JokerValentine
We Out
I know a lot of people on this site sometimes find the motivation to look back on themselves in a positive light for the most part. Sometimes one may find it tough at times to look back at everything they've done over their recent years and think "I've been a waste" or "I've done nothing worthwhile. Sometimes you may feel you have nothing to show for anything to do in your life. Maybe you have a passion or two that you always have people telling you that it won't work out, or it's not you, or that you'll never amount to anything in it. To me, I'm no exception to that.
A few years ago, I started this hobby with myself called my Memory Box. Whenever I get something that's important to me, maybe it's a letter from a loved one or a medal I won or even a letter about me being accepted into college, I hold on to it and put it into a box. I have managed to outgrow my first box (which is mainly filled with old school assignments I found from preschool), and now my current box (my third) is a formerly empty shoebox. In there I have a plethora of objects: an unlit candle, a ribbon, a few letters, birthday cards, a bag of track spikes, and even a paper with safety pins on it. It may sound like plain junk, but each and every item has a personal story to it.
I guess what got me started on this box thing dates back to when I first joined cross country in 9th grade. I was not a runner by any means, and as my coach describes me "I take on the appearance of a linebacker than a runner." But he always believed in me to do better, and I improved. I had a lot of people along the way cheering me on, but a lot of people who doubted I could amount to anything. Some of my former friends told me I should've quit. I told myself countless times that I'd never make the sectionals crew at this rate, or even one day be a captain. But at the same time I told myself I could do it. Once I started to succeed, I used this box as a ladder of sorts. With one object in the box I was inspired to put another one in. If I ever doubted I could ever get a third item in the box, I'd remember that I managed to get an object in there twice before. The box gets bigger and bigger. If I ever feel the need to verify the fact that I've achieved something, proved to myself and everyone who doubted me that I was able to rise up and accomplish something, I can look through the box.
The instructions are simple for this. Get an old shoebox, one that you would've thrown out anyways. Maybe you don't have one, so use a small tub or a box. Write the date that you start the box on the front. Keep it in an accessible place, maybe under a desk or bed. maybe on a shelf near where you charge your phone. Every time you win an award, draw a picture you really like, any object that in the moment gives you a feeling of happiness. There is no criteria for what qualifies a worthy object, but make sure it counts. Once you put it in the box, you cannot throw it out. Even if you think "this is old" or "this is not me now," it once was. When your box is filled, put the end date on it, and get a new box. Put this box somewhere where you won't entirely forget about where it is, maybe a closet. Treat it with respect too. It's a part of you, and treating yourself right is always a good thing to do.
In conclusion, we sometimes forget how amazing we really are. Whether you fill box after box quickly, or you put deep thought into each and every item you put in your box, as long as you always have something to put in there, no matter how big or small, is what matters. And once you realize that you can take that advanced class, you can try out for that soccer team, and you can aspire to your artistic talents, just remember that the objects in your Memory Box are there to remind you that there is always something to show.
I hope this helps someone.
A few years ago, I started this hobby with myself called my Memory Box. Whenever I get something that's important to me, maybe it's a letter from a loved one or a medal I won or even a letter about me being accepted into college, I hold on to it and put it into a box. I have managed to outgrow my first box (which is mainly filled with old school assignments I found from preschool), and now my current box (my third) is a formerly empty shoebox. In there I have a plethora of objects: an unlit candle, a ribbon, a few letters, birthday cards, a bag of track spikes, and even a paper with safety pins on it. It may sound like plain junk, but each and every item has a personal story to it.
I guess what got me started on this box thing dates back to when I first joined cross country in 9th grade. I was not a runner by any means, and as my coach describes me "I take on the appearance of a linebacker than a runner." But he always believed in me to do better, and I improved. I had a lot of people along the way cheering me on, but a lot of people who doubted I could amount to anything. Some of my former friends told me I should've quit. I told myself countless times that I'd never make the sectionals crew at this rate, or even one day be a captain. But at the same time I told myself I could do it. Once I started to succeed, I used this box as a ladder of sorts. With one object in the box I was inspired to put another one in. If I ever doubted I could ever get a third item in the box, I'd remember that I managed to get an object in there twice before. The box gets bigger and bigger. If I ever feel the need to verify the fact that I've achieved something, proved to myself and everyone who doubted me that I was able to rise up and accomplish something, I can look through the box.
The instructions are simple for this. Get an old shoebox, one that you would've thrown out anyways. Maybe you don't have one, so use a small tub or a box. Write the date that you start the box on the front. Keep it in an accessible place, maybe under a desk or bed. maybe on a shelf near where you charge your phone. Every time you win an award, draw a picture you really like, any object that in the moment gives you a feeling of happiness. There is no criteria for what qualifies a worthy object, but make sure it counts. Once you put it in the box, you cannot throw it out. Even if you think "this is old" or "this is not me now," it once was. When your box is filled, put the end date on it, and get a new box. Put this box somewhere where you won't entirely forget about where it is, maybe a closet. Treat it with respect too. It's a part of you, and treating yourself right is always a good thing to do.
In conclusion, we sometimes forget how amazing we really are. Whether you fill box after box quickly, or you put deep thought into each and every item you put in your box, as long as you always have something to put in there, no matter how big or small, is what matters. And once you realize that you can take that advanced class, you can try out for that soccer team, and you can aspire to your artistic talents, just remember that the objects in your Memory Box are there to remind you that there is always something to show.
I hope this helps someone.
