Reinventing Yourself and The Courage To Be You
The beginning of a new school year, it’s quite poetic in a way. The day before school starts is almost like New Year’s Eve. New hair, new clothes, new people, and a new sense of self. The summer for me is a pretty still time, a lot of daydreaming and a lot of meditation. This is the time where I look at my life with a magnifying glass and see what I like…and I see what I would like to change. I look back at all the mistakes I made last year and I get excited about all the new possibilities that await me. This is also a scary time because it is so easy to slip back into old habits and we all start to dread the endless days of boredom and pencil shavings. Luckily it doesn’t have to be like that. We all have the potential to do great things and I challenge all of you to have the courage to be you.
So many of us feel afraid to be our true selves (including myself), mainly due to the chance of rejection and also because it’s much easier to just sit in the back of class, look out the window, and blend into our natural habitat. I honestly think that life is too short and too precious to sit back and watch the clock tick. Obviously we will all (mostly) be excited about school starting, but then a few weeks will go by and we will all remember why we hated it in the first place. These next few months are going to be really exciting and I think we should feel that way all year round. Being yourself doesn’t always mean that you have to find yourself right away. I believe that in the process of being yourself, you will find yourself.
My new mantra is “Find the magic in yourself”. I remind myself this all the time because I think it is so important that we listen to the beat of our own drum and follow where ever it takes us. You will always know what’s best for you and I think that finding yourself is crucial to your happiness. This will not be another year of regrets, this will be the year of second chances, and the year where we all become one with the earth and with ourselves. I have recently decided that I want to follow where my heart takes me and not discourage myself because of others opinions. In times of disappointment and confusion, I will not try and change something about myself to hide the fact that I am unhappy. Also I encourage all of you to really set a goal for this school year. It doesn’t have to be about grades necessarily but it should be something that has been itching at you for months, or even something you have always wanted to be or do.
You control your own destiny and there is no better time than now to become your best self. We all need to stop creating little dreamlands in our heads where we are exactly where we want to be in life. Let’s stop living through movies and instead turn our lives into them. Wear your favorite character like a raincoat, turn your fantasy into your reality, and never underestimate the power of dedication. Connect with your mind, body, and soul through your spirituality. Find peace within yourself and become one with the seasons. Shed what doesn’t serve this fall, jump on the crunchy leaves as if they were all the mistakes you made last year, and pick the apples from the trees to symbolize all of the great opportunities you are about to reap. You are beautiful inside and out and it’s about time that the world knew it as well.
On a lighter note, I thought it would be nice to also add on here my back to school list! Here are all of my favorite movies, TV shows, and albums that help me out during this crazy time. I think these will help in making the transition between the stillness of summer to the hub-bub of everyday school life. I really hope you enjoy these little gems and have a lovely day!
Back to School List
Mermaids (1990) dir. Richard Benjamin
“An unconventional single mother relocates with her two daughters to a small Massachusetts town in 1963, where a number of events and relationships both challenge and strengthen their familial bonds.”
Wild Heart (1983) by Stevie Nicks
“The Wild Heart is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks. Recording began in late 1982, shortly after the end of Fleetwood Mac's Mirage Tour.” (My favorite track is “Nightbird”)
Palo Alto (2012) dir. Gia Coppola
“A lack of parental guidance encourages teens in an affluent California town to rebel with substance abuse and casual sex.”
Salad Days (2014) by Mac DeMarco
“Salad Days is the second full-length studio album by Canadian musician Mac DeMarco released on April 1, 2014 through Captured Tracks.” (My favorite track is “Chamber of Reflection”)
Pretty In Pink (1986) dir. Howard Deutch
“Andie (Molly Ringwald) is an outcast at her Chicago high school, hanging out either with her older boss (Annie Potts), who owns the record store where she works, or her quirky classmate Duckie (Jon Cryer), who has a crush on her. When one of the rich and popular kids at school, Blane (Andrew McCarthy), asks Andie out, it seems too good to be true. As Andie starts falling for Blane, she begins to realize that dating someone from a different social sphere is not easy.”
