Seize It!

Remember Robin Williams in the film, Dead Poets Society? He plays an English teacher at an eastern prep school for boys. In the course of the film he teaches the young men, not meter and rhyme but instruction in living life to the fullest- thus Carpe Diem, translated-Seize the Day.
The students are encouraged to follow their own dreams, not the dreams of their parents. They begin to pursue their own life paths and to celebrate the process of getting there. Daily life and interaction with others becomes an adventure, not a chore.

Though your teens may not stand on their desks, flaunting authority, loudly reciting Whitman's Captain Oh Captain, they definitely have things they wish for, things they hope will happen. Now, most will not be chosen to sing on American Idol or play basketball for the Lakers but our kids need to know they have a choice in their destiny. Encourage your child to develop talents and passions. Make sure they take the steps to make them a reality. Help them grow in confidence and self-assurance to step out and up. Lastly, (this is the hard part) give your child the space and the freedom to figure out their own life.

My son got out of college and went straight to Utah. Not using his degree and pursuing his career, but working maintenance at a resort and skiing. Skiing a lot. His Dad and I were on board because we did not want him to look back and "wish" instead of look back and "did." It was a fabulous year for him and he now realizes had he waited, it never would have happened.

They need to learn at an early age that aspirations take foresight and planning. Dreams take hard work and commitment. There are lots of frustrated twenty-somethings out there who just expected things to happen because they wanted them to. They were good at baseball but did not prepare academically to be eligible to play in college. Musically talented, rock-star hopefuls did not form a contingency plan while they waited for their big break. Nursing School went out the window when financial planning was not addressed.

A "life well lived" tomorrow has to be planned for today. Make sure your teens are putting down the remote and the cell phone and hatching their own plan. No parent wants to see their twenty- one -year old, scratching their head and saying, "Now what do I do??" chrissie