MANY teens have goals in life. It can be something related to pursuing their favorites or helping people in need. The only thing that blocks these goals is the way they are being achieved. People want to see the significant impact right away and try to do the big things, only to be disappointed if it does not turn out the way they want. I am one of those who dream big but can only do so little. I get frustrated to see how my efforts don’t do much. However, my mindset changed when I went to a summer camp in Cavite. The facilitators talked about Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” This camp discussed the habits in a way that was more applicable to teens.
Talking about all seven habits would be too much, so I want to focus on my learning towards Habit One. The first habit is to “practice being proactive instead of being reactive.” It emphasizes taking a small pause to analyze a situation before giving a response. Of course, there are times when it is necessary to react first, such as receiving good news or using the fight or flight response.
The facilitators emphasized to focus on the circle of control, or the aspects of the situation a person can easily do. For example, when a teacher gives homework, it is better to focus on the task given rather than complain about the time given by the teacher. This way, the job gets done faster and there is still time to do other important work.
However, I am not giving a lecture on how to do homework. Instead, I shared this to encourage everyone to act regarding any issue that you are passionate about. It can be about protecting the environment, fighting for equal rights, or wanting to change the government. Keep in mind that results are not immediate, but if your small actions encourage others to do the same, then the impact will become more significant. Instead of thinking that the situation is not getting better, think about how you can prevent the situation from getting worse.