Ella B., Miamisburg Middle School
Meriti la FelicitÃ
“Meriti la fielicità.” This is an Italian phrase that means “you deserve happiness”. Living a good life means to be happy, to find your passion. My passion is volleyball. It has certainly helped me get through a lot over the past few months. I live a good life, not because it is perfect, but because I stay content by playing volleyball, and then I can handle the rest of the world.
No matter where I go in life, I know that I need to keep my passions and dreams on the horizon line. Whether or not my passions and dreams change along the way, it doesn’t matter, because sometimes new passions help you find a way out of dark times. For example, I have been playing volleyball since April, and was also recovering from a bullying issue and a toxic friendship at the time. My self esteem was incredibly low, but volleyball was something I loved right off the bat. I got better, which especially impacted my self esteem, to the point where I’m now more confident in myself again. It was so easy for me to achieve something I enjoyed doing so much. I kept practicing all summer and went from crying alone in my room, to practicing something I adored with new friends I had made. Eventually, with a lot of coaching, I decided to try out for the seventh grade volleyball team. I had never played before so I knew it was a long shot, but I made the team. It’s amazing how, if you can escape something you are struggling with by doing something you love, you will love much more.
Negative thoughts about something you’re passionate about are the easiest way to cancel out your dreams. Telling yourself that you aren’t good enough will definitely make you hate that something. Focus on the positive parts of things, but still accept constructive criticism from people you trust. When I have a rough time with a new skill in volleyball, or school, I try to believe in myself and say that things will get better if I keep trying. This can apply to anything with life, trying to keep out the negative thoughts and using constructive criticism to help you, me, anyone really, to live a better and a happier life. Point out the positive in any bad situation, because it makes it a whole lot easier to solve a problem. And it will keep the other people around you more positive too. Sounds like a win-win situation if you ask me.
It’s pretty hard just to get out of bed every day. So remember that you are amazing. Better yet, find something that makes you think you’re amazing. Keep your passions next to you as you battle whatever nonsense life tries to throw at you. Being happy with what you love, keeping out negative thoughts, and looking for the positive, well, those sound like perfect attributes to a good life.
