“Managing”

Sometimes we have to act a certain way to feel that way. 

If you’re not happy at school, then walk in the doors standing tall with a smile on your face and saying “hi” to people. 

If you’re struggling, have the courage to act. 

Effort Strong:

Kids need to feel: 

Safe: to talk, to ask questions, to be themselves. 

Connected: by asking, apologizing, writing, playing. 

Confident: express gratitude, name it to tame it, try new things. 

“Start where you are. Not where you wish you were.” 

What do you struggle with?

Sugar addiction, relaxing, chemical regulation, hormone regulation, patience, ; boys individual struggles. 

Acceptance. Pressure. Am I good enough? FOMO. 

1. The struggle is real. Manage vs. eliminate. Some things never really go away. In mortality we struggle. We can learn to not only manage it but embrace the grow from it. “There’s no growth and comfort and no comfort in growth.” This doesn’t mean the pain goes away. Don’t get caught up in this extreme desire to fix everything. Sometimes we make assumptions. Strategies change with information. 

“Perspective is everything” so check your assumptions against reality.

1. Quick-fix (instant) thinking. Youth (and all of us) need a clear plan to reach goals. Not everything is resolved in this life. Quick-fixes are not the reality of mortality. Beating ourselves up doesn’t help. 
2. Balance. Rather than trying to eliminate stress, learn to manage it. Struggles aren’t going to go away. Are you going to focus on eliminating it or working with it? Reflect. Have you become a little extreme in your thinking?
3. “Wait upon the Lord” Isaiah 40:31. 

“Wait” = have hope. Some day the struggle you’re experiencing will subside. The struggle allows us to have joy. Manage through the struggle. Pray and ask for support. Ask Him to see what you’re not. Ask for a healthy, long-term plan, ask Him to balance your thinking. 

1. Challenge: disrupt child’s thinking by asking: “Do you have all the information? Are you making assumptions? Do you have a healthy plan or are you looking for a quick fix solution?”
2. Realize the value in struggle! Let it help your testimony grow. Turn to loved ones for support.