This month of September, we will share with you, parents, children, youth, women and all stakeholders involved how to improve the lives of your teenager. Do you realise, that not many teenagers believe in themselves and that they have an inferiority complex? Do you know that this may have a negative impact on them today and may hinder their success in life tomorrow?

We have talked to many teenagers and this thought runs through their minds whenever they meet difficult situations. As the biting economic times show no sign of an end, since the COVID -19 pandemic, it has led to many Ugandan schools increasing third term school fees. Many parents with their children are worried and not sure their children’s education will not be cut short.

When success eludes us, we are tempted to throw in the towel and assume its unattainable. As soft skills trainers we believe we must continue to instil in youths the importance of training, in modules such as positive attitude and positive thinking. We need to change their mindsets believe that success is attainable. John Maxwell in his book Today Matters writes, “Every great company, every great brand, and every great career has been built in exactly the same way: bit by bit, step by step, little by little.”

Mariam Nalwoga, a 15-year-old girl when called upon to move in front of a group of 22 fellow youths in Kiyanja recently a suburb in Kawempe Sub- division, looked frightened. I asked her to talk firmly straight into the microphone and she could not. I asked her to look straight in the face of the other youths as I was training her to be a future leader. She could hardly look at me directly. After, a lot of persuasion and encouragement that she could do it, she then introduced herself as Mariam Nalwoga a Senior three student. Another girl Nakakande Pauline, a 13 year old when asked to move in front of the class and introduce herself kept on turning and shifting from left to right and vice versa. All actions that indicated low self- esteem, lack of confidence and an inferiority complex. When asked why they were afraid to speak amongst their own peers, they said they have not gotten opportunities to speak up or in front of an audience. Surprise Mukyo another 13 year old girl was not any different. Her body gestures, her eyes, lips all show low self- esteem.

But Mariam and Pauline’s attitudes are not unique. It is a common attitude amongst many young female teenagers we train in the lower class echelon . Many youths who live in outskirts of Kampala have an inferiority complex and victim hood mentality. It is after several repeated trials that they both eventually improved and were able to talk louder and even respond to  what their ambitions in life where, what their vision was, what they would do different after our soft skills training in mindset change. They were able to assertively say they had started believing in themselves and had clear goals to achieve their vision. It was a opportunity for them to refocus how to achieve success.

How can we kill this negative mindset?

Our training encourages youth to do the following:

• Continuously seek knowledge in and outside the classroom. We encourage them to read and write and ensure they learn in schools and share with their school mates and communit.
• Volunteer time in the community and even in their homes and share lessons they learn in our trainings especially mindset change from negative thinking to positive thinking. We encourage them to work more on removing the inferiority complex of thinking they cannot achieve big things.
• Include team building programs and encourage them to do extracurricular activities like physical exercise programs to help them become bolder in life.
• To engage in as many activities in their lives as possible to be able to identify their talents which will ensure they become successful in life.

What happens for most of us, when we go through some life-altering experience – is that it reveals our internal feelings, personal philosophy, psychological skills – this external event illuminates our internal world. 

So many thoughts go through your mind, the negative and the positive. Negatively you can have feelings like: “Why me?” “I am finished.” “I can never be useful in life ever again.” “I am a loser.” On the other hand, you can turn your thoughts to positive ones like: “I am alive and will pass through this safely. I am going to make a success of my life in another way”. Turning negative thoughts requires to change the way you think to fulfil your potential. One’s inner mind becomes an embodiment of resilience, purpose, passion, having command of one’s mind.

You must be ready to take on a commitment to work from the inside-out…and more subtly, after the conversation cause in some cased there is nowhere for you to turn, other than to re-examine how you are living your life – Questions like: “Am I really pouring into being the person I believe I’m capable of being?” may go through your mind.  Keep carving your unique path in life.

I can’t help but share the uncertainties that one of our students went through when times got rough. During the covid pandemic in 2021, the company held several on- line training with the youth from the age of 12 to 25 years. In one of the trainings, a senior three student shared some of his school experiences.

