I think it is important as adults, parents, teachers, schools and organisations that we help teenagers maximize their potential by creating an environment for growth, critical thinking and innovation.
As a teenager, I never had an opportunity or anyone who could really guide me to own my dreams and encourage me to become whoever I wanted to be. There are tons of teenagers nowadays who wants to be successful but who don’t know how to become the best version of themselves. If we don’t help them, they will become victimised frustrated adults rather than problem solvers and positive change agents of society. Teenagers have so many misconceptions about what it is to be successful, mostly a misconception conveyed by the media As mentors, we must break their bubble and open their eyes about the truth. They need to understand that before being great and successful, they must look for significance and become a better leader.
Success does not happen overnight and having lots of money is not what makes you happy. Indeed, I believe that teenagers are the future leaders of tomorrow and they have to be taught to care for people first in a world where selfishness and self-love are portrayed more than anything. The definition of success is subjective; however, teenagers need to be exposed to the difference between “good success” and “bad success”. Indeed, nowadays there are far too many successful people who only look for their own personal gain rather than serving the world humbly with their gifts, who are not really role models for the next generation.
Teenagers have to know that if you don’t know how to handle success and how to prepare for it mentally, it can destroy you. This is the reason why there are so many celebrities who commit suicides or who become drug addicts. They were never taught values such as responsibility, respect of yourself, valuing others, service, integrity, honesty, character and true leadership.
Sincerely, Coach Helen