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Time to be inspired!

6/25/2015

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In a world obsessed by evaluation, measurement and comparison, we must find the time and create a space to be inspired. We’re constantly being scrutinized and judged from every direction.

Looking back at all of the tests that I took throughout primary school and at college, each time my knowledge and intelligence was being evaluated; after that came job interviews and the constant fight for approval from my bosses and peers.

Evaluation isn’t always deliberate either. People judge each other in a matter of seconds, based on their physical appearance, their  facial expression, their style or lack of, and the clothes they’re wearing (just to name a few things). It’s so fast and so automatic you don’t even notice it, and yet, first impressions guide us and stay with us more than you’d be comfortable acknowledging.

While we might spend a substantial amount of our time in the pursuit of acceptance, that should not be our only concern. Inspiration has a huge influence on productivity and creativity — inspired people are more intrinsically motivated, they’re no longer striving for money or resources, but for a transcendent vision.

Let's become more inspired to do greater!

To  start, let's set aside time to do something new and be creative, it doesn’t matter what it is —  create a piece of art, watch a biography, read a book from a new genre — just don’t keep doing the same thing. Step outside of your comfort zone! Take notes when you do find inspiration, keep a file and review your notes later, you can make use of apps such as Pinterest or Evernote; while seeking out inspiration doesn’t often work, you can use material that have inspired you in the past to give you a boost.

Lastly, let down your guard, openness to experience is an essential condition to inspiration. We’re always filtering out the things around us that don’t require our attention, try to take in everything around you even if it’s not important, gain a sense of awe and wonder about the world, let your senses explore and be curious about everything.

Let's make time to get inspired!

Be sure to stop by and tell us about your journey!
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Six Qualities that Make You a Good Mentor for Youth

6/9/2015

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Young people agreed that you are more likely to influence their life path if you possess the following six qualities:

1. You are Supportive By far, the most important role of a mentor is to support and encourage young people, particularly as they struggle to overcome obstacles and solve problems. When young people feel down, upset with their families, or unhappy in their life situations, mentors are beside them, letting them talk about anything and reminding them of their innate value.

2. You are an Active Listener Mentors listen first and speak last.  Many teens mentioned how little they feel listened to by most adults. Often, they feel inferior even when they have good ideas. But mentors are different. They always listen, even when they are not obligated to do so.

3. You Push -- Just Enough As parents can attest, most teens don’t respond well to being pushed out of their comfort zones, particularly within families. But teens really like to have high expectations set for them – both academically and personally. They appreciate when mentors push them beyond what they may have imagined they could accomplish. In fact, this is likely the reason why mentored youth from disadvantaged backgrounds are twice as likely to attend college.   

4. You Have Authentic Interest in Youth as Individual Teens can tell the difference between adults who are authentically interested in them as individuals and those who are just playing a role. Mentors engage youth to understand all aspects of their lives and interests. They value young people’s ideas and honor their changing feelings and moods.

5. You Foster Self Decision-Making Good mentors don’t judge young people or impose their own beliefs on them. Instead they remind teens who they are and help them believe they have the insights to make good choices. Knowing they are not being judged helps young people think through decisions critically, sifting through the deeper values that will inform the adults they become.

6. You Lend Perspective Adult mentors provide perspective to young people from their additional years of life experience. When obstacles seem overwhelming, mentors help put those challenges in perspective. They also help young people see both sides of a situation, helping model the skills of positive skepticism.

What other qualities make good mentors for young people? How can we provide mentoring relationships to all teens? Please share your insights and experiences.


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Racism – A Problem of Many Colors

6/5/2015

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Racism, in today’s world, can be distorted and confused with the concept of discrimination; but, they are different. Racism has many faces and many colors; more than you would expect.

Racism still exists today, but it may not be in the same light as it use to be. No longer is it as open as calling someone a name or mimicking some action to mock them. Now, it exists in the form of stereotypes and assumptions. For example, one major stereotype is that people of Asian descent are “high in intellect.” This may not be the case as every person is different. If one were to explore the reasons why this may seem true, they would find out that this is due to the strict nature and high standards upheld by many Asian parents. Parents can largely impact a student, and the added pressure from the stereotype as well as the high standards could drive anyone crazy.

Yet, another issue lies with people of Hispanic descent. Mexicans are associated with “hard labor and being able to fix everything.” Anyone can be handy; there are people whose careers depend on them being able to repair or upgrade a certain fixture. The stereotype of the “Handy Mexican” stems from the origins of Mexicans. In some parts of Mexico, things are not as well-polished and regulated as they are here in the United States. For the people who come from those areas, they have to learn to fix things as they cannot always just call someone to do it for them. After enough things are broken around anyone’s house and the budget doesn’t leave room for a “handyman,” anyone would grab a screw driver just to try to get the air back on in the middle of a steaming July.

