THAT'S NOT HOW PEOPLE LIVE

 

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

A smart executive wondering how they live /Photo Courtesy /Andrea Piacquadio 

Where Is Your Common Sense?

It is interesting and shocking at the same time. How a typical teenager thinks? In the classic mind of a teenager, he or she knows a lot. He knows so much that he dares to sideline authority around him. He defies all rules. And puts him/herself in charge. When in reality, the kid knows very little about life. The spirited defiance is only motivated by ignorance. Ignorance that the same teenagers do not see. They just don’t know that they are not ready for anything. They only had one job. To recognize that they are growing up. And start exercising common sense more often. Exercising more common sense is growing up. Growing up is not just about becoming tall and breaking voices. It is about common sense. The ability to think through things before making decisions. Most of these kids don’t think. They wake up with absurd ideas and implement them head on.    

And that is how hell break loose and threaten to consume them. The very individuals that originally came up with the dangerous idea. They went straight to the implementation stage without considering all factors. They acted that way because they thought they know better. That they can walk in a nearby grocery store and take another person’s money without consequences. That they can abscond their primary responsibility and have a good life. Schools exists for a reason. But a somewhat ignorant teenager will see attending classes as too much work. And begin plotting ways to appear like attending classes in the eyes of his or her parents. When in actual sense, the teen does not get to school at all. He has been distracted by shiny things. Things that will fall very soon. However, in their eyes the distraction looks solid.

Temporary appears permanent in the eyes of a teenager because the kid is not thinking. He/she thinks that life is a straight line. There are no obstacles on the way. Everything happens as envisioned. Therefore, with this simplistic way of seeing things. A teenager sees success on the streets. He can live the street’s lifestyle. And that is when he decides to overlook the most critical things in his life. The teen decides to do the opposite of what he is told to do. If his parents tell him to go to school, he does not get to school. When they also tell him to avoid coming home late. He does not listen to that too. He wants to do things in his way. And his way is about being irresponsible, indiscipline, and a terrible decision maker. His poor decisions lead him from one threat to the next. But he is excited about this newfound freedom.

The idea of being wild is enchanting. All teenagers want freedom. But detest a voice of reason. They find that voice to be controlling or just outdated. They know so much about modern life than the voice. So the best thing they will do as they pursue their freedom at all cost is ignore the voice. When they get out of the voice’s range, they will do as they wish. But it is all ignorance. There is so much that children don’t know about life. One of them being why the voice keeps reminding them to be careful. To come home early and to avoid joining bad company. The streets are not safe. They have their own owners. And the owners are the police and some other guys. Guys that the police are interested in arresting. Yet, an ordinary teen would want to sacrifice his education for the streets. And he would not see any problem with such a decision.

A clear warning telling them that's not how people live /Photo/ Ekaterina Belinskaya 

But someone must tell these kids that that is not how people live. That is not how people succeed in life. Defiance is not a strategy. Instead, it is a manifestation of something deeper. Something that the same teens might not admit. That they are struggling to come to terms that they are no longer children. And they don’t know where they belong right now. And instead of asking and spending more time with wise people. Some have chosen to act out. And they are hiding behind defiance. They are using disobedience to stamp their authority. Authority that they don’t have. They still depend on another person for their survival. However, in their little minds, they think that they can make adult decisions. And while in that teenage mind. They have created a lot of problems that they cannot fix. And they still think that they are in charge.

Listening Problem

There is one thing that teenagers and young adult share in common. The listening problem. These groups do not listen. They struggle with simple instructions. They always think that they have better ideas. Better than the person instructing. Yet the person instructing has been on this job for a long time. Perhaps even when some of them were not born. But they still want to challenge authority. Thinking that the options they have in mind are more advanced and viable. But someone must remind these kids to listen. These are the rules of normal life. And normal life has a lot to teach. People better start listening. Teenagers better start respecting. A student can be better than the teacher. However, he or she must start by listening. It is only through understanding that someone can become better. People become better by following simple instructions. This is a basic unwritten rule. A rule that gets stuff done.

Don’t create new rules where there are rules already. Start listening instead. Go through the instructions and ask questions where you don’t understand. Seek clarity where the is ambiguity. And when the rules are clear. Don’t complicate them. Follow them. Do as you are instructed. Go to school and pay attention. There is time for everything. If right now you are supposed to be in school. Be in school. Don’t go to the street. Don’t go to the grocery store and take another person’s money. Wait for your turn. Be patient. If you remain in school and start listening, you will learn how people live. You will understand why there are boundaries everywhere you go. You just don’t walk into other people’s property without permission. There are consequences for every action and decision. If you steal from a grocery store, the police will come after you. You will get some punishment.

Determined teenagers showing them how people live /Photo Courtesy/ Pixabay

And you cannot develop an attitude towards the police. You can also not develop an attitude towards people that advise you to keep to the left and avoid the right. They know what they are saying. And you better listen to your mother. She knows better than you think. There is no one who can beat the wisdom of a mother. They see a lot of things. Things that you cannot see. Start listening. Start respecting. Get out of the street and go back to class. Even if everyone around you is doing the same thing. Attend your classes. They are more important than being outside. You have a long way to go. Don’t listen to your cantankerous teenage mind. Your teenage mind might be tricking you. Making you think you are grown up. But you are not. You are not even half way. You have only arrived at your first step. Pay attention from where you are because the path ahead requires wisdom.

And you are not ready. Focus on being a growing up child. And leave responsibility to your parents or guardians. Stop fighting with everyone. Stop disobeying every instruction. All these orders are for your own good. The current boundaries that are within your reach are for your own good. Respect them. And stop cheating. You don’t know better. You are better off being a teenager. Don’t overstep. Walk in your path. And follow directions. There are many things that you can do as a teenager. Focus on those things. Things such as, who you are and what you are good at. Find these things. Learn about your strengths and weaknesses. And invest time in your weaknesses. Find out how you can overcome or convert them into strengths. Discover your own voice. Become your own person. These are some of the things that wise teenagers do.

They learn about themselves. And find opportunities that match their strengths and abilities. This is what the first step is all about. Focusing on you and what matters about you. If you want to become something in the future, don’t rob your way up. Learn how to do things for yourself. There is so much that you can learn from people and life. Look around you. Is there something that you like? What do you dislike in your surrounding? And what can you do about it? Think along this line. And get some real knowledge that can help you. Knowledge from the right people and things. Life is full of people and things you can learn from. Find them. Make it a mission as a teen. If you do this part right, you will thank me later. Success is court from an early age. And you have to be the right one to find it. If you dream of being successful one day, this is the time to set yourself up or apart. Choose wisely. Think sensibly.