What's My Age Again?

In a recent discussion with a friend and in light of current events I find that perhaps the world needs a Nu view on maturity. Now the obvious problem here is people refusing to act their age. A 2 year old is allowed to throw temper tantrums, not a 32 year old. An 8 year old is supposed to tattle, and vehemently exclaim that the lamp was already broken, not a 25 year old. When you hit that great age of 18 you are legally an adult, please act your age. Not your stereotypical age, your actual age. Stop adding extra letters to your texts (ex: Whaaaatttt uuuppp ggirrllll ßseriously, what is that??) and stop getting information about the world via TMZ. There are important things happening, and what Snooki said to JWOWW is not one of them (Sidebar: I have never seen Jersey Shore nor do I ever want to and I’m proud to say I had to look up the cast of the show to get those names. End sidebar). Once you have reached that ripe old age of 18 there are a couple of things to adhere to and you have till 21 to have them mastered, after that you will be deemed an ignoramus! At least by myself. First off, learn to take criticism. If someone tells you that the pants hanging off your butt make you look like an idiot they are probably right…but they could be wrong. Think about it. If you walked into an interview would you hire you? A “fly honey” (note to self: blog about not sounding like a cretin) is walking down the street, is she going to choose you or the well dressed gentleman to your left? Hopefully I’ve made my point. Either you listen and change, or say whatever and go on with your life, it’s up to you, but remember to properly handle your choice. What not to do? Fly of the handle and accuse the person of anything, don’t threaten them, don’t put sugar in their gas tank. Act your age! Thank them for their opinion or inform them your clothes are a statement against “the man” or whatever your reason may be. Done and done. You both move on with your lives. Second take responsibility, for your words, your actions, and your life. At this point what you say and what you do is on you and no one but you. Handle it. Lastly (simply because this post is getting to long for my taste), aspire. Set realistic goals and go for them. Conquer this and everything else comes naturally…well, at least up to 25, it’s a process. “People who have no hold over their process of thinking are likely to be ruined by liberty of thought. If thought is immature, liberty of thought becomes a method of converting men into animals.” -Muhammad Iqbal

What You Say is as Important as What You Don't

“She killed herself because she didn’t think she was beautiful.”  In this day and age of the “bully” we have all been pressed to look into the consequences of our words and actions. But what if it is the things we aren’t saying and doing as much as what we are? We live in a world of assumptions with no one actually saying what they mean because they assume it’s obvious…it’s not. It’s important to tell people the good as well as the bad. When you only voice your opinions about the negative things, those are the things the person is going to hear, thus creating in them a sense of inadequacy. Not feeling loved in your own home can only validate the negativity thrown at a person in the outside world. A bully is only as effective as the response they receive. Whether with words or actions their goal is to belittle and appear superior. By instilling a sense of confidence in a person it limits the amount of ammunition a bully has. So, if you let someone know every time they mess up, let them know every time they do something good as well. There should never go a day when without you telling someone that you love them and are proud of them or that they make you happy. Nobody has to fish for criticism and nobody should have to fish for compliments. No one, no matter their age or status, should feel unloved or unworthy of the love of another.  Growing up is hard to do, especially when you think no one loves you.