![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Finding Solace in a Gratitude Journal
I am a pessimist. I have always seen the glass as half-empty, and I have never been able to make out the silver lining.
As high school students, pessimists or not, we have all been bogged down by negativity at one time or another, whether it’s because of a bad test grade or a small misunderstanding.
I have always tried to justify my pessimism by believing that if I expect the worst, I will not disappoint myself. But, after years of living with this attitude, I have finally come to understand its antithesis — gratitude and optimism. As cliché as it may sound, I realized that we truly do forget to be thankful for the day-to-day happenings that make life just a little bit better.
In the beginning of my sophomore year, I started a “gratitude journal:” a diary in which I write one positive thing that happens to me each day. At first, I found myself pondering journal entries for hours on end, unable to recall a single positive occurrence. I repeatedly zoomed in on the unfavorable incidents of the day, merely overlooking the hundreds (yes, hundreds) of “good” ones. I was stuck in the mindset that each entry had to consist of a grand event such as winning an award or taking a vacation, when, in fact, it should have been just the opposite.
As time moved forward, the daily accounts slowly became a routine part of my life. The entries became increasingly easier to formulate, to the point where I had to decide between a few possibilities. I realized that I was surrounded by things to be thankful for, from the friend who lent me a pencil to the nine hours of sleep I got the night before. While my entries were simple and seemingly inconsequential, they held just enough meaning to put a smile on my face.
Perhaps the most impactful part of the journal, however, is re-reading my entries. Going through my journal frequently relieves my stress and increases my productivity. During bad times, it reminds me to keep my chin up, because circumstances are never as dour as they seem.
After I began my journal, I progressively became more aware of the positives in my life. Constantly on the look out for potential journal entries, appreciation-worthy moments suddenly started emerging anywhere and everywhere. I later registered that these phenomena had always been there; I just hadn’t noticed them before.
And ever since, I have fully cherished every subsequent trip to Baskin Robbins and family movie night – the little things in life.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on March 12, 2014
Anokhi Saklecha (12) is the Global Editor for the Winged Post. She has been in the journalism program for the past three years. She loves the creativity,...