Common Ground

 Finding Togetherness

Disclaimer: I am going to use quite a few "Mean Girls" references here :)

Let me start off with the obvious. We have all hated on a girl we barely know for empty-headed reasons that do not deserve the "hate her" tag. 

Now, I want to ask everyone reading, is it worth it to not meet an amazing, different and interesting person because of a baseless reason? More so now that we have a very limited amount of time as schoolers? 

I am not implying that we be best of friends but finding a common ground, a safe and sane place where we all stand together without animosity is quite an aspiration to have. 

How to find this common ground? 

✰Recognise one common problem: 

Girl world is an anthill. So much is going on around every individual yet  we fail to recognise the fact that everyone deals with the same issues as we do. Even the proclaimed "queen bee" has felt the same issues as anyone else. Knowing that everyone deals with the same problems can create the empathy which can seal all frayed ends.

✰Acknowledge the damage:

                                                            

Rather than ignoring and living with every bitter word and snarky comment, it is so much better to get it out in the open and apologise for everything everyone holds a grudge about. 

This way, the situation is acknowledged and remedied. 

                            

✰Learn to trust:

After you've made your apology, make your peace offering a pact to trust. To trust them not to repeat and to turn over a new leaf. A simple feeling of being trusted and and the mindfulness to not break that new found trust helps like cool menthol over those burns. After all, there's got to be a beginning.

✰Accept that some things will never change:

As blatant as it sounds, some people just will never change their attitude despite one's best efforts. The prudent thing to do is, let them not get under your skin and embrace the new found bond among your other peers. After all, life is too short to not shake it off. 

✰Retain that friendliness:

One thumb rule here is to not be fake with this. Your apologies and pacts should last more than that hour long workshop. Just simple and positive words of affirmation and genuine smiles are more than enough. Now I am not asking you to act like long-lost sisters, but try and smooth over those cracks with a healthier approach and watch every last bit of poison being eliminated. 

Let me get more cutesy here and say that these years of high school are never going to come back the same way. Sure, you may meet the people again, but not with the same teenage mind, the same thoughts and in the same way. Rather than hating your high school years because she hated you, think about reminiscing about them years later as time of finding amazing everlasting friendships. These years are not coming again and it is entirely our choice as to how we want to look back on them. And I trust the one reading this to hopefully smile more, and talk behind less. 

Until next time,
Pushti