Sep 15 2011: Hi Cloe,
I am in the midst of raising two young teens and drawing from that and my own youth I can say that any psychological baggage will weigh young people down to such a degree where they can't grow emotionally and intellectually, causing their world to 'shrink' so seeing the big picture becomes even more difficult. I have emphasized to them the value of a well thought out plan and the 'cost' in dollars and time of a 'play it by ear' plan where there is no planning or continuity involved. I used my education and career as an example.
Once young people have held a job or a responsibility you begin to see 'how they work' and we're all very different. I am a 'detail oriented person' and I have noticed that my son is as well but not surprisingly he lacks patience. When he is passionate about a project he works until it is done and even compromises quality because he can't help himself. If youth understand 'how they work' most effortlessly they can pick and choose work they are more passionate about. This is how you get youth to take charge and envision the end result of their work.
There is much value for young people to take a Kolbe Index survey which measures 'how they instinctively work'. It pegged me 100% accurately and as a result I understand my strengths and weaknesses more clearly. If youth were armed with this they will make better choices for themselves in terms of education, work and projects.
All we can do is show them 'real life' examples that they can relate to and especially those that hit close to home. For example, we had to decide to budget as a family in order to set aside funds to vacation together. From this our teen children seemed to understand that they had to make sacrifices, communicate and negotiate in order to make it happen. If just one member of the family overspent and didn't take part, we made it known that the vacation just couldn't possibly happen - that was consequence.
Sep 15 2011: I think its rare to have found what you're passionate about in life as a youth. Many are not taught to recognize it. We often learn to base our decisions on the wrong reasoning such as greed, status and the like but not the value of honoring and following that which we are most passionate.
So you ask, What does it take? I believe it takes teaching youth to recognize their true path in life where they will excel because they have been naturally drawn to an initiative which matches how they work most effortlessly and that which holds their interest. I think we would all agree that it has become a challenge to 'hold the interest' of today's youth brought up in an electronic era where the internet delivers answers instantly, food can be ordered and received in 'minutes' and technology more efficient as each year passes. This era has also bred impatience.
If youth could more frequently see the result and consequences of their actions it would truly resonate with them. If they could see the bigger picture they would see another person their age, somewhere else in the world 'dreaming' of having the same opportunity as they have in their hands.
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A comment on Conversation: What does it take to make the youth take charge and feel responsible for their own initiatives?
I am in the midst of raising two young teens and drawing from that and my own youth I can say that any psychological baggage will weigh young people down to such a degree where they can't grow emotionally and intellectually, causing their world to 'shrink' so seeing the big picture becomes even more difficult. I have emphasized to them the value of a well thought out plan and the 'cost' in dollars and time of a 'play it by ear' plan where there is no planning or continuity involved. I used my education and career as an example.
Once young people have held a job or a responsibility you begin to see 'how they work' and we're all very different. I am a 'detail oriented person' and I have noticed that my son is as well but not surprisingly he lacks patience. When he is passionate about a project he works until it is done and even compromises quality because he can't help himself. If youth understand 'how they work' most effortlessly they can pick and choose work they are more passionate about. This is how you get youth to take charge and envision the end result of their work.
There is much value for young people to take a Kolbe Index survey which measures 'how they instinctively work'. It pegged me 100% accurately and as a result I understand my strengths and weaknesses more clearly. If youth were armed with this they will make better choices for themselves in terms of education, work and projects.
All we can do is show them 'real life' examples that they can relate to and especially those that hit close to home. For example, we had to decide to budget as a family in order to set aside funds to vacation together. From this our teen children seemed to understand that they had to make sacrifices, communicate and negotiate in order to make it happen. If just one member of the family overspent and didn't take part, we made it known that the vacation just couldn't possibly happen - that was consequence.
I have been recommending www.kolbe.com ☼
A comment on Conversation: What does it take to make the youth take charge and feel responsible for their own initiatives?
So you ask, What does it take? I believe it takes teaching youth to recognize their true path in life where they will excel because they have been naturally drawn to an initiative which matches how they work most effortlessly and that which holds their interest. I think we would all agree that it has become a challenge to 'hold the interest' of today's youth brought up in an electronic era where the internet delivers answers instantly, food can be ordered and received in 'minutes' and technology more efficient as each year passes. This era has also bred impatience.
If youth could more frequently see the result and consequences of their actions it would truly resonate with them. If they could see the bigger picture they would see another person their age, somewhere else in the world 'dreaming' of having the same opportunity as they have in their hands.