Choose worthy friends

When we associate with a person we subconsciously absorb some of thats persons values. Shaping our environment through the people in it is important in our youth’s quest for building good character. We can ideally choose to surround our youth with people of character that can support them in their own higher character development. (not always an easy task!) Strong characters will have the qualities of compassion, wisdom, kindness, integrity, temperance and justice and generosity. These people also believe that you can develop virtuous qualities and build strong character through practice and dedication. 

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Keep the mind clear of Negative Distractions

Surrounding your youth with a positive environment will help the mind stay focused on the task at hand. Avoid negative distractions that can hinder the youths ability to grow. This may include some types of media, books, news, and movies. No two youth are the same so what could be a negative distraction for one may not be a negative distraction for another. The youth need to be led to discover clear focus for themselves. We can guide them to make healthy choices based on tangible and measurable observations. Avoid personal opinions and instead create strong positions with evidence to support the youth in their search of truth.

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Although you know your teenager takes some chances, it can be a shock to hear about them.

One fine May morning not long ago my oldest son, 17 at the time, phoned to tell me that he had just spent a couple hours at the state police barracks. Apparently he had been driving "a little fast." What, I asked, was "a little fast"? Turns out this product of my genes and loving care, the boy-man I had swaddled, coddled, cooed at, and then pushed and pulled to the brink of manhood, had been flying down the highway at 113 miles an hour.

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Imagine providing training and being able to see the results immediately? Many times we are wondering if the information we have given has really made a difference. I have often had youth who have come up to me years later and told me that the program changed their life- but at the time they were in the program it was hard to measure the success. We often write and explain how training works. From a professional point of view we deliver what we judge will be the most beneficial to the students. Did we get it right? How do we know?

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One of the most challenging steps in the critical thinking process is the ability to self regulate our behavior. Using strong interpretation and evaluation, checking our biases and thinking processes we are left to apply the resulting conclusions to our lives. Often we are restricted in creating effective decisions due to a charged emotional state.

Every time we lose control of a situation or something unwanted happens in our lives we generate stress-the resulting tension can manifest as anger, hatred, fear and animosity. These stresses make it difficult to act as a disinterested observer. How can we find the truth in a situation if we are blinded by emotion? Often students will not be aware of their emotions when decision making.

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