To keep his identity secret, I will call him, Eric. Eric shared some of his dreams which included to become a professional footballer and after retirement of the sport, change to becoming an engineer. In class he was not taken seriously because he acted like a comedian. He would make classmates laugh and he was not putting much effort to study to his best.

One day he got a cough which after he went to hospital was discovered turned into pneumonia. The next thing he was admitted for 1 week that later turned into a month. As a company policy we follow up on our students to find out how they are doing after the soft skills training. After I held a conversation with Eric, he shared that at some point through the pain of the two lung surgeries he felt fear and made a short prayer to his creator, GOD. This was while he was in Intensive Care Unit. He asked that God allows him to successfully have these operations which he had one after another. What helped him is the positive attitude and confidence he internally gave himself to pull through. Today he is back in school more serious at his studies and says lucky to be alive.

ERIC believes he will achieve his dream. He overcame his fear. Fear is a negative attitude which can cause you to give up. He says he is still on cause to make a SUCCESS of his life.

I hope this story will encourage someone out there in a similar situation where you feel weak, exhausted, helpless and have a feeling of low self-esteem. With the right attitude, change your mindset gain confidence, take on a growth mindset to become a positive thinker. Open yourself up to growth. Spend more time with positive thinkers. Put in some hard work and team spirit.

What advice would you give to a young child in a similar situation?

The objective is to find something you like, find something you love, find a willingness to put yourself in there because that’s how you change as a person. That’s how you grow. That’s how you’re willing to struggle. If you’re willing to struggle, then that really is the essence of being human. Find something you love, find a reason to struggle to make it happen, and you’re going to grow, and you’re going to be happier that way, regardless of the situation.

Successful Transformation: Leaders

Successful transformation starts with the leader in the organisation, but it can’t end there. True change lies in their ability to engage and inspire the people around them. The leader serves as transformation’s biggest advocate by telling a consistent story that will flow easily down the ranks of the organization so that everyone feels personally connected to the vision. A leader must be able to empower others in the organization to share in the story of the transformation so that all members are part of the change process but not bystanders.

In times of uncertainty such as those caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the skyrocketing prices on goods and services and the erratic increase in the price of fuel, it’s crucial for leaders in the organisation and management to handle change, and the disruption that has comes with it, both thoughtfully and strategically. Everyone in the organisation is being affected by these changes around us. So soft skills like empathy, emotional intelligence and interpersonal communication provide the leaders with the ability to create an environment where feedback is welcome, trust is won and success is accelerated.

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Are you a young graduate fresh from college or university and looking for a job? When you get a call to go a physical interview, Prepare, prepare and prepare on how to respond to interview questions. Do not at any one time limit your thinking by having such statements in your mind such as, “Getting my hopes up always leads to disappointment.” Sometimes these limiting beliefs come masked as a fear or disabling emotion.

Instead, just prepare yourself with adequate preparation, you will get the job. The important thing is to have a positive attitude and make prior arrangements to answer the questions.

1.      Tell me about yourself. Rely on your resume. The interviewer is interested in seeing whether your education and professional life are relevant to the job you are applying for. Secondly whether your skills and expertise are relevant.

2.      Explain how you are working to improve your skills. What do you consider as your biggest weakness?It is asked to find out how self-aware you are and whether you take action to overcome any technical or soft skill shortfalls. Make sure the weakness you give is the common weaknesses everyone tends to experience. And quickly add that you are working on it.

3.      Do your research on the organisation and the position you have applied for.

4.      Focus on the familiar. If you are asked a technical question that you do not know, be honest but add that you will be very willing to learn.

5.      What is your salary expectation?

When answering this question, it’s important not to undersell yourself – or conversely, price yourself out of consideration. Your best approach is to be open, honest and support your view with evidence. What are the salaries given for such a position? But show off your ability to compromise.