There are many other stereotypes in the world that people need to watch out for, and they might not even revolve around race. What is important is that we strive for a stronger, more tolerant, world that is binded together by communication and respect for each other’s differences.


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Problems That Face Fostered Teens

6/3/2015

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Being a teen is never easy, but fostered teens face additional challenges when compared to their peers who are not in foster care. These challenges can be overcome, but they require a teen to have access to a team of supportive social workers, counselors, teachers and mentors. This team of caring adults must be willing to provide the long-term emotional and practical support a teen needs to make the transition from being a child to becoming an independent adult.

Relationship Skills
All teens, regardless of whether or not they have been in foster care, crave relationships with others. However, foster children who were removed from the care of their biological parents because of abuse may have trouble learning how to behave appropriately in a social setting. They may also have issues such as depression and anxiety that affect their ability to nurture strong social relationships.

Sexual Development
Foster parents and adults who work with teens in foster care are often hesitant to discuss sexual activity, but teaching teens how to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy is vital. Foster children who have been sexually abused in the past may need guidance regarding appropriate ways to express sexual feelings. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) foster children are often subjected to bullying and thus have additional concerns that should be addressed.

Career Preparation
Foster children without a stable home situation have trouble concentrating on their studies and need extra guidance to make sure they have a plan for supporting themselves after high school. They often think that a bachelor's degree is the only way to be successful and overlook the value of community college certificate programs or on-the-job apprenticeship training.

Money Management
Learning how to manage money responsibly is an important life skill, but many foster children have never had money of their own. Working at a part-time job is hard when they are often being moved into different placements on short notice. Foster children generally do not have their own bank accounts and lack understanding of basic budgeting concepts. Those who want to go to college find it easy to get swayed into making poor decisions regarding student loans, thus setting themselves up for a lifetime of debt.

Homelessness
Children "age out" of foster care at 18. Many of the children aging out of the system simply do not have the resources to live successfully on their own. Covenant House, a resource for homeless youth, reports that more than one-third of foster children never finish high school because of problems faced after they age out of the system. Even those who do finish high school experience significantly higher rates of health problems, welfare dependency and incarceration. Covenant House is not an organization for former foster children, but the group reports that more than one-third of the people it serves are left homeless after aging out of foster care.



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The Problems Faced by Teen Parents

6/2/2015

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Teenage pregnancy is a serious social problem. According to the March of Dimes, about three in 10 teenage girls become pregnant before the age of 20. While many of these pregnancies end in abortion or adoption, teen girls who do decide to keep their babies face many challenges. Although less is known about teen fathers, research indicates that they, too, face problems associated with being parents.

Health Issues
The March of Dimes notes that pregnant teens are more likely to suffer complications during pregnancy. Their babies are more likely to experience premature birth, low birth weight or other serious health problems. These issues put babies at a greater risk of suffering newborn health problems, disability or death.

Schooling
Teen parents often find that caring for a child makes it difficult for them to continue their schooling. According to StayTeen.org, more than half of teen mothers never graduate from high school, and fewer than 2 percent have graduated from college by the time they’re 30. This problem is not confined to teen mothers: as the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy notes, research suggests that teen fathers also do not receive as much education as their peers.

Economic Issues
Lack of schooling makes it more difficult for teen mothers to find and keep well-paying jobs. According to the March of Dimes, more than 75 percent of unmarried teen mothers go on welfare within five years of having their first baby. Teen fathers also experience annual earning losses of 10 to 15 percent, according to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

Relationships
Pregnancy and parenting can strain the relationships between teen parents. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, eight out of 10 teen fathers do not marry the mother of their first child. Becoming a teen parent also seems to have long-term implications for marriage: in comparison to people who did not have babies as teens, teen parents are significantly less likely to be married by the age of 35.

Depression
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, depression is common among pregnant teens. Teen parents may feel guilty or anxious about the future. Teen parents are also more likely to subject their children to abuse and neglect because they feel overwhelmed by their unfamiliar, ever-demanding roles as parents.

Children’s Success
Teen parents also face problems in regards to the success of their children. Children born to teen parents earn lower standardized test scores and are more likely to drop out of high school. According to StayTeen.org, daughters born to teen mothers are three times as likely to also become teen mothers, while sons are twice as likely to go to prison.

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Teen Pregnancy

6/1/2015

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Nearly all teen pregnancies are unplanned. That is, teens say they did not want to get pregnant or cause a pregnancy. That alone is reason enough to care about preventing teen pregnancy. But, it is also the case that teen pregnancy is closely linked to a host of other critical social issues—poverty and income, overall child well-being, out-of-wedlock births, responsible fatherhood, health issues, education, child welfare, and other risky behavior. There are also substantial public costs associated with adolescent childbearing. Consequently, teen pregnancy should be viewed not only as a reproductive health issue, but as one that works to improve all of these measures.  Simply put, if more children in this country were born to parents who are ready and able to care for them, we would see a significant reduction in a host of social problems afflicting children in the United States.

What do you think?

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