her coach to remind him that she was a little bit crazy. I loved this and thought about my feelings before a race. I'm nervous, but I have that craziness somewhere inside me too, like this is my moment. Lets do this.

Maybe if I applied this mentality to the rest of my life, similar to what autumn said about tiger, then I can grow and get through the tough stuff because its all worth it.

I'm in the middle of scheduling for next year and my ap world teacher asked what class I wante to take for global next year. I paused and told her that I would come see her another time. I have already discussed that I'm not taking an ap history class again, I don't exactly like history, but I couldn't get myself to commit to taking a lower class. That would be giving in, and Im not used to giving in. I still haven't had her sign the scheduling sheet.

Dragonflower says,

Keep calm and vault on! I think you've got it!