6.      Where do you see yourself in 5 years? The interviewer is looking to know your career ambition, long-term interest in your field and whether this particular job aligns with your aspirations. They want to know that if they hire you, you’re not going to be looking elsewhere in 12 months’ time.

7.      Why are you the best person for the job?

Chances are, you’re not the only person interviewing for this job. The other candidates are qualified and possess the required competencies, just like you.

This is the time to show your niche, your unique selling point. It can cover technical and soft skills, key experience or top accomplishments. The only constraint is that they must link your competencies required to the job.

In conclusion, Practice, practice, practice- on how to respond to interview questions.

Contact us for training sessions in this.

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“You have to know who you are to grow to your potential. But you have to grow in order to know who you are.” John Maxwell.

As schools in Uganda reopen for the first time in two years (Monitor newspaper, 2020), there is a growing concern of millions of learners, especially from humble families who may never go back to class, opening the lid on the far-reaching consequences of the country’s longest closure of the learning institutions. 
A report by the National Planning Authority (NPA) indicates that 30 percent (4.5 million) of an estimated 15 million learners in the country will drop out of school, stifling literacy levels.

The NPA report that was compiled in August 2021 and released indicates the deteriorating school dropout situation as a result of the effects of the Covid-19 induced lockdown where many girls were impregnated and became mothers while other learners took on menial jobs to earn an income. These categories, together with those with a poor economic background, are the most vulnerable to drop out. 

The NPA recommended a multi-stakeholder approach involving parish chiefs, village churches, and local cultural leaders, be adopted to implement a parish level outreach strategy for engaging families with learners that are at high risk of dropping out of school to ensure such children are re-enrolled in school.

Quality Management Services Ltd (QMS) company is committed to reach as many youth as possible by contacting churches at the grassroots and meeting with church leaders. Every month we aim to carry out free trainings to youth especially in poor communities. Early this month we carried out a training at a local church in Lusanja, a trading center, located a few kilometres from Mpererwe trading centre in Kawempe Division.

We were welcomed by the Anglican church, lay reader, Ms. Mercy Mugabi. The training took place under a tent with over 35 youth inclusive of 8 -year children. The area is not well developed. It is affected by the smell, polluted water and scavenging wildlife including “kalooli” or marabou storks. “The waste attracts pests that have made people’s lives a challenge. St. Apollo Kivebulaya church is located in Lusanja where we held the training and it is an area filled with garbage, a poor road defined by gullies and dirty water flowing in most places with a lot of holes and dust. A noisy man talking on a loudspeaker passed by in a truck as we (the trainers) competed to hold the attention of the youth.

We successfully delivered the soft skills training which majorly focused on positive thinking, positive attitude and importance of a personal vision statement. It was welcomed by all students and the elders who provided the facility. We asked the youth whether they had dreams. They shared their dreams with over 70% claiming they would like to become doctors. This is not surprising given the filthy, and dirty environment where they live.

Before our training the youth said they lacked self- drive, enthusiasm and motivation because of the effects of covid which had caused challenges like broken families with poor and negative mindset of parents towards their children’s future, deaths of family heads and lack of school fees.

After the training students said they were determined to change their negative attitude and thinking, they would share the lessons learnt with other youth, they promised to have the “I can, I will”, positive attitude, they would work hard at school with the aim of excelling in class and they would also persevere and strive to succeed in attaining their goals and their visions. 13-year-old Isaac Mukuye stood and said the training had inspired him to work hard, pass his school exams and become a lawyer.

Emotional intelligence enables youth to have positive interactions with others, to anticipate their feelings and to experience appropriate levels of empathy. So, what then is problem solving in relation to emotional intelligence? According to Albert Einstein, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”. Problem solving enables you to identify and define problems then get and implement potentially effective solutions. It also includes the ability to understand how emotions affect decision making. This trait is much more about your ability to solve a problem and not let it affect you and the people around you. One needs therefore to work through the problem in a calm and simple manner.

