Navigating Your Teen's Fears and Limitations with Grace: Having Weaknesses Does Not Make Them Weak
Today’s video is for all the parents out there that lie awake at 3 a.m. worrying about their teen and whether they’ll survive the real world.
In this generation of parents, I see more and more parents feeling pressured to try and create kids that are confident, fearless, and robust.
And yet all teens have those exact qualities completely intact.
Those qualities show up at certain times, sometimes showing up often.
And it's ALSO true that all teens lose their bearings and get swallowed up in insecurity.
Because teens are people. And insecurity is a people thing.
But in the wake of our own insecurities as parents, we lose sight of the big picture.
We all want our kids to be independent, take risks, and be willing to be uncomfortable.
And yet I talk to teens every day who find themselves overcome by fear and simply shut down. They withdraw from life. They close doors. They leave the game and sit on the sidelines.
Like the young person I share about in today’s video who was immobilized by the prospect of starting high school and simply couldn’t function.
Yet she’s sharp, mature beyond her years, and more assertive than half the adults I know.
The truth is, we all have our weaknesses and insecurities. It's a natural part of being human.
And here's the key point: having weaknesses does not make people weak.
It doesn't make them failures or disappointments. It doesn't mean they’re destined for a lesser life or a limited future.
In this video, I talk about how all of my clients, including even the most troubled teens, have had moments where they overcame limitations, often when they least expected it.
This has also happened to every parent reading this.
What's the common thread?
There's a force we all share, something we’re all connected to that provides strength, clarity, and guidance.
In my field we call this force the principle of Mind, others attribute it to divine intervention. The name doesn't matter. What matters is that it's always there, working in the background.
All teens, even the ones you worry about at 3 a.m., have taken the plunge, whether it was going to a party, talking to someone they liked, or doing something even though it terrified them.
That power is what I’m pointing to today. The more you respect and trust that power, the more confidence and peace of mind you’ll feel as a parent even amid the messiness of the human condition. And that’s the best gift you can give a struggling teen. Click below to watch the video.
Do you have (or know) a teen or young who could use more confidence and guidance to find their way through life?
Check out the upcoming program I'm co-facilitating in October 2023 called 'Peace of Mind for Teens and Young Adults: A 3-month Program'. Space is limited to 20 group members to ensure maximum connection and impact. Click here for more info or view my blog post announcement here.