Freedom You Have always Wanted             You've always wished everyone would come to agree with you that you are now able to make your own decisions and that you are now able to handle your issues by yourself. And obviously your parents so not seem to want to give you that opportunity. If you would look into the future at the next 15 or 20 years, do you think you would still have your parents around to make decisions for you? I don't think so. Not too long from now, you would have all the freedom you always wanted. What do you think you would do with it? That is why you need to think and live with your future in view. Freedom is good but 'freedom' is not lack of self control. You would need to learn to live right with your freedom if you indeed want to become anything meaningful in future.   What Do You Want?             You need to face it. With the little you have learnt in life. With the dreams you are conceiving, with the future you are seeing 'What do you want for yourself?' This is indeed a question that needs a personal answer. Everyone has to make a decision. A determination of what he or she wants to achieve in the future. You should not just live your life anyhow accepting whatever comes your way. You should have an insight into what you are becoming and be proactive about it. Someone once told me that to achieve superior results, you should ensure your successes are not mere accidents; you should be involved in the process.             This issue is an important one and you really need to take time to think about your future. Your grasp of this Teen Focus determines to a large extent on how much you get out of this book. Whatsoever your present speaks, before you now is a clean plate for you to write what your future would be. You only need to desire it, dream it and put it into writing and with the right actions and choices that dream would be a reality sooner than you think. Before you now is a blank sheet, and you have been asked to write what you wish for yourself by the time your are 50 years old. Think beyond wishing and dreaming that you would be the richest man in your country or in the world since it is a truth  of the scriptures that fulfillment in life does not consist in the wealth and material riches one has 1. What do you want? Think! Think! Think!! A happy home, a wonderful spouse, obedient and God-fearing children, a healthy family, a source of blessing to your generation,  much comfort and security, great wealth and the list goes on and on. Are these what you desire for yourself? Or you would rather desire a troubled home with an unfaithful spouse, insecurity, rebellious children, and the likes. What do you want? Take time now to think about the future you desire before you continue reading and put it down into writing.

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Your Problem with People             One of your problems with people, your parents sometimes is that they are always complaining about you. They do not really appreciate the good things you do but they would always be quick to point out your mistakes. This is seen as a negative factor but you could make it a positive one. Actually there is always an element of truth in every rumor. So the next time people complain about a particular habit or character of yours, do not just go on ahead to give excuses. Even if you do, before you go to bed, as you go over the day try to think about what was said and see if there is an element of truth in it. If there is the slightest element of truth, adjust and work towards making a change. If it is not true, discipline yourself so much that it would never come to be true.   Your Tomorrow             Yes! Your career, as you grow from being a kid to being a teenager, you are also becoming an adult. Are you looking forward into the future at all? The future when you would become a parent, an employee and or an employer, a wife or a husband. If you are not, then you had better get started. Picture the good life you want for yourself. Dream it, write it down, and never forget it. Remember that the dreams of today are the realities of tomorrow.             You must also do one more thing. You must make sure that you do not do things that would jeopardize your tomorrow, keep the right friends, and be a good person. Let your parents and teachers bring you up in a way that is right, obey instructions, live responsibly and more importantly, live your life with deep respect for God. God created you to live and please him. Live according to his statues and you would find life pleasant to live in because God's Word is the answer to all life's questions.

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TEENAHOOD

The Feeling             Hello Teen, you have come a long way, eleven years at the least, to be called a teenager. You've grown from being called a kid to being called a Teenager. Now you begin to understand yourself, you begin to know and analyze your emotions, you now can express your feelings. You can now observe your strengths (things you are good at) and your weaknesses. You feel you are getting matured and you just want to be different.             The Teenage years is full of hopes and anxiety, fears and cares not knowing what lies ahead in the nearest future. You feel good about yourself anyway that you are also becoming an adult and you feel on top of the world when you are promoted to the next class. I would like to put to words here what happens to youths as they approach puberty or the age of adolescence also called the Teenage hood. You should know that another name for teenage years is Adolescence and the teenager is referred to as an Adolescent. You would likely note these changes are issues you are presently facing or that you have faced that is if you have been able to get over them. As a teen, a lot of things are happening to you that you yourself do not even understand although you think you do and almost everyone around you also do not understand what is going on with you although they think they do. I will speak briefly of these events before we then move on to discuss who you are now and how you came to be who you are.   Characteristics of Adolescence             Adolescence begins at puberty and it usually begins at the 11-13 age range. Because pubertal age varies, some teenagers enter puberty at about age 10 while others at about age 15. Adolescents come to have opinions and beliefs that their opinions are the best and that things can work their way. They hardly want to accept opinions or observations that oppose their own ideas. Their inability to believe other persons is based on their lack of experience to support their own beliefs. The Adolescents wants to attach to someone they think they like at this stage. This person could be a person of the same sex or of the other sex, a friend, teacher, a family member or relatives.   Search for independence from Adults Adolescents see themselves as adults and want their own freedom and of course the parents at this period see the adolescent as not being able to handle their affairs on their own so they refuse to grant independence to the adolescent. The adult's unwillingness to grant freedom puts some pressure on the youths and they try to enforce their freedom amidst their peers. Hence the youths move together in cliques and react to situations in gangs and they prefer the company of their peers to that of the adults. The adolescent whether male or female wants acceptance and approval of their behaviour by other people and since adults would not 'cooperate', they seek for independence amidst their peers. Adolescents want an ideal and sophisticated life. The physical changes make them search for sophistication. They think they are matured. Many actions of adolescents in the school at this time are against school rules. There is always a conflict between school rules and adolescent behaviours especially as regards boy-girl relationships, dressing, body care and hair care and other general issues. Observations have also revealed that Adolescents prefer social activities to academics. They organize social activities on their own selecting leaders amidst themselves. In situations where discipline is weak, they react negatively to academics through noise making, hissing or other anti-social behaviours.  Females have more superficial physical development than males which makes them interested in males not of their own age. They want more mature forms of interaction with boys than with girls of their age.

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