Lessons Learned

Habit No. 7

Habit No. 7: Sharpen the saw.

"It's 'me time'."

Time-Out. Habit number seven helps you to keep yourself in check. Your whole self. It's important to balance the four main parts of your self as a person (the body, mind, heart, & soul), because if one part of you is lacking, the others shall soon follow. Here's how to keep yourself in check, and sharpen the saw.

Body. As a teenager, puberty should be expected and accepted. Some key ways to care for your new or transitioning body are

·exercise

·relaxation

·healthy eating

·sleeping a substantial amount

You may exercise to keep those abs toned or sustain those Michelle Obama arms. Exercise is a not-always-easy but efficient way to stay fit and feel great. Relaxation is very important for your body, because too much work can stress and ruin your body. Remember to release the tension. Healthy eating is one of the most important ways to keep your body healthy because too much intake of fattening junk can slow you down, beef you up, and cause major health problems. Also, when you take care of your body, always keep in mind that you don't have to look like the Rock or Gabby Douglas. This is about how you feel, and as long as you're up and moving, you don't have to be America's Next Top Model.

Mind. Learning in school is very important, but you can sharpen your mind in more ways than one. Reading consistently will open your mind to things you may not have thought of previously. Participating in debate can give you so much insight in fields you might not have understood. Doing crosswords can expand your vocabulary. Watching the news will let you better understand what's happening in the world. And of course you can always start paying attention in class instead of staring at Jessie. The teachers actually know what they're talking about, and believe it or not they'll give you some interesting if not useful information that you can use later. Although don't let school cloud your vision and make you think it's the only place you can learn. You can learn to play an instrument or a sport, change a diaper or motor oil, any skill you adopt will be useful. And if not, your brain is still sharper for knowing how to do something new. Adopting a new skill also makes you think differently. Sometimes you'll need an example to learn, and you'll understand it better if you treat that quadratic equation like a dirty diaper.

Heart. It is very easy to hit the pothole of depression. But if you know how to care for your heart, you'll swerve from it. The first step to avoiding this particular pothole is to remember to keep a positive paradigm of life. If you can see the world through a lens that has a thumbs-up on it, you're already one space up on the totem pole of happiness and serenity. The next step is to continuously practice Habit one by being proactive. Then you remember to keep open and honest relationships. Keep your feelings out in the open, seek to be understood. After all, you're human too and need to let some things out. It's a good way to remain proactive, not keeping all your teenage emotions in your Pepsi can of a heart. Another key way to keeping a healthy heart is to laugh. We laugh to keep from crying. Scientifically, laughing reduces stress and unhappiness. So, have at it. Watch a funny movie, read a funny book, or even just hang around that Kevin Hart of a friend. Laughing is like laying a fresh new street right on top of that pothole of depression.

Soul. Caring for your soul should be the easiest saw to sharpen. Stay surrounded by that which inspires you. Meditate, keep a journal, write a poem, or listen to music. Give yourself peaceful time to reflect on your feelings and actions. This is a great time to decide whether or not you've been practicing the seven Habits, and to decide whether or not you want to change something about yourself. Take this time to self-motivate, because others can say to you every word in the book, but true motivation comes from within. So always remind yourself, you can do it!