Graduating from high school is one of the most highly anticipated and noteworthy moments in life. In terms of memorable stepping stones, it’s easily compared to attaining a college degree, being offered your first job, buying a home, and even getting married. While countless adults look back on their high school years fondly, the unfortunate truth is that too many people regret certain aspects of their youths. Looking back, it’s often easy to identify missed experiences and opportunities; hindsight is, after all, twenty-twenty. For those who have yet to complete this meaningful rite of passage, however, there’s still time to live this period of life to the fullest. Here are five things you should seriously consider doing before you graduate.

1. Participate in More School Activities

Upon reflection, many individuals wish they had been more involved in the activities and opportunities provided to them by their high schools. Prom, for example, may seem insignificant now, but choosing to skip it is a decision you can’t take back later. Likewise, extracurricular activities, such as basketball, band, and debate, help prepare you for success in college. You only get to enjoy things like this for free for a very short while; take advantage of them while you can.

2. Spend Time with Family and Friends

On the flip side, it’s also easy to get so caught up in your extracurriculars that you miss out on important, quality time with friends and family. There will be very few periods in your life when you will have this much free time to spend the way you choose. After high school, you can get bogged down by work, chores, and other daily responsibilities. Cherish the moments you have with those you care about. The memories you make with loved ones today will mean a lot to you in the future.

3. Sign Up for Auto Shop and Home Economics

Contrary to popular belief among teens, being an adult is hard. As you get older, there will be all sorts of requirements expected of you, including cooking for yourself and taking care of your car. Reliable transportation is an absolute must in today’s society and frozen pizzas will only get you so far. While focusing on academics is vital, it’s just as important to acquire useful life skills like these during high school. Taking an auto shop or home economics class now will make you more self-sufficient, save you money, alleviate future stress, and enable you to live a healthier lifestyle.

4. Focus on Building Healthy Habits

It may be hard to believe, but you won’t be this young forever. That’s why it’s so important to begin taking care of your body now. Starting to build healthy habits, like regularly brushing your teeth, running in the morning, and eating right, will set you up for a long and productive life. Don’t automatically assume you can make up for eating a whole pack of Oreo cookies when you’re older – it’s much more difficult to break a bad habit than it is to establish a good one.

5. Travel Abroad

When you’re in high school, it’s easy to forget there’s a much larger world out there. There are people who speak different languages, drastically diverse cultures, awe-inspiring historical monuments, and natural wonders that will take your breath away. With so many things to see and experience, it’s utterly impossible to do it all. That’s why you need to start now. Whether you travel through a study abroad program or with family on a vacation, visiting another country at least once before you graduate will open your eyes to what the world around you truly has to offer.

Contributed by Amanda Vosloh Bowyer

Self-fulfillment in the Information Age

How do you describe yourself? Are we just a reflection of our family, friends, and acquaintances? Or are we more?

Many of our past articles here at The Young Leader dig into social media, and our message has always focused on offering experiences—opportunities for you to express yourself, jump out of your comfort zone, and discover what engages you. In a word, we care about and want to support your self-fulfillment.

Within this brief article, we’ll unpack this word and explore why this idea matters a great deal for our personal lives.

In short, self-fulfillment involves realizing your deepest desires and capacities. It’s a fluid concept that transcends keywords, text, images, video, and even our most vivid memories. But at the same time, self-fulfillment doesn’t at all require us to isolate ourselves or engage in extensive self-reflection. We realize our capacities through the kindness and perspective of others; we experience our deepest desires with those we cherish most.

Our values and personal sentiments get reflected through the mediums we engage together—moving, speaking, typing, photographing, and videotaping—rather than the other way around. Social media and all the other technologies we engage in offer a variety of spaces for us to connect. But ultimately, we each decide which of them are most fulfilling—we continually assert ourselves through both our presence and absence from communities.

And what we each find fulfilling at a given moment isn’t necessary what we achieve most in. As a high-achiever, you may find it refreshing to have those activities or moments where you can free yourself from the constant pressure and stress that achieving may bring. For those difficult moments during your journey towards success and achievement, keep this quote from The Lesson of Grace in Teaching by Francis Su in your back pocket:

“Your accomplishments are NOT what make you a worthy human being.”

Contributed by Nick Fochtman

Adventure sports is for those who enjoy an adrenaline kick. Of course, such sports are offered in many places as recreational activities. On weekends or for a vacation destination you can go to one and enjoy yourself to the fullest.

