Ever noticed that the things that mould us into who we are and perhaps who we eventually become in life is actually a whole sum of different things combined from the basic areas around which our life revolve?

HOME: Charity begins at home!

Love; we start to understand what it is right from the little kisses and cuddles we received as babies and in most cases, we’ll carry it on to other people in emulation.
Support; right from when mum or dad is encouraging you to ride that little bike or giving you the present they promised if you made it to number one position in class.

Obedience; of course we remember the times when we made our parents mad. I’m sure you’re thankful they went that far to teach you the value of obedience.

FRIENDS: Show me your friend and I’ll tell you who you are!
Relationships; the people around us influence the kind of relationships we have with different people, how we handle them, etc. right friends influence them in the right way and the vice versa is also true.

Character and attitudes; psychology confirms that your character is that of your seven closest friends! Can you imagine?

Someone once said; "attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?” please ask yourself and do something about it if you need to.

Appreciation; I think it is when we appreciate one another that we can say we’ve learnt to live with one another. Our friends are the practicing field.

SCHOOL: "Education is a lifelong experience. Experience is a lifelong education.” The two don’t part ways. School has taught me this and I’m sure it hasn’t taught me alone.
Independence; without your parents or relatives to be behind you 24/7, in school, we learn how to stand up for ourselves and prove our own worth by working for ourselves! If you’re in it, value it as much as you can! If you’re out of it, be thankful! Not many have your privilege.

THE OUTER WORLD

Labor; we get nothing sweet from the world that we haven’t worked for. Even gifts! You must be deserving of a gift either by doing something or being something. Either way, you’ve directly or indirectly paid a price.

Self-management; especially when we get out of high school, we have to be in charge ourselves or else, no one will.

Family; somehow, all these values that life teaches us, we take and use these very tools while setting up a home and a family! It’s passed on through generations and the cycle of life continues.

Whether refined or not, the world has played its part… it’s your turn now!

The author is a S.5 student at Riviera High School.
hozatash@yahoo.com