My mom got my oldest son this book, "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris, twin brothers and teenagers. They wrote this book based on their blog http://www.therebelution.com/. The rebelution is "teens rebelling against the low expectations of the world and doing the 'hard' things." I skimmed thru the book and really just read the first two chapters before handing it over to my daughter to read, but besides being good inspiration for teens, this book could be a good challenge for us all.
They bring up the point that most kids/teens are considered "good" kids/teens because they don't do the bad things. Because the don't drink, don't do drugs, don't get in trouble, etc... But shouldn't they be considered good for the things that they do, do... Because they volunteer, or help at church, or get good grades, etc... Don't we want to challenge our kids to be better by doing these "hard" and "good" things, and not by just telling them that you are good by just staying out of trouble?
It is such a simple concept, but so true. And really, applicable to all of us. Do I want to be a good parent because I don't beat and neglect my children, or do I want to be a good parent because I love and support my children. There is really a huge difference between the two, but in the world's view, both can and are considered "good".
This book challenges it's readers (mostly teens) to go beyond and to go further and to strive to do the hard things that society assumes is beyond their reach. Who says that a teenager can't raise money for a worthy cause? If somebody were to ask you, you probably would say it's possible, but why isn't it expected? Why don't we push our children to explore volunteerism and community outreach as teens, instead of being content that they are at home on facebook, but staying out of trouble.
So this is my plug, my little platform to shout from for tonight. GET THE BOOK! CHALLENGE YOUR KIDS! Make them believe that they are capable of things that they never would have thought of, that you never would have thought of. These are our future leaders, and we should expect the best from them, and in return, expect the best from yourselves.
Now go out and do something 'hard,' push yourself out of your ordinary boundaries, and stretch your abilities to your wildest imaginings!
