If there’s one thing I’ve learned from every single book we’ve read in English class, it’s to not be too pessimistic or too optimistic. Okay, maybe that was just from The Great Gatsby, but that’s beside the point.

I walked into high school being way too optimistic and positive. I handled difficult situations by avoiding them or deflecting them.

But, reality check, life isn’t always full of sunshine and rainbows. There are some pretty messed-up things, and it’s important to acknowledge that there are things wrong in order to improve them.

Using different perspectives such as optimistic, pessimistic and realistic ones based on the situation is super important. So here are some pieces of advice to myself and everyone else reading this:

If there’s a personal goal you want to achieve, set realistic targets based on your lifestyle and how much time you can actually put into it. Stop carrying unrealistic physical and academic expectations. Stop comparing yourself to not only other people, but also old versions of yourself.

Don’t give up on anything until the very last moment because with a little bit of hope and effort, you might pull through. If it doesn’t work out, learn from it and grow from it.

Don’t wait until tomorrow to start doing the things you love because you never know when something (like a global pandemic) could take away your opportunities to.

Get excited over the little things! Whether it’s getting a question right after struggling for a while or sharing a laugh with your friends, celebrate it.

Spend more time with your family and friends. Sometimes you do have to make sacrifices to stay in to study instead of going out, but most of the time you spend procrastinating or scrolling through TikTok or Instagram could be spent with the people you care about.

Life will never constantly carry the same vibes of a TikTok of people dancing in the rain to “Ribs” by Lorde. However, you’ll experience moments like these: reaching a personal target, staying up late and talking to friends or walking down the (kitchen?) aisle at graduation. So when they happen, keep dancing.