Teens' insights on what works, what doesn’t, and how they find and create inspiration in daily life
It’s very important to always want to grow but you also have to know that it’s not always going to happen. Be hungry for growth but don’t be disappointed every time you fail. Not growing from an experience doesn’t mean you’re failing! There’s something to learn from the moments when you don’t change. Why was it so hard then? What about you makes it so tough to find that growth in that situation?
So how do you have a growth mindset? Go into each situation and try to take just one small thing out of it. It’s like when there’s a Yom Iyun in school. You can’t take every part of what you hear and try to be inspired, or you’ll be overwhelmed and lose it all. Better to pick one bit that means something to you and let it change you.
I have a friend who reads Living Emunah on the daily. Something like that brings you closer to Hashem and helps you through hard times by inspiring you. Sometimes inspiration is just for that moment. But sometimes it resonates, and you can take it with you through your life by going back to it and reading it over and over again.
When I was twelve, my bas mitzvah was scheduled for the weekend that Covid first hit my city. I still remember that Motzaei Shabbos when I found out that my big event had to be cancelled. It was really hard, but it also made me stop and reflect on all the good things in my life. I realized how much brachah I have, and somehow, that made things okay! That experience taught me that our main goal in life is to grow and become the best ovdei Hashem we possibly can be. Nobody’s perfect, of course, but I’ve come to see our challenges as real opportunities to grow.
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