Does it take a lot of emotional effort to solve a problem?

In cases where the problem is complex, one may have to use several emotions like patience, reflection and visualising several solutions before one takes the most logical solution to a problem.

For example, at the just ended leadership training of Makerere University Mastercard Foundation scholars’ program, several student leaders shared that they listen patiently to peer students who pressurise them to solve stress related problems like inadequate finances, relationships or security. Then they counsel them by asking them to reduce stress on themselves through exercise, reading, networking and then go ahead to think through possible solutions. Thereafter you take on the best possible solution in the circumstances.

When Problem Solving is operating well then you will use your emotions to:

• Take in enough information to make informed conclusions, but not so many details that you are overwhelmed.
• Keep a clear head on the pertinent issues, without becoming frustrated.
• Generate motivation for others to act in a way that will achieve goals.
• Likely to take action.

When Problem Solving is low you:

• May prefer others to make decisions for you.
• May struggle to keep a clear focus on the situation at hand.
• Much of your time and energy maybe spent worrying about decisions rather than trying to solve them.
• May prefer to deal with impractical problems rather than people.

Developing skills around Problem Solving

During Learning Cog’s Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Masterclass, starting with ‘Self-Perception’, you must assess you own emotional intelligence and how to develop your EQ awareness. Here in this blog I have added some areas to think about when developing Problem Solving.

Question 1:

How did youth manage their finances during the lockdown caused by the pandemic?

During the covid- 109 pandemic, we carried out training sessions to youth and children. The youth had problems such as lack of finances to use during this period. We requested them to identify the problems, write them down and then put down several answers on how they could solve these problems. Juliana a 22-year-old student pursuing her CPA shared that when tackling of financial  problems, she would put herself in a serious, decisive mood and examine at how much finances she had, how much she expected to get after a certain period of time and how she can think outside the box to create opportunities for herself to make some money.

Question 2:

How can parents help their children learn how to manage finance?

During this month of April, youth returned home from school, some from boarding schools others were day scholars. A few tips on how to tackle financial challenges using finances using emotional intelligence at the beginning of holidays include:

1. Engage your children during these holidays in all types of problem-solving. This week if kids are having trouble handling finances in boarding school train them the best way they can manage them.
   1. Observation as a means to learn how others solve similar problems.

• Who do you know who is good in their problem solving?
• What do they actually do to solve problems (list the steps)?
• How do they go about finding out information about the problem, in order to get a complete picture?
• When trying to solve the problem, how much time are they talking and how much time do they allow others to talk?
• Think and Reflect
• Doing. Actually, go ahead to solve the problem.

The basics of spending and saving

Every parent wants their child to be financially responsible, and one of the best ways to do that is to teach them the basics of spending and saving from a young age. Explain to them how important it is to save up for things they want, and help them set up savings goals. At the same time, teach them about responsible spending – show them how to compare prices and look for the cheapest but durable solution in the circumstances.

The importance of budgeting

A big part of financial responsibility is learning how to budget properly. Help your child set up a budget and track their spending, so they can see where their money is going each month. This will help them make more informed decisions about their spending, and learn to stick to a budget in the future.

The value of investing

Investing is a great way to grow your money over time, and it’s something that everyone should start doing as early as possible. Explain to your child how investing works, and help them set up a simple investment account. This will teach them about the importance of saving for the future, and how to grow their money over time.

The basics of credit and borrowing

Credit and borrowing are a part of life, but it’s important to understand the basics before using them. Teach your child about interest rates, late fees, and other charges that come with borrowing money. And explain to them how important it is to only borrow what they can afford to pay back.

The importance of financial planning

One of the most important lessons you can teach your child is the importance of financial planning. Help them understand the importance of setting goals and creating a plan to reach those goals. This will teach them how to map out their financial future, and make better decisions with their money.

The basics of giving back

Teaching your children the importance of giving back is one of the most important lessons you can teach them. Help them understand how they can use their money to make a difference in the world, and encourage them to give back to causes they care about.