Parallel Lines (1978) by Blondie
“Parallel Lines is the third studio album by the American rock band Blondie, released in September 1978 by Chrysalis Records.” (My favorite track is “Heart of Glass”)
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1982) dir. Lou Adler
“Corinne Burns (Diane Lane) is a typical frustrated teenager living in a nowhere town until she catches punk band the Looters. Bewitched by the whole punk scene, she and her fledgling band, the Stains, join the tour, and in no time at all become media magnets. The band forms a rabid following of young girls, while Corrine begins a relationship with Looters singer Billy (Ray Winstone). As the Stains get bigger and bigger, however, Corinne's ambition gets the better of her.”
Queens of Noise (1977) by The Runaways
“Queens of Noise is the second studio album by the American rock band The Runaways. Released in January 1977 on Mercury Records, it is fundamentally a hard rock album, although it also exhibits influences from punk rock, heavy metal, and blues rock.” (My favorite track is “Born to be Bad”)
American Beauty (1999) dir. Sam Mendes
“Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a gainfully employed suburban husband and father. Fed up with his boring, stagnant existence, he quits his job and decides to reinvent himself as a pot-smoking, responsibility-shirking teenager. What follows is at once cynical, hysterical, and, eventually, tragically uplifting.”
Live through This (1994) by Hole
“Live Through This is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. It was released by DGC Records on April 12, 1994, just four days after frontwoman Courtney Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, was found dead in their home” (My favorite track is “Rock Star”)
Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) creator Paul Feig
“After her grandmother's death, a high school mathlete starts hanging out with a group of burnouts while her younger brother navigates his freshman year.”
Disraeli Gears (1967) by Cream
“Disraeli Gears is the second studio album by the English rock band Cream. It was released in November 1967 and went on to reach No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart” (My favorite track is “Dance the Night Away”)
My So Called Life (1994-1995) creator Winnie Holzman
"My So-Called Life" is a bastion of teen angst. Angela is a high schooler in constant turmoil over her exposure to boys, friends, drugs, sex ... basically the normal 1990s teen trappings. Many a plot revolves around Angela's crush on heartthrob Jordan Catalano.”
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? (1993) by The Cranberries
“Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? is the debut album by Irish rock band The Cranberries. Released in 1993, it was their first full-length album after having released four EPs, and is also their first major label release.” (My favorite track is “Sunday”)
Velvet Goldmine (1998) dir. Todd Haynes
“In 1984, British journalist Arthur Stuart investigates the career of 1970s glam superstar Brian Slade, who was heavily influenced in his early years by hard-living and rebellious American singer Curt Wild.”
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972) by David Bowie
“The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is the fifth studio album by English musician David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a fictional rock star named Ziggy Stardust.” (My favorite track is “Starman”)
Prozac Nation (2001) dir. Erik Skjoldbjaerg
“Based on the best selling novel, set in the mid 1980's before the prevalence of anti-depressants, it follows a young working class woman's (Christina Ricci) bout with depression during her first year at Harvard. The film explores this generation's struggle to navigate the effects of divorce, drugs, sex, and an overbearing mother (Jessica Lange)”
Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal (1974) by Lou Reed
“Rock n Roll Animal is a live album by Lou Reed, released in 1974. In its original form, it features five songs, four of which are Velvet Underground songs. They are all re-arranged into what will later be called a powerful glam rock set.” (My favorite track is “Heroin”)
Jawbreaker (1999) dir. Darren Stein
“When an exclusive clique of teenage socialites accidentally murders their best friend, Liz (Charlotte Roldan), on the morning of her birthday, the three girls responsible -- Courtney (Rose McGowan), Julie (Rebecca Gayheart) and Marcie (Julie Benz) -- conspire to hide the truth. As the trio make over nerdy reject Fern Mayo (Judy Greer) and groom her to take Liz's place, crack police Detective Vera Cruz (Pam Grier) launches an investigation that will turn Reagan High School upside down.”
Last Splash (1993) by The Breeders
“Last Splash is the second album by indie rock band The Breeders, released August 1993. Originally formed as a side project for Pixies bassist Kim Deal, The Breeders quickly became her primary recording outlet.” (My favorite track is “Do you love me now?”)
