Champ’s Guide

Champ’s guide to win The Life Challenge

People who are our own age are called our peers. They play a large role in our emotional well-being and social development. Every day we have to make different decisions and our social circle plays a big role in influencing our decisions. The influence of our peers on our decisions and behaviour is called peer pressure. Though it is usually perceived to be a negative thing, it can even be positive and help us become better. It all depends on the type of friends we make, how much we get influenced by them and whether we know the difference between right and wrong. To ensure that you don’t become a fool by trying to look cool in front of your peers, follow the following steps:

• Variety is good and having a set of friends makes life interesting but ensure that your friends are people who have the same set of ethics and values. This will ensure there is no drama, dilemma or conflict in future.
• Be a strong person and learn to say no. Remember no one can please everyone, every time. So just try to ensure that you are able to impress the most important person in your life, i.e., you yourself.
• Have a friendly relation with a trusted adult who can consult in difficult situations.
• Remember every individual is different and has different likes and dislikes. There is no universal formula which states that you have to do same things are your peers to be accepted by them.
• Develop will power and self-control. These positive traits are not needed to combat peer pressure but also to become successful and happy.

Being depressed or sad is normal. And experiencing these emotions sometimes is an unavoidable part of our journey of life. However while experiencing these emotions, we must never forget that there is a dawn after every dusk. A champion is not someone who never falls, he is just someone who always gets up after every fall. He doesn’t sit and weep when he fails but rather uses his failures to become stronger and better. And remember, it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. Rather is a sign of being wise. Here are some tips to make you feel better:

• Count your blessings. It is very easy to focus only on the negatives of life whenever we are faced with problems. However, we all have so many things to be grateful for. Everyday try to spend 5-10 minutes counting your blessings. This will brighten you up.
• Treat failures as learning lessons. Instead of being dejected, try to learn from your failures and become better.
• Leave past in past. As they say, to err is to human. We all make mistakes. There is no point in dwelling too much on them. Just make sure to learn your lessons so that you never repeat them again.
• Never lose hope. Giving up is a sign of cowardliness and weakness. If you feel too weak to continue, talk to a trusted elder and seek their help.

Life is journey. And sense of purpose gives us an idea of the destination of our journey. Without knowing the destination, it is normal to feel lost. However, don’t be too harsh on yourself. Maybe it is just a temporary phase. Some lows are needed to appreciate the highs of life. Here are some tips to get yourself back on track:

• List down your long-term goals. Imagine where you want to see yourself in 5 years from now. Now analyse them and devise your short-term goals. Focus on these short-term goals to reach your destination.
• Every day spend at least 10 minutes of quality time with yourself. Sit in a comfortable, quiet place and have a pep talk with yourself.
• Help others. Helping others is known to be the best and easiest way to help yourself. Try to do at least one good activity every day and see how it improves your well-being and overall life.