Every parent wants what is best for their children. One of the best ways is to teach them money management from a young age. This ensures they have a great knowledge of budgeting, savings, and finance early on. These lessons on money help them develop financially healthy habits.

What is resilience and why do you need it?

Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover easily and quickly from unpleasant and damaging events. It falls under the umbrella of emotional intelligence, the ability to identify, understand, and manage emotions.

One way to think of resilience is to compare it with the abilities of a metal spring: Just as like a spring can withstand pressure and return to its original form, resilient people can do the same.

Resilience is synonymous with toughness. It’s an invaluable quality because it can help you deal with repeatedly challenging events, to face pressure more effectively, all while preserving your mental health.

An example of resilience are kids learning to stand, walk, run etc. Or a child learning to ride a bicycle but continues on even after falling several times until they get it.

When this is your situation, follow these steps:

1. Take a break.

Like our story’s characters, we all reach a point where we’re ready to give up.

When that happens, it’s helpful to take a break. Doing so helps you to get your emotions under control, and recharge your “emotional batteries.” This will give you the strength to try again.

2. Embrace your feelings.

When dealing with pressure or repeated failures, you’re likely to feel frustrated, angry, and disappointed.

Don’t ignore those emotions. Instead, accept them.

Voice them out loud.

Talk to a friend–or to yourself.

Have a good cry.

Doing this will help you to recognize that it’s normal to feel the way you do. That it’s all OK.

3. Innovate

Think different. 

Try something new.

You keep falling but then you try again and again.

As a company we have been positive in all the challenges that we have met. The COVID pandemic that has and continues to be a global problem, has affected Quality Management Services Ltd as well. Instead of giving up because our core business in organizing corporate events has been largely affected with the lock downs, we have pivoted into life skills training of youth. Our 20-year experience of hiring part time youth during events enabled us to identify their challenges that hinder them in achieving their vision. This time as business owners, resilience has been a major attribute in keeping us going. We cannot and will not give up despite the slowing down of business, in Uganda and the world in general.

EMPATHY

“We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.”—Fred Rogers

In times such as these, providing empathy, kindness and compassion to our fellow citizens is the single most important factor in surviving the times of the CORONA pandemic.

What Is Empathy?

In its simplest form, empathy is the ability to recognize emotions in others, and to understand other people’s perspectives on a situation. At its most developed, empathy enables you to use that insight to improve someone else’s mood and to support them through challenging situations.

According to influential psychologist Daniel Goleman, empathy is one of the five key components of emotional intelligence – a vital leadership skill. It develops through three stages: cognitive empathy, emotional empathy and compassionate empathy. We discuss each stage in turn, below.

Cognitive Empathy

Cognitive empathy is the ability to understand what another person might be thinking or feeling. It need not involve any emotional engagement by the observer.

Managers may find cognitive empathy useful in understanding how their team members are feeling, and therefore what style of leadership would get the best from them today. Similarly, sales executives can use it to gauge the mood of a customer, helping them to choose the most effective tone for a conversation.

Cognitive empathy is a mostly rational, intellectual, and emotionally neutral ability. This means that some people use it for negative purposes. For example, those with a Machiavellian personality trait

may use cognitive empathy to manipulate people who are emotionally vulnerable.

Emotional Empathy

Emotional empathy is the ability to share the feelings of another person, and so to understand that person on a deeper level. It’s sometimes called “affective empathy” because it affects or changes you. It’s not just a matter of knowing how someone feels, but of creating genuine rapport with them.

This kind of empathy can be overwhelming. People with strong empathic tendencies can become immersed in other people’s problems or pain, sometimes damaging their own emotional well-being. This is particularly true if they don’t feel able to resolve the situation.

Anyone leading a team will benefit from developing at least some emotional empathy. It helps to build trust between managers and team members, and to develop honesty and openness. But empathy is most valuable when it’s combined with action.

