How to Inspire Teenagers

My boy returned from school on Friday following their weekly Lower Sixth lecture from ‘a man, mum, who talks about the same stuff as you,…maybe you’re not so weird after all.’

I worry at times (the down and self doubting times) that I’m not equipping my children for the hard slog of reality in this tough world. I know I’m someone who lives with their head in the clouds (some call it la la land), I know my feet are not often on the ground. I know I look for the positive in everything. And I know that irritates the hell out of some people as I watch them roll their eyes. I also know that it works for me (and others if they’d allow it). I’m used to and enjoy the gentle, playful mocking from my man and my kids.

So imagine my delight!

We sat down and he spoke to me about what he’d learned, what had inspired him and what had resonated deeply with him.

In brief, Maithri Goonetilleke, is the founder and executive director of the NGO Possible Dreams International (PDI), based in Australia and Swaziland. Their work involves delivering medical services and poverty alleviation programs to HIV/AIDS affected areas of rural Swaziland.

He was at my son’s school with The Possible Dreams International Choir who are touring the UK until the end of the month. They provide a place of hope for the homeless and orphans and victims of HIV in Swaziland. It is a choir of empowerment.

Maithri spoke to the boys about courage and commitment, goals and beliefs.

He encouraged them to believe that whatever obstacles they faced, whatever internal discouragement they felt or whatever external pressures they felt, that if they have a dream they must follow it no matter what. {click to tweet}

He said that whatever your aspiration or dream, there will be times when you encounter what feel like insurmountable hurdles. Every business, every new idea has faced these challenges.

“You must keep going,” he said, “Believe that you can overcome the problems you are facing.” This might be in your school work, your social life, your growing up, your emotional health, home life, thoughts for your future.

He urged the boys to create and picture their dream as strongly as possible. To visual it, to feel it, to get a sense of it as strongly as possible. To put it out there, to follow and chase every lead. And importantly to trust and know that what you put out will come back to you. It can’t not!

As with all great inspiring teachers my son felt he was speaking directly to him. There’s been a lot going on in our lives of late and my son has managed all this with extraordinary resilience and open-mindedness. New home, new school, new friends, new area, a lot in one go. Listening to Maithri he fully understood that we are all unique. Comparison with others is pointless. There will always be someone, who in our eyes is more intelligent, better connected, more socially at ease than us.

He encouraged the boys to understand that people and friends may discourage you (everyone seems to know what’s best for us) they will offer suggestions on what might be the better or safer option. Thank them for the advice and trust your own judgment anyway.

And this is where I got very excited! He also spoke about alignment. We might feel on our own and isolated at times, that no one knows what we’re going through or that we don’t have the resources to accomplish our dream alone. He spoke to them about aligning their personal dream with a larger community ideology. We are all in this together. No one is alone we are all connected.

So what can we do everyday to send these same messages to our children and the young people around us?

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