During this week’s Chapel Service I was lucky enough to be able to get up and speak to our High School students about fear and worry.
One thing I am really passionate about is teenagers believing in themselves and not being afraid to show off their talents and abilities.
It really annoys me when adults write off teenagers as being lazy, rude screen-addicts who will never amount to anything. It’s the exact same thing adults said when I was a kid!
When teenagers hear talk like this, they begin to live up to what is being said about them. So I figure that if they receive a consistent message that they are talented, capable and have the potential to do amazing things, they will live up to that as well.
The biggest shame is that teenagers often won’t show people their talents because they worry about what people will think of them and fear takes over. Fear of failing, fear of being judged, fear of being labelled a show-off, fear of being different.
But when they can shake off their fear and stop worrying, it’s amazing what they can do. Seeing kids excel and being filled with joy and excitement when they succeed is just such a wonderful thing.
I would encourage all parents and family members out there, to speak life into your kids and really encourage them to pursue their talents – especially if it’s in an area that you don’t like or understand. Receiving a kind word or some encouragement might make all the difference and spur them on to follow a path they might otherwise have turned their back on because of fear and worry.
After all, as the old saying goes – worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere!
Greg