Compassionate Empathy

Compassionate empathy is the most active form of empathy. It involves not only having concern for another person, and sharing their emotional pain, but also taking practical steps to reduce it.

For example, imagine that one of your team members is upset and angry because he or she delivered an important presentation badly. Acknowledging their hurt is valuable, and affirming their reaction by showing signs of those feelings yourself even more so. But best of all is putting aside some time for them, and offering practical support or guidance on getting through the situation and preparing for next time.

We would like to applaud Martha Osiru the proprietor of Enlight a vocational institute located in Matugga. Her vision is to help the under privileged youth from upcountry attain skills that will turn them into leaders as they pursue their goals to achieve their visions. Her passion has led her to areas in Eastern Uganda where she has identified youth from Kamuli, Iganga, Mayuge, Busia and even as far as Western Kenya. All the youth we have trained in soft skills have poor backgrounds and she has provided technical skills for them in a healthy environment where they have access to better facilities. THIS IS COMPASSIONATE EMPATHY.

We need more people to give out empathy to the less privileged.

DEALING WITH CRITICISM POSITIVELY IS AN IMPORTANT LIFE SKILL.

At some point in your life you will be criticised, perhaps in a professional way. Sometimes it will be difficult to accept – but that all depends on your reaction. 

You can either use criticism in a positive way to improve, or in a negative way that can lower your self-W esteem and cause stress, anger or even aggression.

TIPS:

How to handle criticism as a teenager

1. Listen honestly for a critic’s intention. …
2. Decide if feedback is constructive or destructive. …
3. Thank those who offer constructive criticism. …
4. Avoid exploding in the face of constructive criticism. …
5. Minimize encounters with harmful people. …
6. Make plans to act on constructive criticism.

How to handle criticism at work

1. Control your reaction. …
2. Try not to take it personally. …
3. Process the criticism. …
4. Give yourself some grace. …
5. Show appreciation. …
6. Show humility. …
7. Apologize conservatively. …
8. Do not dwell on the criticism.

Taking Constructive Criticism Like a Champ

1. Stop Your First Reaction. At the first sign of criticism, before you do anything—stop. At first it hurts. Make a quick move away
2. Remember the Benefit of Getting Feedback. So ask questions how you can improve…
3. Listen for Understanding. …
4. Say Thank You for the feedback. As they save you from appreciation of their input as not many do.
5. Use this to distinguish is it constructive. Ask Questions to Deconstruct the Feedback. So smile to show you have taken it positively and you are appreciative.
6. Request Time to Follow Up. Ask for time to address their concerns.

Destructive criticism is negative. It can cause you to feel bad about yourself. You need to be aware of it so that you can create boundaries. The tone of negative criticism can increase stress, anger and hurt in you. A negative person can constantly throw the past at you. So still it is never really about you. tone in it. It brings out the desire to manipulate envy, unhappiness of the other person. They could be used to negativity. It can be a habitual habit of the other person or because they just want to hurt you.

7 Tips That’ll Help You Stop Taking Criticism So Personally (and Make it Easier to Move On)

1. Embrace the Opportunity. …
2. Remind Yourself You Don’t Have the Full Picture. …
3. Pause for a Moment. …
4. Choose to Hear Feedback Differently. …
5. Plan In-Process Time. …
6. Distract Yourself. …
7. Remember—It’s Just Not About You. And thank them for the criticism which will make you better.

Learning to cope with criticism

Learning to cope with criticism is a key part of professional (and personal) growth, and when processed productively, can actually boost your confidence and be extremely valuable for advancing your career.

However, in the class of youth we trained this module, we asked them to share, if on the other hand, they were the ones required to give positive criticism. These are some of their suggestions:

1. Be calm. Advise them to be receptive to criticism as no one is perfect and mistakes are done by everyone.

1. Be frank and advise when one is in the wrong and give a solution to how it should be handled.
2. Show empathy and go ahead and point out the wrong action in the other person.