Here are some unique and wonderful sports that can be experienced in India.

1. Trekking

India has several mountain ranges from Himalayas to Vindhyas to Nilgiris and so on. Each of these hilly areas conduct trekking expeditions, and  no doubt millions have taken part in them and reveled in the experience, carrying back sweet memories with them. Trekking in Arunachal Pradesh at the foothills of the Himalayas, laden with mystic valleys, tapered and enthralling passes, astounding terrains, puzzling trails can really be gratifying.

2. White River Rafting

Crossing a river using a raft is really a challenging activity and offered across many spots, especially in north India. The best place to experience this leisure activity is at Rishikesh. Get soaked in the river and experience the thrills of the ride-along while viewing the beauty of the lush green landscape.

3. Sea Walking

Underwater sea walking is a new attraction offered in the Andaman Islands. Those who have been here but have missed this adventure can make a plan to visit this island again. This kind of an underwater walk allows you to explore the seabed, view all the flora and fauna, a variety of fish, magnificent corals and lots more that the ocean floor has to offer

4. Jeep Safari in Gir

The jeep safari is a one-of-a-kind offering in Gir Park. Just ride away in the jeep in the wilderness and watch the lions in their natural habitat. Watching how they wait to pounce on their prey, how they hunt and do all the activities, all from the open rooftop, is really fantastic.

5. Hiking

Another adventurous activity is hiking. The challenging terrains, rugged trails, narrow passes and evergreen forests in the slopes of the Himalayas, in the Himachal Pradesh region, offer an excellent prospect for people who love some ecstasy amidst nature. The mesmerizing beauty of the landscape will leave you spellbound.

6. Wind Surfing

Numerous adventure sports can be enjoyed in India and one of them is wind surfing. A perfect place to have a go at this is Baga Beach, Goa. This water sport is performed using a windsurfing board, which is extremely exciting.

7. Camping

One of the most thrilling experiences amidst nature and is really adventurous is camping. The ideal place for this is Coorg in Karnataka. This charming place offers some enthralling destinations for camping and experiencing life amidst nature. You almost lead a life of a nomad. What is more thrilling and exciting than this?

Author Bio:

Rohit Agarwal is a traveler who writes for Trans India Travels

Christmas is absolutely a time for giving. Whether it’s family members or close friends, we all want to show the important people in our lives just how much they mean to us. It seems that Christmas, however, is slowly but surely becoming less about spending time with loved ones, and more about spending time and money purchasing the perfect gift. With Black Friday sneaking into Thursday and Cyber Monday dominating an entire weekend, it’s never been easier to be swept away by the materialistic frenzy. Add to this the ease of online shopping and gift-givers couldn’t be happier.

But if the Grinch taught us anything, it’s that the spirit of Christmas isn’t just about presents. In fact, families all around the world are starting to cut back on giving physical objects during the holidays, opting instead to invest in the gift of experiences. Here are four great reasons to consider giving a round of golf or dinner for two instead of a golf driver or a Cuisinart mixer.

Togetherness is Important

Technology might allow for more easily accessible communication worldwide, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that spending actual time with loved ones is important. Studies show that quality time with family and friends increases both physical and mental health.  This is especially true for children, but everyone benefits from spending time with those they care about.

Memories Last a Lifetime

An experience is literally the gift that keeps on giving. While a new Xbox or video game is cool, the excitement eventually fades; the system either becomes outdated or breaks and the game is old news after a few dozen plays. The memories associated with a gifted experience, on the other hand, last a lifetime. Whether it’s a family trip to the zoo, breakfast in bed for a week, or tickets to a baseball game, the time may pass but the feelings will last forever.

Experiences Fit Any Budget

No money? No problem! One of the best things about the gift of experience is that it can fit any budget. While some people can afford to gift an all-expense paid dream vacation to Ireland, the experiences you give don’t have to be expensive. You can plan a visit a nearby free museum, offer to do dishes for a month, babysit for an evening, orchestrate a game night, or cook dinner for a week. There’s no limit to the options out there and you don’t have to break the bank be show you care.

People Prefer Experiences over Material Objects

Believe it or not, people actually prefer experiences over material objects. A study conducted by Cornell University in 2014 found that experiential purchases are more satisfying to get and make those on the receiving end happier. It makes sense, after all, that going to a live concert would be more enjoyable than getting an iTunes gift card.

Contributed by Amanda Vosloh Bowyer