Advice from a Senior

With only 15 days left of high school, many seniors begin reflecting on the lessons they've learned and the memories they've made throughout their four years. Some tear up, some laugh, and some call up there friends reminding them to call as much as possible. It's crazy being in the senior boat. I've lived in Kansas City my whole life. Now, I'm expected to move 1000 miles away and start all over...that's scary!!! But I feel ready. South has prepared me for this specific moment. As I've reflected, I have created a list of my top ten lessons I've learned in high school and I want to share them with you today. Enjoy. :)

1. Find your tribe and love them hard. 

I was fortunate enough my senior year to finally find my people. They made me excited about life and brought out the adventure in me. Those are the people I confided in and see myself connecting with for a lifetime. Even if we don't talk every single day of our lives, I know right when I see them, we will pick up right where we left off. These are the people that I'll tell my college friends about and the people that make coming back to Kansas City worth the trip.

Meerkats,
Thanks for doing life with me. The mems were real. :)

2. Life tip: Do you. 
The hard truth is that you aren't always going to please everyone. You aren't always going to be on everyone's good side. Sometimes people purely dislike people for being happy or 'too much.' Trust me, I've had plenty of people dislike my extra-ness or how happy I am. This used to really bother me. I would catch myself trying to do things that pleased others and changing my persona to match the individuals around me. I was discouraging towards myself and started disliking the aspects that make Hailey Deeds, Hailey Deeds. But after I stopped caring about what others thought of me, I found my joy again. Yep, I am that girl who keeps a color coordinated planner. Yep, I am that girl who goes all out for spirit days. Yep, I am that girl who pays attention to 'too many' details and plans ten steps ahead. But hey, I'm okay with that. You need those people.

Don't let people dim your sparkle. You just do you because I can assure your that someone is looking at you and secretly being like 'Dang, their cool.' Even if that means making ridiculous videos and making a twitter entirely for the purpose of winning a gnome. Being yourself in the grand scheme of things will pay off in the end. You attract the energy you exude.

3. Seek what sets your soul on fire. 

Use this time in your life to find what brings you joy. It can be multiple things. It can be one thing. But find the things in life that make getting out of bed easy. You might have to go searching for this or you might stumble upon it all by yourself...but no matter what you do, do it well and with passion in your heart.

If you want to join a club, do it. Ask the advisers how you can get involved.

If you have to apply and be interviewed (or audition), don't be afraid of not getting in. Just go for it. You never know what the end results will be.

Don't let failure be the reason for not trying. This brings us to our next lesson...

4. Better an oops than a what if...

I have had a PLENTY amount of oops, some I'm prouder of than others, but I've never regretted a single one. You only regret the opportunities you don't take. This is advice you should apply to high school and beyond! It never hurts to put yourself out there. Whether this advice is applied to school, relationships, or career, the worst thing that could happen is the 'no.' And rejection in the grand scheme of things isn't life threatening. You will get over the 'no', but I don't think you'll ever get over the pain of "what if I actually went for it?" I think that pain sticks with you forever.

5. On Wednesdays we wear...

What day of the week do you hate the most? Most people think Mondays are pretty miserable. I found my freshman year that this is an easily fixable problem. Overalls. Yes, folks. Overalls. Every Monday was turned into Overall Monday! It made Mondays a little bit more bearable. Now, haha, I get that overalls aren't everyone thing, but you can always choose your own thing to make your day special. I know someone who did Wolf Shirt Wednesday, Denim Thursday, and Sweater Wednesday, but this is your day to just have fun with fashion. Maybe you can even get some homies and do it together!

6. Stand up. Stand out. Stand tall. 

Stand up for what you believe in. Stand out among the crowd. Stand tall...even if you're short like me and below 5'3. Do what you think is right even if you have to stand alone and don't let the opinions of others alter how you think. Show perseverance in everything you do. I know how difficult it can be, but you are strong. Endure it.   

7. It's not your job to be everything to everyone. 

You do not need to be a "Yes Man" all the time. I am known for overloading myself and that's mainly because I hate disappointing people but sometimes it's okay. It's not your job to do everything. It's okay to say no.

8. Cherish every interaction. 

This is your chance to reach out to people. This is the time to have friendship circles collide. Forget labels, forget schools, forget gender, just be friends with as many people as possible. Get coffee with the people you've been keeping up with through Instagram and finally have a conversation. Cherish the simple conversations you have with people and appreciate the people you pass everyday in the hall. Everyone has a story and once you take the time to get to know theirs, they just might end up being apart of yours. I have met so many great people from just taking the small risk of rejection and asking people to get coffee with me. I have met so many people from just putting myself out there and not being afraid of being silly. Your friendship circle can always expand. Make the room. :)

Park Hill Distance Wednesday Runs

Some nice girls I met at the Seattle New Year's Eve Dance! They gladly welcomed me into their group and I had so much fun with them. I will be going to Girls' Camp with them this summer. One is going to BYU and will have a dorm directly on top of mine. 

A slime party I hosted at my house to create unity within the Park Hill District and of course to make slime!

9. Don't forget to have fun!

Advice that I wish someone gave me...LIVE A LIL'. Get out of that cooped up, confined room of yours and experience life. Go for a drive at 12am and listen to Kansas City by The Mowgli's. Get fries at 10pm with a good pal and have a deep conversation. Come up with fun reasons to celebrate the simple things of life and host a party; Christmas, slime, Galentine's Day, you name it- it can be a party. Laugh often, smile as much as possible, and seek the sunshine.

10. Love yourself. 
This is the most important advice. If you take anything from this blog post, this is the lesson you should pay attention to most. Love yourself. You are awesome. You are strong. There are certain aspects of you that make you who you are, appreciate those characteristic. Seek to improve yourself, but also acknowledge the fact you're trying and don't be so hard on yourself. Once you learn to love yourself, you can learn to love others to the best of your abilities.

There are so many lessons I've learned that I haven't shared, but this is my top 10 list and I hope to develop more lists throughout life. But now that I've made my list, it's time to make yours. Enjoy high school and make tons of memories. :)

Thanks South for the joy ride. You taught me a lot. You showed me a lot. But it's time for me to say adieu.

This is Hailey Deeds signing off,
adieu panthers. godspeed.