Not being afraid to live your potential is no easy feat as a teenager. Doing what you know is right instead of doing what others want you to do or being how others want you to be takes much skill which is not always taught in school. Everyone wants to give you advice and steer you in the direction that “they” believe is best for you, rarely stopping to trust that you may know what is best for you! Parents often fear to see their kids making mistakes, often forgetting that it is one of the most effective ways that we learn.
The Answer is Closer Than We Think
We often know what is best for us but we are not always taught to go inside for the answers. To the contrary; we are taught to “Google it,” ask the teacher, coach, parent or expert. Worse yet, we often follow what everyone else is doing even though we know this may not be the best fit for us. It is comfortable to fit in and be socially accepted, but remember if you do what everyone else is doing and think like everyone else is thinking you will get what everyone else is getting and this is not always the best thing for you!
Avoiding the Passenger Seat
Many times we will put our gut feeling or intuition on the back burner and give in to the pressures of our peers, friends, boyfriend or girlfriend. This is common practice and a major pitfall when it comes to sex, drugs and alcohol. We are faced with so many life changing experiences in a very short amount of time between the ages of 13-19 years and unfortunately many modern day teens do not have a family support system to help with life’s toughest challenges.
Self Love
Getting into yourself, loving yourself and following your gut feeling is actually cool, hip and the right thing to do even if it means not going to the party, being rejected by your friends or asserting yourself in saying no and running the risk of someone being emotionally hurt or rejected.
If you believe passing on the joint or booze feels best for you, or passing on sex who cares what everyone else says? Answering to your conscience is more important and feeling good inside about your decision is most important!
Remember; your friends are not the ones that will have to deal with the hangover, regrets about giving up your virginity to a guy that has a wandering eye or problems with mom and dad when you come home with red eyes or excessive munchies from getting stoned!
Life Experience
Parents are hip to what’s going on more so than you may know as most of us have been there and done that! After all we need to pass through the teen years to become mom and dad!
My teen years set the stage for who I am today. Feel good about being you and minimize your regrets by trusting in yourself. In my experience as a parent of four extraordinary kids ranging in age from 9 years to 20 years, parents do not always know what is best for our kids. We would like to think we do but what I have found is our kids know what is best for them more often than some would like to admit. It is good to take time out, sit in silence for a time to reflect or sleep on it before coming to an answer or decision. The right decision is always there waiting to be born.
Kevin mendez - Spirit holds the answers. Love is your best option. Intuition is your internal guidance system that should be consulted regularly.
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