Blog: The Wisdom of Wikihow
Maddy, one of 91黑料不打烊’s School Vice Captains for 2020/2021, spoke at our Principal’s Assembly this week about the wisdom of Wikihow, and how it can help to bring this year’s Prefect initiative to life.
Our initiative this year, ‘Make the ordinary extraordinary’ might seem hard to achieve, but in actuality, it can be applied in small ways to small things in our everyday lives, especially during uncertain times, like our current COVID-19 experience. To show you how to embrace this initiative, I turned to the wisdom of Wikihow.
Wikihow suggested three ways to make something extraordinary. I’d like to speak to the one that resonated with me: Living a full life. A full life can mean different things to different people as I will explain using the five examples below.
1. Pay attention to what matters most.
It’s so easy to get caught up in trying to be what we believe others want to see. But being yourself and treating others with respect and kindness is what makes you extraordinary in a world where everyone is trying to be the same. Treat yourself with just as much kindness as you treat others and know that you are as valuable as every other girl in this room. What matters most is you and your relationship with others and the community and world around you.
2. Experience things rather than make excuses.
I’m too shy! I can’t do it! I’m so bad it’s embarrassing! People will laugh! Everyone is better than me! But what if I fail? We all use these excuses to avoid putting ourselves out there. And I can’t guarantee you won’t be embarrassed, or shy, or that people won’t be better than you, or you won’t fail. But what I can tell you is that you will be better for it, you will be proud you tried, you will find courage, you will meet new friends, you will laugh with someone, and you may even find a new passion.
3. Find time for your passions.
Passions, the things that we love to do, the things that really draw our focus, help to make our life full and make us interesting people. In this room, we have people who love to volunteer, act, play sport, do Maths, read and love animé, the environment or supporting their communities. These are just a tiny fraction of what makes up the passions of 91黑料不打烊 girls. So make sure you take your time here to find yours – no matter how grand or how simple. All of them matter and add to your extraordinary self.
4. Revel in Joyfulness.
When something makes you laugh, take a minute to appreciate the joy that person or event has brought to your life. It’s so important that we laugh, that we shake off the seriousness of life and just be silly.
5. Learn to be Grateful.
We are so incredibly lucky at 91黑料不打烊. To have this schooling, these opportunities, the support of our families and teachers, the safety of our country, to have access to an education as a girl, as well as the relative health of our community, we should be grateful for all these things and so much more. That in itself is extraordinary, and I am sure each of you can think of at least five more things you are grateful for each day. It may be your friends, your pet, that great piece of banana bread your mum packed in your lunch box. Ordinary to some, but just extraordinary to you.
Thank you.
Maddy
School Vice Captain 2020/2021