High School Commandments

High school is a tough transitioning time for adolescents worldwide. Middle schoolers have mixed feelings on what to expect in highschool and usually feel nervous about what others will think of them. Commandments or what we in modern day call rules, guide us on how we can live happily and respectfully. In biblical times, commandments were used as a way the people can know what God thinks is unacceptable behavior. Rules today are similar but varied because the rules can also be considered guidelines in which we follow to lead us in the right direction. Since many teens struggle on what are the right ways to act in highschool, so I have created commandments in which I think are essential for a positive high school experience.

The first commandment

I chose is “Thou shalt love thy self”, because I believe it is an important rule for wherever you are at. It is important to love yourself because high school is a time where you are experiencing many changes and some of them are scary but manageable. Your body is going through numerous uncontrollable changes. If you love yourself, the stress society puts on your body will slowly dissolve. Loving yourself includes loving others and complimenting them as well. To love yourself does not mean to be conceited and say your looks are superior to any one else’s, but it is to appreciate what God gave you and not destroy it.

The second commandment is “Remember to wash, Keep it clean”. Hygiene is ignored as a topic of discussion when in reality people are hardly informed about it. You should find products that agree with you, as well as help you smell better. Being clean also extends to being organized and making sure your mind is clean. Living in clutter can pollute your mind and cause you to forget things and also lose your items. Some people even believe that cleanliness is associated with how close your relationship with God is. Cleanliness is important because it frees you of clutter and makes you smell pleasant, so people will not avoid you.

“Thou shalt keep the negativity away” is the third commandment. Negativity can deeply affect the brain and even the body from the stress it brings. Negative vibes, intentions, words, people, and spirits are always roaming in the world so it is good to distance yourself from this. Negativity can control your life if you allow it to, but there are ways you can prevent negativity from doing this. You can pray to God for help, you can buy oils, or you can do a cleanse. Keeping away from negativity is important because it can consume your life and steer you away from goals you’ve set. Negativity is definitely something to steer away from due to its heavy pollutants it contains(in the forms of things).

The fourth commandment is “Thou shalt not wait until the last minute” Waiting until the last minute is a very unhealthy habit.

If you wait until the last minute your work will be done hastily and end up in a poor quality. When you take time to plan out your assignments and put thought into it, teachers will notice your improved work quality. Just the stress alone of rushed assignments create unwanted pressure. Taking time and putting in effort into your assignments raises your grade and shows your true potential. It is important to put forth your best effort into every assignment you complete and not wait until the last minute because it takes off unnecessary

stress.

“Thou shalt mind thy business” is the fifth commandment. Minding your own business may be a harsh way to say for you to not be nosy, but it actually is an important social skill. Being nosy is intrusive and disrespectful because you are not taking into consideration other’s right to privacy. Invasiveness shows lack of parental guidance, which makes you and your parents look as if you’re lacking education and morals. It is important to mind your own business, just as a common courtesy to others. You honestly do not need to know every aspect of what happens in a person’s life especially if it does not involve you.

The sixth commandment is “Thou shalt protect thy image” Your image is a depiction of how people first view you as a person based on the way that you project yourself.

If you are loud and obnoxious people will tend to be concerned about whether or not they can invite you places because of how you act. Your image is not only limited to the way you act but can extend to the way you dress. If you wear skimpy clothing or dirty clothes, people may think you are sloppy because you do not care about your appearance enough to wear cleaned, ironed clothes. I am not suggesting that you should alter the way you project yourself to please others but to just act in a respectable manner. It is important to conduct yourself in a manner that is appropriate for your surroundings because you are judged on first

appearances.

The seventh commandment is “Thou shalt not bully others” Bullying is someone superior taking advantage of another by intimidating them. Bullying is discussed everywhere and not tolerated in many schools. This should be easy to understand why it is not tolerated being that you are abusing another person to make yourself feel higher. Putting someone else’s self esteem lower shows lack of character. Bullying is commonly discussed and everyone has a basic knowledge of it, but there are many forms of bullying. Abuse in a harassing manner is an example of bullying. Bullying can occur throughout life and it is important to be aware of yourself and others to make sure you are not bullying or watching bullying happen. Preventing bullying is important because it saves an innocent person of constant abuse.

The eighth commandment is “Honour thy parents”. This may seem like an over exaggerated statement, but in modern times it seems as though respect for people older than you has been slowly dying out. You are supposed to cherish the old because they are more experienced and can offer an unlimited amount of knowledge. Honoring your parents does not mean that you have to praise everything they do. You definitely have the right to disagree with your parents but do not disrespect them. For example, if your parents ask you to remain in the house instead of going out, you should respect that by not sneaking out. You have the right to express your feelings and can be angry with your parents but it should not extend to the point where you are disrespecting your parents. Honoring your parents means to respect their opinions and to also act in a manner in which they ask you to, it also means you show the same respect to people who are older than you.

“Thou shall save money” is the ninth commandment. Saving money is a great skill which allows you to set goals. When you save money you are practicing how to be an adult (a terrible thing). You can save your money and use them on things you would like or even spend it on others. Saving money for spending gives you a little more independency because you are not relying on your parents to give you money all of the time.

“Thou shall enjoy thyself” is the tenth commandment. This is self explanatory for the most part. Enjoying yourself means to be happy with yourself and all that is going on in your life. Enjoy that you have homework because you are receiving education that others beg to have. Enjoy that you are alive, breathing and well. Enjoy the presence of others. To enjoy yourself is important because you learn to love yourself and life you’re living it also shows your thankfulness to God.

Some might become threatened when they hear of commandments. Fear of committing to complying with rules makes some people avoid laws. During high school, numerous rules are piled onto you and you are expected to maintain good grades and a social life while making sure your are contempt in mind and body. Commandments were given to the Israelites by God in order for them to gain an insight on God’s perspective of how he wanted them to act. Commandments of high school are not official rules but just an idea of what I believe every high school student should be educated about and practice. Commandments sum up how God expects us to act just as my commandments sum up how high school students should act.