�Do not count the days, make the days count!�

Victoria Seiketso Sethibe | Thursday January 19, 2017 16:35

Learn to validate others; such as when you meet that young person who seems to lack confidence and you kindly validate them. Validation involves recognising and accepting somebody else’s thoughts and feelings, even if you feel that they should not be experiencing those (Hall & Cook, 2011).

 It is when you are in a position to see where others are coming from, even if you do not necessarily agree with what they are doing. Validation reassures others, especially children that they will be accepted and loved unconditionally.

A plea for unconditional love dates back to the biblical times. A classic example is the parabolic story narrated by Jesus Christ, on how the prodigal son left his parents’ home unceremoniously to squander all that he had inherited from his father, until one day famine forced him to go back and apologise to his father.

The highlight of this story is that, very much to his surprise, the prodigal son’s father compassionately welcomed him back and validated his remorseful comeback.

Validation can also be done among peers. Instead of bullying those who seem more vulnerable than you are, you could reach out to them and do whatever little effort you can to make a positive difference in their lives. Peer validation does not only uplift those who are being validated, but it brings fulfilment to the validators as well, hence promotes mental health.

Develop a hobby; time really flies when people do what they love. Just imagine what happens when you are doing your favourite activities at a place of your choice. Before you know it, you are required to pack up and come back to your usual routine.  Time really flies when it counts the most. In that way, the best way to kill free or excess time to do an activity that will leave your mind or environment in a better condition than it was before, like reading a book, cleaning up your space, singing or whatever you choose to do, without encroaching on other people’s rights. Hobbies are also effective in sharpening people’s skills.

Use internet wisely; instead of using internet to join the cyber bullies club, you could use it to search up information relating to that topic you are struggling with at school. It takes the same amount of energy, time and internet cost. The main and very important difference between the two choices is in the benefits that come with the latter. Choosing to switch from poor to smart internet use is a sign of improved time management, especially now that many young people clearly spend long periods of time on internet. Smart time management also gives people an opportunity to execute their work well and be more productive. Hurried work is no longer acceptable in today’s highly competitive world.

Take an initiative to mentor your peers; instead of finding humour in those who are struggling to learn, you could take time to try and help them out in areas you feel most comfortable with. Sometimes people shy away from making contributions that could be meaningful because they have had enough of being humiliated. Peer mentorship does not only help the mentee to open up more, but it also helps the mentor to leverage their knowledge in those specific subjects of choice.

Basically, days count when you do something that you are passionate about, hence adding value to your life as well as that of those around you.