“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. “

Martin Luther King Jr.

Where does your teen stand in times of challenge and controversy? Do you think you have the kind of teen that would join in the chaos or stand their ground and steer people in a more positive direction?

We are proud of our leaders when they do great things. Yet, we are not always aware of the strength required to make those decisions especially when our leaders are not so great and disappoint us. The courage that it takes to stand out and have an unpopular opinion takes, well, a lot of balls.

You can help your teen be this type of person not through exposing them to different types of people although that is always a good idea, but through nurturing their sense of self.  When they believe in themselves and are aware of their value, they develop self-esteem. Self-esteem is the foundation upon which your teen’s identity is based.  With self-esteem your teen will have the confidence to stand up not only for themselves, but for others. With self-esteem, things that are different don’t scare them, but offer an opportunity to show compassion and learn something new. With self-esteem, they have an awareness about themselves that allows them to relax even when someone tries to intimidate them into surrendering their position. With their own good self-esteem, they can see the fear masquerading as passion in others.

Great leaders and more importantly great people, have the courage to stand, even at times of challenge and controversy, up for themselves and others.  When we create a generation of teens who can do this we create magical moments of collective unity and understanding. We allow freedom to ring from every hill and every mountainside. We offer ourselves an opportunity to join hands and sing as in the old Negro spiritual, free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are free at last.

Related posts:

1. Give Your Teen a Self-Esteem Boost!
2. Are you Killing Your Teen’s Dream?
3. The Difference between Cocky and Confidence