While my teachers throughout high school were awesome, none of them were as awesome as Mr. George Feeny. The neighbor, teacher, and principal, from the hit television show “Boy Meets World” provided the viewers with endless words of wisdom. I wish my teachers gave me the kind of advice and thought provoking words that Mr. Feeny was able to provide for his students in or outside the classroom. Here’s a list of things that Mr. Feeny taught us throughout the years.
1. True friendship is unconditional.
“ Friendship is a real gift. It’s given with no expectations, and no gratitude is needed between two real friends.” Being friends with someone means being willing to make sacrifices for them. This beens supporting a friend in a time of need. It’s having a balance of giving and receiving.
2. Your family is bigger than you think.
“ You don’t have to be blood to be family.” While your mom, dad, sister, brother, and grandparents are all your family, the list doesn’t end there. Family includes those people in your life that mean the most to you. The ones you would do anything to protect. Your best friend can be family. Your roommate can be family. The sisters or brothers of your sorority or fraternity can be family. Blood is not the only thing that links people together.
3. Do the right thing. Always
“ But, to me, a real hero is someone who does the right thing when the right thing is not the easy thing to do.” Being a good person or making the right choice may not always be the easy decision to make. Being able to make the right choice anyway, however, is a quality that distinguishes you from others. Be able to evaluate a situation and know what is right. Despite pressure from others or a stigma that may exist stand up for what is right.
4. Be true to who you are.
“ Unfortunately, we live in a society where they tell us we have to look a certain way, so we’re all under pressure to live up to unrealistic expectations” Dress how you want. Don’t wear makeup if you don’t want to. Straighten your hair or leave it natural. It’s all up to you. There is no standardized perception of beauty. Everyone is beautiful in their own ways and we all have amazing things that make us who we are.
5. Do things for you.
“If you let people’s perception of you dictate your behavior, you will never grow as a person.” Don’t spend your life trying to be the girl that boys will like or the boy that girls will like. Don’t let the model you see in ads dictate the choices you make about your own life. Be who you are. Be you. Don’t make choices based on the way others will view you. Make choices based on what will make you happy. Living life trying to please others will lead to a life of unhappiness and no personal growth.
6. Appreciate the things that you have.
“Sometimes, the things you complain the most about, are things you care most about. Unfortunately, we don’t always know that until it’s too late.” Sometimes you don’t know what you had until it’s taken away from you, but then it’s too late. Appreciate the things that you own, the people that you have, and the knowledge that you have obtained. Live life to the fullest.
7. Listen to your heart.
“ If you search your heart and listen to its instruction, you won’t go wrong.” Staying true to your values is the best way to handle any situation. Remember who you are and what you believe in and you'll get yourself out of any sticky situation.
8. No family is perfect.
“ There is no model household. There are no model parents. A family is a living breathing thing that requires constant adjustment and change.” No matter what it is, every family has a flaw. No family is perfect. Siblings fight. Parents fight. There is no ideal perfect family dynamic. A family needs cooperation from all members.
9. Stay in school.
“Education is about the overall effects of years of slow absorption. Concepts, philosophies, approaches to problem-solving.” While the method you are learning to solve integrals in calc might seem irrelevant and pointless to your life, try to think of the bigger picture.
10. Take action.
“See, it’s not enough to leave school and just desire to succeed in this cold, cruel world. Because then you’ve simply become a part of it. You must also have the desire to change it. And to change it, you’ll need your fine mind, and his good heart.”
11. Believe in yourself.
“Believe in yourself, dream, try. Do Good.”
