“The independence and rebelliousness of our adolescence offer us yet another quality essential to our practice: the insistence that we find out the truth for ourselves, accepting no one’s word above our own experience.” – Jack Kornfield
A key tenet of growth is being propelled to learn and experience things for yourself. Discovering new things and allowing yourself to make mistakes that often come from the unknown is a vital part of becoming who we are and ultimately teaches us the importance of resilience and persistence. If we only learn things that others have learned themselves, we limit our ability to evolve as human beings and to forge our own life paths. Likewise, nothing is more rewarding than accomplishing something of your own accord so encouraging this kind of behaviour can also help to build self-confidence and pride.
When I was a teenager there were so many people offering advice on how I should live my life, things I should do and things I shouldn’t. However the most valuable lessons I received were the ones where I mucked up, made a mistake and learnt through my own experience.
We want our children and students to learn from our mistakes and heed our wisdom but in the end they will only take on what they want to. Perhaps the best way they can learn life lessons is through direct experience.
I remember more vividly the times when I was given greater responsibility and an opportunity to step up and give it a try with the knowledge that I may fail, than when someone told me how to do something.
Our own experience is just that and it has shaped who we are. Young people who are still discovering their identity, passion and purpose deserve the opportunity to have their own journey to find out who they truly are.
If you need some assistance supporting this transition, get in touch with us today to find out more about how our Adolescent Camps can help – ritesofpassageinstitute.org/program-bookings
