For young people growing up in today’s world, life can be overwhelming, difficult and full of pressures. Diana Award Holder Domenique knows these pressures all too well, but she believes that young people hold the power to overcome these challenges and become a Superhero in their own right.
I was a self-proclaimed perfectionist, crippled with the fear of failure and I hated it. Being a perfectionist can often be confused as being a high-achiever. High-achievers set goals and work hard towards them, but perfectionists can never be satisfied doing the great job they’re already doing to achieve what they want, and instead tend to believe that they can’t be happy until they’ve achieved that goal. Instead of being a perfectionist, set out to be a high-achiever. You can work hard to reach success, whatever it means to you, but enjoy the journey, appreciate each step, strive and grow in the present. If you don’t, it’ll fly past all too quickly, believe me. If you learn to relish in the moment, it’ll make that overall accomplishment that much sweeter.
We face enough stress in our lives without putting even more on ourselves, sometimes without even realizing it. The first step towards easing off of yourself is to realize when you might be making things harder, unnecessarily. Life doesn’t always happen the way it plays out in our heads, but that’s what makes it exciting. Learn what you can do to stop self-sabotaging and release your stress. It could be anything; reading a book, taking your dog for a walk, going to the gym, baking. It’s okay to be a little selfish; make time for you and your mental health. If you’re also ever feeling way over your head about something that’s happening in your life, instead of bottling it in and keeping it to yourself, turn to someone you trust; a family member, your best friend, a teacher.
You should never be ashamed or embarrassed about how you’re feeling. I know when I was growing up, I never verbalised my confusion, worry, hurt or anger at what was happening in my life. I thought if I did speak openly about how I was feeling, I’d be a burden to listeners but I once I opened up, I learnt I wasn’t. Those closest to you want you to share, they want to support and want you to do well.
What happens if you look at yourself how other people see you? It’s funny how we tend to remember all the negative comments ever said about us and not the positive. Next time instead of critiquing yourself, stop, take a breath and really look at what you’ve achieved, not just for your community, but for yourself. Stop comparing yourself to others and really let the compliments you’ve ever received sink in, don’t brush them off. You’re incredible, don’t ever forget that.
The next time you think, “Am I enough?”, know that you are. The next time you think, “Why can’t I be perfect?” No one’s perfect, if everyone was, we wouldn’t have Superhero’s like you who want to do good in this world. Life isn’t about ticking boxes off in a checklist of life, it’s about making mistakes, taking chances, getting creative, appreciating moments and growing each and every day, no matter how old you are. After all, even Superhero’s need a break to check in with themselves.
So trust me, you’re doing great.
The Diana Award recently launched our first Youth Insights Report, focused on Youth Voice in Politics. To ensure youth involvement from the ground up, we involved Peer Researchers throughout the process to help connect us with the stories and experiences of young people. Follow Peer Researchers Gracie and Arthur, as they journey towards improving levels of youth engagement in politics and discuss the power of young people as facilitators, analysts, and champions for change.
International Youth Day, celebrated annually on 12 August, is a global celebration of the contributions, aspirations, and potential of young people around the world. It is a day of significance at The Diana Award, and to celebrate this year, we asked two young people from across our programmes to talk about a topic close to their hearts. This article, written by Iola Nkau, Co-producer on The Diana Award Young Changemakers Programme, highlights the difficulty young people have in finding and accessing GP services. The second article, written by Centre for Social Action Co-Designer, Obinna Emmanuel Ezeani, highlights the need for youth inclusion and diverse representation in decision-making processes.
International Youth Day, celebrated annually on 12 August, is a global celebration of the contributions, aspirations, and potential of young people around the world. It is a day of significance at The Diana Award, and to celebrate this year, we asked two young people from across our programmes to talk about a topic close to their hearts. This article, written by Iola Nkau, Co-producer on The Diana Award Young Changemakers Programme, highlights the difficulty young people have in finding and accessing GP services. The second article, written by Centre for Social Action Co-Designer, Obinna Emmanuel Ezeani, highlights the need for youth inclusion and diverse representation in decision-making processes.
