Archive for October, 2011
Sensitizing Your Teen
Community is what enables us to think beyond ourselves and have a sense of social justice. Most of the time when we speak of someone who is kind, who listens, who always seems to know the right thing to say, who seems genuinely interested in us and with whom we feel at home, we are describing a person who understands community.
How You Affect Society
Community is what enables us to think beyond ourselves and have a sense of social justice. Most of the time when we speak of someone who is kind, who listens, who always seems to know the right thing to say, who seems genuinely interested in us and with whom we feel at home, we are describing a person who understands community. In this realm, community may be thought of as being composed of two specific feelings – empathy and sympathy.
Make Teens Know They Matter
Compassion, unlike confidence and competence, is the first of the critical areas of growth that extends beyond the boundaries of self and acknowledges the importance of others. When teens experience compassion for others – whether family members, friends, teachers, coaches, mentors, and people in the community, they contribute to their well-being as well as having their own well-being enhanced. Compassion draws on the notion that we as humans are inherently social creatures. No matter how confident or competent we may be, we still need other people to create healthy, productive lives. Ultimately, a person who is compassionate toward others is in tune with himself or herself. He or she has an awareness of their feelings and thoughts as they relate to both others and self. There are many ways adults can foster compassion so that teens feel more in touch with themselves, each other, their parents, the adults in the world, and their communities.
The First of the Critical Areas
Compassion, unlike confidence and competence, is the first of the critical areas of growth that extends beyond the boundaries of self and acknowledges the importance of others. When you experience compassion for others – whether family members, friends, teachers, coaches, mentors, and people in the community, you contribute to their well-being as well as having your own well-being enhanced.
Understanding Confidence
Confidence as defined here is the perception that you can achieve desired goals through your actions. A confident teen believes that he or she has the ability to succeed and perform well academically, socially, and in those areas of life important to him or her. Teens learn confidence when the adults in their life instill and enhance their sense of self-determination, independent thinking, and self-esteem. Whereas competence is about what you can do, confidence is about what you believe you can do.