Whenever we approach the subject of nation-building, one often neglected area of society is the youth. A lot of us don’t really take them seriously because we have somehow painted a negative picture of them in our minds.
Immature. Juvenile. Irresponsible. Inability to focus. Restless. And a whole lot more adjectives we believe are fit for their age group. We perceive them to not understand things that are too adult in nature such as social security disability claims, taxation, or even local legislation.
However, when we do that, we fail to recognize their potential to make a difference in society and their generational impact. We need to understand that when we talk about nation-building, we need to talk about raising the next generation to build it alongside. After all, they will be the ones that will inherit the earth from us and pass it down to their children. As adults, we need to invest our time and energy into raising them to be suitable leaders of society.
Here are some reasons we should reach out to the youth of today:
The youth are the future leaders and builders of society.
Whether you like it or not, we will grow old and become obsolete to society. There will come a time when we will, for lack of a better word, outlive our usefulness. The generation that follows us will be the ones to step up, take the reins in their hands, and steer our country either to greatness or to oblivion. The outcome will depend on how we raise the future leaders of society.
There’s no better cause than reaching out to them because they are the future politicians of this country. With them belongs the future businessmen, artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, servicemen, lawyers, engineers, and everything else that comprises and contributes to our society. If we fail to reach out to the next generation and raise them right, we will see not just America but the entire world come to ruins.
Major movements were ignited by passionate young people.
If you look throughout history, a lot of the major movements, both positive and negative, started on campuses. Women’s activism, the civil rights movement, the opposition to the Vietnam War, Marxism, and a lot more all started with young people who want their voices to be heard. Decades, and even centuries, after, these events still influence a lot of our decisions today.
The youth are idealists who want to see genuine change in society. Some may be misguided but their passion for what they believe is right is truly remarkable. Imagine if we can educate them and open their eyes to really see both the beautiful and ugly sides of truth and reality.
They are the doorway to their families.
Who knows these young people better than their families? If you make an impact on the life of one person just by talking to him or her and being sincerely interested in their welfare if you lay down the right values in them, mindsets can be broken and belief systems can be corrected. This could lead to a genuine change in behavior which will be very noticeable, especially to their family members.
Reach one young person and they can influence their families.
Young people have great potential to impact the world.
They say that the timidest person on the planet can influence 10,000 people in his or her lifetime. We’re probably talking about a hermit who lives in a far-flung area away from dense populations.
Young people, even though some of them are shy, have great potential to influence and make a difference in more than 10,000 people in their lives. It could be their families, their neighbors, their playmates, teachers, colleagues, acquaintances, strangers, or anyone who they get in contact with every day. That’s why raising them up with the right beliefs, values, guiding them in their decision-making, and supporting them all play big parts in how they end up making a difference in other people’s lives.
Never ever look down on a young person just because of their youth and inexperience. They have a lot to offer the world. With the right guidance and support, they can move mountains and do seemingly impossible things for their age. All they need for their potential to be unlocked is someone who will believe in them.
They want to be taken seriously. They want to inspire others. They want to make a difference in the world. Let’s not deprive them of their dreams but help them fulfill each one.
If we want to build the nation right and see the world changed for the better, we need to raise young people up and build the world for them with them.
