AN OPEN LETTER TO STUDENTS:

You are unique, and that makes you special. When you understand yourself, you do not only come
to appreciate and value who you are; understanding yourself also helps you to respect others and relate
with them meaningfully. When you know yourself more, you are empowered to cope well with the demands
in school, at home, and of your relationships with others. By becoming aware of yourself, you are more
equipped to accept yourself and be more open for self-improvement. A deeper understanding of who you
are allows you to see your potentials and utilizing them to the fullest. Becoming self-aware helps create
your own individuality and promotes wiser decision-making when confronted with critical issues in life such
as setting goals, making career choices and relating with significant others. Awareness of your strengths
boosts your confidence.
Rejection is a primary issue during adolescence. The pains brought about by not belonging,
unaccepted, and being alone place a teenager in a difficult situation. Frustrations and other negative
emotions may make adolescence a problematic or challenging period for many teenagers. It is only through
self-acceptance that you become brave enough to face the “whole you.”
To successfully make social adjustments, you need to enhance your social skills. You should stand
your grand, do what you think is right and what is wrong. Being focused will assist you in the journey on
how you want to live your life. A personal journey may be a lot smoother when you know what roads to
travel and which crossroads to take and committing one’s self to do good. The way to overcome the
negative feelings is to challenge your negative thoughts. Remember that ignoring your negative thoughts
would not drive them away. Taking control of your thoughts and your emotions is an indicator that you are
slowly maturing.
Growing up is never easy. You need to put away your childish ways and start doing things by
yourself. However, you need not to be shy to ask for help with things that you cannot do by yourself. Being
self-reliant and independent does not happen overnight. You need the support of the significant persons in
your life to be so. Mastering the development task means hard work and patience; yet you have to always
remember you can do it. The ups and downs of adolescence are more meaningful when shared with
people who care for you. You should only disclosed things about yourself with persons whom you truly
trust. Adolescence is full of challenges because it is a stage of “becoming” rather than “being.” You need to
work hard to master the developmental tasks by maintaining a positive attitude toward the changes you go
through. Convert each difficulty into opportunities to learn and grow. Be firm with your resolve that you are
a good person. Be brave to improve the things that you can and embrace the things that you cannot. I want
to see you successful someday! Always have a strong sense of self-esteem and the capacity for empathy;
know right from wrong; and develop good judgment.
One of the most difficult challenges that you encounter as a teenager is finding a sense of identity.
Successful formation identity will lead to healthy academic, social and psychological functioning. Rejection
ay cause depression if not handled well. Learn to accept what you feel. When you feel sad, angry or
envious, you need to embrace those feelings because they are real emotions. Identify your vulnerabilities.
Develop your talents and interests. Attaining positive self-esteem helps boost your psychological well-
being. Mastering skills and honing talents do not happen overnight. Confidence is not simply gained by just
believing you have it; rather you see yourself growing with confidence, seen the things you can do and
figure out how far you can go. Know your interests or things that you enjoy doing. Divert your attention from
the challenges of life. Become more involved with others. Happy people attain happiness through helping
others and sharing what they have with others. Involvement with others allows you to appreciate what you
have and gives you lesser time to think what you do not have. Seek help when needed. Asking for help is
as beneficial as helping others. A teenager still has to learn a lot of ways to be effective and psychologically
healthy. Asking for help or assistance is a measure to prevent things from being complicated or getting
worse. You may ask help from any trusted adult such as parent, teacher and a guidance counselor.
Stress is part of growing up. You may feel pressure in everything you do, both in home and in
school. Stress can motivate you to work harder to get what you want. Stress can challenge and motivate
you to find creative solutions to your concerns. Stress can be more overwhelming when you know how to
turn stressful events in your life into opportunities. To deal with your troubles more effectively, you need to
know how to solve problems. Having a support group will help you cope with stress. A support group may
simply be your friends who accompany you in this journey. Your parents are important persons in your life
whom you can ask for support during difficult times. Pausing to do things does not entirely mean that you
are running away from your responsibilities or difficulties; rather it refers to stepping back to be able to see
the whole picture. Engaging in physical activities such as walking and playing games will divert your
attention to buff your emotional pains. Always create a chance to clear your mind and see things in a more
rational manner. When you deal with stress, you have to learn to comfort yourself. When you experience
rejection, listen to others’ criticism, take them constructively and accept your faults. Always remember that
you deserved to be treated well. Comfort yourself by believing that your limitations do not make you who
you are; rather your choice of being a good person–of improving yourself–is what matters most. There is
nothing wrong in crying in the privacy of your room and/or the company of trusted friends or adults. Crying
can clear your mind and release tensions. Crying your heart out relieves you from heavy feelings, which
keep you from thinking objectively and making wise decisions. A first aid to deal with stress is talking about
what you feel and what you think about your situation. Catharsis is releasing your pent-up emotions, which
is achieved through talking and crying.