Thanksgiving

Every time you enter the world of television, internet, or radio you are bombarded with messages telling you what you should be, what you should have, and what you should do. It is hard to get away from these messages. You may feel pressure to grow up to be a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer; someone who makes a lot of money. You also may feel like you need that new iPhone, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, to be smarter, stronger, faster, funnier, more outgoing, and more attractive. Since we are a part of an online school we cannot simply give up technology for a week to escape these messages. We NEED our computers. If the messages told us that we do not need anything else, our situation might be different, but it is rare to see or hear messages telling you that you are good enough just the way you are. The truth is, NONE of us are good enough. At least, not good enough for society, because none of us are perfect. And that is what society is calling us to be. Perfection is a standard we simply cannot reach. So what can we do to deal with these messages?
At this point, people would normally tell you "at least you're better off than that person", "be thankful with what you DO have", "enjoy life while you can", "think positively", or "life's not fair anyway". However, it can often be much more complicated than that. You may know for a fact that having more stuff is not going to make you any happier (at least not in the long term). Neither is trying to be someone you are not. But you cannot quite get your mind off the negative thoughts running through your brain. You cannot get rid of the messages coming in from the media. Trying to send yourself a few "positive" messages to compete with the onslaught of society's pressure never completely works. So what CAN you do?
I have to say, I do not have the fix-all answer. Right now I am struggling with the same thing, and I can never seem to escape the negative messages myself. I cannot escape the feeling that I do not have what I need. I am not who I should be. I am not doing enough with my life. And it is beyond hard to stop thinking that way. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we ought to be grateful for what we have. But we are not given a break to do this, because the messages do not stop. If anything, they get worse. Already stores are playing Christmas music. And with thoughts of Christmas come even more thoughts about what you need.
So back to the question, what can we do about it? The best advice I can give you is to take advantage of the time you have with the people you love. Even if it may seem hard, try to do something you love with them. Take a walk, take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather while it lasts, play a board game, watch a movie, bake something, volunteer to help others. Find something to do that will remind you, without a doubt, that there is good in the world. There is good in you. Even if life is not perfect at home, there is always someone out there who loves you just the way you are.