Today’s Brilliance from Jessica Bacon

Wisdom is knowing how to appropriately use the knowledge you have already acquired, but to pass on what I’ve learned in five hundred words is a challenge.

As a incoming Sophomore in high school, I have seen how many children and young adults act under today’s pressured society. Many have caved into peer pressure wanting to be seen and popular, yet afraid to walk down the hallway without being judged. So many are afraid to show what true talents and works of art they can be associated with, but too weary of how they may be reflected back by their community.

As a victim of being bullied throughout my 8th grade year, I found my own ways to prosper and thrive outside of this shelter of judgement and misunderstood “rankings” of childhood. I had the fortune of stumbling upon my dream career so early in life, and even more fortunate to serve for an amazing organization, with what talents I had.

It does not matter what other children, young adults, or adults think of you, as long as you are doing what you love and contribute to your community and the people around you for the better of the world.

I stick to this moral whenever I find myself caught between kids who think I am trying too hard or adults who think I have done too much and assume I am “not living for the moment”. I believe that if you are doing what you enjoy and benefit from it, then the moment is yours.

Attitude will always matter. Don’t ever be discouraged, and then again, never be discouraging. The support you will need is always right around the corner, coming from parents, family, leaders, role models, friends and such! The key to achievement is the acceptance of recognizing when you are wrong or in need in help.

I’d studied meteorology for three years, severe weather in particular, but was unable to forecast a single storm until I learned from my mistakes. The number of friends and mentors assisting me with my many questions were infinite during the process of making my first accurate forecast of a tornado days in advance. I also have to face when I’m wrong, and the consequences that might be be affiliated with them.

Opportunities aren’t rare, but they aren’t abundant either. I’ve had many opportunities entering this field, some of which were impossible due to age, but from those missed opportunities came more! They just might not be what you’d expect.

Say if you miss out on a trip, in my case a deployment to a disaster stricken area, I still have the chance to listen and learn from my teammates who had gone. This gives you the knowledge of what you might be seeing when you are in their position, and the wisdom of knowing what has happened in the past and how to approach issues found in the future.

If you know what matters to you, it will matter to everyone.