DITCH THE FIXED MINDSET AND TAKE ON GROWTH MINDSET

Carol Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success-but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability don’t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals-personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, Chief Executive Officers, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.

TIPS:

1.   STOP FEARING FAILURE: Embrace your mistakes. Part of taking risks is being able to learn from your mistakes. A blunder can also be an amazing blessing because you can use your misstep as a jumping-off point toward something new.

2.   GET A LONGTERM VISION

3.   LISTEN TO YOUR GUT

Change the way you think

WHAT WORDS TO AVOID: 

I AM worried, frightened, upset, tired, bored, not, never, can’t.

Have you ever heard: Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me?

This is a lie. Words hurt.

Words such as stupid, dumb, loser, failure, and hate can hurt. Even words as simple as and, unassuming as can’tand quit can have a harmful impact on your life. They can paralyze you.

Words drive your Mindset.

4.   DEVELOP GROWTH MINDSET

Gain the ability to critically evaluate yourself- short comings and progress.

Those who have a natural growth mind set do better in life, and work smarter across challenging situations.

So teach yourself to love learning even for the youth teach them that that can do better, be smarter and succeed in whatever you set your mind to achieve. This makes you more empowered and you feel valued when you are appreciated for your growth mind set, encouraged to achieve more and hence your achievements.

5.CURIOSITY WILL KEEP YOU THIRSTING FOR MORE

You should never stop learning. According to Zimmerman, a thirst for knowledge is something that can never be quenched, and should be a lifelong quest.

“I can honestly say that no amount of knowledge is ever enough to quell my thirst in life to know, have and be more than I am today,” Zimmerman.

No risk, no reward. Push yourself to new heights

6.Find gratitude, celebrate others’ successes.

“Cultivate gratitude by celebrating and sincerely be happy for other people’s successes,” Zimmerman said.

When you acknowledge and delight in others’ successes, this helps you shirk feelings of bitterness or resentment, allows you to focus on the positive things you have accomplished as well.

6.Shun the negative, feed the positive.

As a rule, you reflect the characteristics of the people with whom you surround yourself. As motivational speaker Jim Rohn has said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.”

7. Be healthy in mind and body.

Don’t discount the importance of both physical and mental agility. For example, intelligence with a growth mindset use this mental attitude positively for teenagers shows potential growth. They gain as they work hard and take on the challenges they face in their line of work or school assignments.

Zimmerman recommends embracing both, since they work together to keep you alert and focused.

8.Keep your energy high.

When you are feeling low on energy and neglect to work out for a little while, your enthusiasm and positivity wanes, which in turn allows negative thoughts to take hold. 

Zimmerman likened those negative thoughts to a river of energy running out of your body. “You lose your vitality and you are far less likely to attract all the positive things, people and opportunities that you want from life,” she said.

Physical exercise and positive thoughts assist with that, and give you a constant boost of ‘feel-good’ endorphins,” Zimmerman explained. “It all works to make it easier to attract positive circumstances into your life.”

CLEARLY TAKE ON A GROWTH MINDSET IN YOUR JOURNEY TO SUCCESS BY LEARNING POSITIVELY THROUGH YOUR CHALLENGES AND BRINGING OUT YOUR POTENTIAL.

Improving self -esteem of your teenager will build their confidence

• Do not become too busy for your teenager.
• Get family time with your teenager and spend a few minutes daily talking to him or her and asking them what they have been up to that day. Show interest and find out who they have communicated with and about what. This gets you to find out their interests and shows them you are interested in their life. 
• That hour should be a time to talk together about their body changes, fears and peer pressure they may be facing. Today the world through social media and peer groups seems to okay sex before marriage and teenagers laugh at those who try to tell them about the importance of purity. 

These issues all need to be talked about freely by parents and similarly the teenager must be able to trust their parents and talk about anything they face or hear about.

USE THIS TIME OF THE LOCK DOWN TO BOND WITH YOUR TEENAGER.