Naomi, 18 – Being Positive In All Things

“I really enjoy dancing. I’ve always loved to perform, I did a lot of theater when I was in high school. But recently I’ve more to just the dancing aspect of it, especially culture so I’ve been doing a lot of Polynesian dance, latin dance, native American, one of my favorite past times.  And I’m studying communications here at BYU”

“I really enjoyed being in the military. I don’t think my experience in the military was as intense as some children’s experiences might have been because my dad was only deployed once, for about six months and it was to a nonviolent deployment. So it wasn’t as scary as some kids may have had it. But I feel like it taught me to be pretty tough.”

“ We moved a couple of times and I was young, so of course I was dramatic about leaving my friends, but we stopped moving around so much when I was in 4th grade. So I don’t think I ever truly experienced really having to say goodbye to people. Cause when you’re in the 3rd grade, it’s hard, but it’s not life-changing.”

“I just have a deep love for people who serve the country and I thinks that it comes from watching my dad serve.”

“You know I’ve lived a really great life and I’m very very blessed. So it’s hard to think of something that was truly, truly challenging. I think in 9th, 10th grade, I kind of went through a period where I just found that the way my friends were living wasn’t how I wanted to live. I took the liberty to kind of just leave them behind, which was hard because you’re transitioning from junior high to high school. So I went to high school not knowing anyone that I knew, no friends, all my friend went to a different high school. They all tried to get me to go there, but I told them no, I really feel like I should go here this is where I want to be.”

“I’m proud of myself for making that decision, for being strong and choosing something I wanted over something that all my friends were doing. But it was hard I just kind of floated. I remember floating for about two years. I didn’t know who I wanted to be around, I didn’t have that go-to friend group. That was a big challenge, but I think that it a was very defining. It helped me become who I am today and helped me to get better at being okay with being alone. It’s okay to do things on your own, and to be alone sometimes. It’s nice to have your close friends but it’s also okay to be going through a time when you have to find that, or you have to find yourself first.”

“Don’t care so much about what other people think, do what makes you happy, do what you think is right. Just remember that the world is so much bigger than what you thin it is.”

“People have asked me this before, so I guess that I’m really a happy person. I remember a time…  when just realized I was being so negative all the time and just everything was negative. I watched people around me being negative and just complaining just about little things every day, and I decided that I didn’t want to be that anymore. So I just kind of rewired my brain I guess, and I would tell myself if there’s something to complain about, don’t complain. So if I’d found something I didn’t like I’d say, no, I’d [switch my head around] and say you know what, here’s a positive thing about the situation. Or with people, people who I thought were annoying or I didn’t like them, instead of saying bad things or if anything popped up in my head, I would switch around and say, okay, here’s one good thing about them. Then I did that for a while, and I just did it till it became who I was.”

“I think it’s the little thing who add up to make who you are. So I try really really hard to just be positive in every little thing so that overall, I have a positive life.”

“I just wanted to be someone who is so sure of themselves that nothing could bother them. Not conceited, just confident in who they are, what they believe, what they want, that canät be bothered by little things. And they’re able to be an example to other people of someone who’s confident, loving, caring and selfless.”

“I like that I am positive and optimistic, I like that I am not afraid of people. Like if you need me to go and talk to a stranger, I’ll do it, or get up in front of a crowd and say something, I can do it. I really liked that quality cause it took me a while develop that one, but I really enjoy that one.”

“I really like how I look, which might sound dumb, but I am really positive about my body image and I think I am really pretty. I’ve come to really accept who I am inside and out so I like that.

“I’ve seen a lot of people, just really feel like they have to wear makeup or they have to look a certain way. I kind of see that in my sibling, like my little sister growing up. I grew up not being allowed to wear makeup or paint my nails till I was 16 and a lot of people thought that was weird. But I am so happy that my parents had that rule because, now, I don’t really enjoy wearing makeup all that much and I feel really good about how I look without it, cause I grew up being okay without it. I think that’s a really important thing my parents helped me develop”

“I also want to teach [my kids] how to be hard workers. One thing my parents did I pretty good job, I mean I was babied quite a bit, I never really had a lot of experience having to do super hard work at my home but we would always say, “You’re a Campbell, Campbells don’t do that or Campbells do this, a lot of pride in who we are and our name. One thing that Campbell’s are, we’re hard workers. We don’t complain if there’s a problem you figure it out. That’s something I want to pass on to my kids.”

“What comes to mind is my mom, I think she’s very compassionate and that’s something I want to pass on. She’s always been really good at seeing others’ needs and putting herself in other’s shoes and just loving unconditionally. I just hope to grow up to be like her when I am a mom and be able to pass it on to my kids.”