::: Star Weekend Magazine :::

Perceptions

The Wind of Change

Sanjida Khan

Changing physically, mentally, emotionally, socially. A lot depressed. A lot of the problems teenagers go through. It's better for them to go through them on their own. If you always have a crutch, you don't learn anything. Swayed by craze, weighed by emotions, impulsive, reactive and restless. Teenagers are constantly instant, living for the moment; love and hate taking turns like two sides of a twirling coin. They are captives of memories and fugitives of oblivion. Ignorance, intolerance, egotism, self-assertion, opaque perception, dense and pitiful chuckle headedness - and an almost pathetic unconsciousness of it all, this is how most teenagers are.

Adolescence is a disturbing phase of life. It is often a time of personal agony. It is a time of uncertainty and self-doubt. It is an age of inconsistency and a period of conflicting emotions. Pressure from family, stress, complete failure, frustration, peer pressure, inferiority complex, smoking, drinking, over-indulgence. Generation and communication gap, academic stress, lack in confidence, inexperienced, disobedient. A time to dream, explore, question, and rebel. A teenager's mind is an uncharted territory. The word 'responsibility' troubles them. Imagination rules their mind. They are unaware of the law of life-- 'Survival of the fittest'. Teenagers are a little distracted, absentminded, immature, unaccountable, and careless. Their life is made up of sobs, sniffles, smiles with sniffles predominating. They forget that negative people whine and positive people shine. We must remember that life is the art of drawing sufficient conclusions from insufficient premises.

Teenage is the testing period of time. There is a divinity that shapes teenagers' ends. The prodigious energy and vitality of the youth, the polychromatic expanse of imagination, the insatiable hunger for establishment, the exuberance of newly found independence, all combine to make teenagers the favored children of love. They are capable of breaking any barrier, reaching any height, going to any length and paying any price for it. It's been rightly said by someone, “Telling a teenager the facts of life is like giving a fish a bath.”

Adolescents go through profound emotional upheavals; it does not necessarily mean that they become immoral or antisocial. As children grow older they demand and deserve more freedom. However, freedom must be tempered with wisdom. By allowing teenagers more space, figuratively and literally, parents can preserve their independent image and unnecessary confrontation. Patience, understanding and a lot of love go a long way towards dealing with a teenager. Trust and cooperation are really important. There's no denying the fact, “Life is at its weakest when there's more doubts than trust; but life is at its strongest when you learn how to trust in spite of the doubts.”

During the teenage period, between the innocence of childhood and new experience of adulthood, lie years of confusion, self-discovery, self-awareness, self-loathing, and insecurity. Thus have faith in God. It sounds easy enough; especially when everything is going good, the road is even. But what about when a crisis comes your way? Teenagers must remember if a soul is negotiated, nothing sacred is left to be profaned. Each teenager has different attitudes and responses. Their opinions must be valued in order to build their confidence and self-esteem, and making them realise their self-worth. They must be taught that 'if life gives you a lemon, make lemonade'.

The anxieties, uncertainties, fear of having to face today's nightmare repeated tomorrow, the failure, and the sense of incompetence flaying a layer of life each passing day. A teenager's life is full of accidents. Great expectations crumble away, and there remain only recollections of mental agony. Life is beyond calculation. Don't throw away your friendship with your teenager over behavior that has no great moral significance. There will be plenty of real issues that require you to stand like a rock. Save your big guns for those crucial confrontations.

Almost nothing was ever accomplished without setback after setback. Victory tends to go to the resilient. A lot of people cut and run; others take their lumps, fall down, bounce back, get knocked down again, hang in there--and in the end, win. Teenage years are exciting and full of adventures. Be a part of it instead of battling against it. The means to happiness is not through drugs, alcohol, alienation, dropping out of school; but by throwing oneself out like a spider in all directions an adhesive web of love, and catching in it all that comes. Teenagers, speak your mind. Don't let anyone censor you. You have to express yourself no matter what anyone else thinks. Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Do not lose faith. Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. Love life. Be grateful for it always; and show your gratitude by not shying away form its challenges. Always try to live a little beyond your capacities--and you will find your capacities are greater than you ever dreamt.