Excerpt: The Ultimate Recipe For A Wholesome Student

1. Stop comparing yourself to others.

Everyone has something they wish they could change about their body, life and environment. Wishing you had someone else's body structure, hair, complexion, behavior and way of doing things takes away what is unique about you. Appreciating the qualities that you like in yourself will boost your spirits and minimize the things you do not like.

2. Focus on what you can change.

What you cannot control should never control you. It should not take any single moment of your valuable life and time. Rather than spending your energy on wishing you were taller, redirect your focus on something you can change like performance in a certain subject, sport, etc.

3. Practice self-care for what you have.

The more you love and take care of what you have now, the more likely you will move in the direction of self-improvement. Schedule your time properly to make use of every single minute. It is advisable to always manage time for what you value or what makes sense to your life by adding value to it. Learn to safeguard what you have by being a custodian. It helps to take stock of the good things that happen in your studies and talents.

4. Build a support system.

Spend time with people, especially students who have a positive influence on you and who energize you rather than reinforce bad habits. The people who put pressure on your performance can become your life support system if you make a sound decision to walk with them while sticking to your principles and virtues.

5. Lose yourself in a cause.

Spend time and energy on a cause you are passionate about. The rewards will put things into perspective, raise your spirits, and make you feel better about yourself. You cannot just be in school for the wrong reasons or for no reasons at all. There must be a motivation and drive behind your efforts. Goals must be set. Targets must be aimed and achievements must be made.

6. Be grateful for who you are and where you are.

The more you appreciate what you have been achieving and the potential you have to achieve more, the more you will be thankful for. Learn to see your school as the best. Discipline your mind to think more of success than of failure. Never feel that you are in the worst school, with the most inexperienced teachers and the most unfortunate students. This will only make your case worse.

7. Work on your inner-self.

There is more power in believing in yourself than in people believing in you. There is more in yourself than what the world can offer. The world or life in general can only supplement your inner self and support your beliefs. We are spiritual beings living a human experience and we are here to learn and grow. As a student, you must aim high but only if you are convinced that you have enough to take you to the greatest of your goals. When you listen to your inner voice and live your life based on its wisdom, people will see the beauty and creativity of the real you. Tap into yourself and learn to love who you truly are by practising meditation daily. Never ignore what your conscience tells you.

8. Take charge of your life.

One must be in the driving seat of his or her life. This makes life an experience rather than a blind walk. Most students fail in school and in life because they never take initiative. They are never the first to control their lives. We leave our lives to our teachers, parents and even peers. We do not have time to nurture our lives as students. We abandon our lives, leave it to others and start living the lives of others.

9. Understand yourself and be real.

Be honest with yourself and know who you are. Never mistake your success with the success of the school. Your future will never rely on the school’s performance or the performance of other students. Your own understanding of your capabilities, weaknesses and relevance will open your potential and attract new opportunities. Look at a picture of yourself and believe in that image! You were and still are a precious darling of the universe. You are a unique gem with immense value and worth. Start digging for this value.

10. Remember, what you resist persists.

What you resist, you become. Fighting against yourself, teachers, parents, and environment and against those who are better than you will only deny you the chance to move ahead. The exciting thing is; you can change. Change your mind to change your life. How do you do this? Make the decision to shift your thinking and your emotions will follow. The way we think is the way we act. Our actions dictate our lives to the EXTREME.