Hope is what carries you through the darkest times. Sometimes we forget that the best way to plant this seed of hope is not in ourselves but in the next generation.
We have seen it in the news and probably old guys would notice and say that there's no hope for teens nowadays. However, this is not true. I would always go back to my younger years wherein my parents would say the same thing that my generation was hopeless as we had everything in the easy mode now and then again our generation is the one saying the same thing to the succeeding after us.
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I think this is where the problem lies. The generation gap between us and our children has made us forget how to relate to them. We have forgotten what it was like to be young, carefree, and innocent. I believe that we can still find hope in our future generations if only we would open up to them with an open mind and heart.
I believe that our children will be better than us because they have been taught what it means to be a good person. They have learned from the mistakes of their parent's generation and will not repeat them. I also believe that if we focus on what is good in people instead of focusing on their flaws, we can bring out the best in each other.
Make sure the children in your life feel valued, heard, and respected.
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In our household, we are used to being quiet and not voicing out what we feel. Father is a very strict man and he does not like it when we talk back to him. He thinks that if we do not listen to him, then we are rude and disrespectful.
There would be times wherein we try to voice out our concerns and problems but rather than being supportive, he would rather punish us. Even if the punishment is not severe, it still hurts to know that we are being punished for no reason at all.
While we know that our father loves us, it still feels like he is not listening to us. We are children and we do not always have the right answers, but it hurts when he criticizes us and tells us that we are wrong. So when we reached the age of maturity and the ability to reason for ourselves, my siblings either left our home and build their own families or become more and more away from the family.
Listen to their dreams.
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Growing up, I do not have a specific dream in mind. When I graduated from high school, the idea was to at least finish my degree and then join the working class the soonest to earn my spare.
Father wants us to pursue military, as he was part of the reserve army he wants at least one of us to become one. I was scared of it, as having a good physique thanks to being addicted to playing online games in my previous years of existence.
I pursued Psychology at a state university 3 rides away from our home but wasn't able to finish it in my 4th year as the need to work is in need.
Was it my dream? Back then it was not, I just chose the course out of the context that it was the easiest course available offered in the school. Engineering, Mathematics, and Nursing aren't on my list as I am bad with them so I just pick the easiest.
Encourage them to think big and dream big.
I learned that you can't be afraid to dream big. It's okay to not know what you want to do with your life and it's okay if you don't know where your career is going yet. Just make sure that when the time comes for you to choose a path, make sure it's the one that will make you happy.
It's easy to get caught up in the idea that we need to know what we want to do with our lives, but it's not true. We don't have to know yet and it's okay if we don't. The important thing is that when you're ready for a career change or new job opportunity, you'll be prepared for it.
Promotions are not available especially if your course and the work that you are aligned. So when I am eyeing stepping up the ladder, I re-enroll to complete some of the units and picked Business Management. I am a recon specialist now handling accounting books in a U.S.-based insurance company.
Let them know that you believe in them.
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It’s important to let people know that you believe in them and their ability to do a great job. This doesn’t mean being condescending or patronizing; it means believing that they have the skills and capacity to succeed.
Relating it to the experiences in Hive, being an onboarder I noticed a lot of teens having great potential as creatives. I would encourage them to explore different fields and try out new things. I would also let them know that I believed in them and how their hard work would pay off. It’s important for teens to feel like someone believes in their potential, even if it’s just one person.
We have the ability to empower the next generation by planting the seed of hope in the hearts of the next generation. In Hive, we have a lot of young people who are just starting out. We want them to feel supported and empowered.
Being an old one I would let the young ones know that they are not alone. That there are many of us who have been where they are now, and we can support them and help them find their way.
There is nothing I'm any more passionate than empowering the next generation. -T. D. Jakes
P.S. This is also an additional explanation to my super short introduction post that I have written in the old chain as some evil guy always asks what the discrepancy is.