Spend time making memories with your friends… Not staring at your phones. Do things. Go to the movies. Sing songs and rate them. Try a blind karaoke challenge. Play a pick up game of basketball against younger neighborhood kids. Let them win. Have fun for the purpose of having fun, not for Instagram likes. Laugh loud and so heartily that your friends join in and you can’t even remember what made you laugh in the first place.
Try something new. Always wanted to learn how to rollerblade? Watch a Youtube video and try it! Find a recipe and make it from scratch. Research Feng Shui and rearrange your bedroom. When you have the urge to order the same Snowball flavor you’ve ordered your whole life, resist and TRY an intriguing flavor. If a friend has an interesting hobby, try it with them.
Sit down with your thoughts. Journal them. Don’t be afraid to be real with yourself. Write a little each night or each morning. Capture your days and record the glimmers of joy you found each day. Look for the good and you will find more good.
Spend some time improving yourself. Getting ready to take the SAT? Practice tests will help you figure out what you need to work on. If athletics are your jam, practice makes perfect. Work on your form. Does writing make you nervous? The only way to get better is to write more.
Get lost in a good book. It can be audio or physical, digital or paper. Magazines on your favorite topics are great too. Keep reading. If you liked a certain author, look them up on https://www.literature-map.com/ to find other authors you might love. Go to your local libraries. There are cool community programs going on there. You might make a new friend or find a new passion. Explore different genres. Check out Booktok for recommendations or ask your friends and family what books they have enjoyed. Start a summer book club with your friends. Ask your English teacher.
Give someone a compliment each day. If you admire a stranger’s outfit, tell them! If your sibling does something nice for you, let them know how much you appreciate it. See someone handle a difficult customer, tell them they are doing a good job. Look for the good in other people and celebrate it.
Watch 90’s movies. There was a certain magic in those days. Pay attention to the soundtracks. They were epic as were the fashion choices. Ask your teachers for recommendations. Make a list and check it off as you go. Host a 90s movie marathon with your friends and rank them.
Take a photo a day to commemorate your summer. It could be a selfie in a special place, a photo of your pet, a beautiful sunset. Appreciate each day. Share your album.
Be you. Love being you. Celebrate all the things that make you you. Be unapologetically you. Your job is to figure out who you are. What you stand for. What you want to be or do will follow.
