Creating a Thinking Environment: Reflections and lessons from my youth group

I am smiling to myself today.

I received such positive feedback from my youth group yesterday.

It was a wonderful Thinking Environment. Filled with feelings of joy, lightness, and childhood memories.

These young people spoke about gratitude, respect, closeness, courage, motivation, strength, and fulfillment.

At the end, we remained silent for a while, as if none of us wanted that hour together to end...

They want to learn and try new things that will help them on their life journey.

They wonder about their path, will it be a happy one?

What does it take to find happiness?

Can they be different?

How do you truly find what you want without compromising on the “shoulds” and the stereotypes of others?

How do you make peace with the darker side of life without letting it weigh you down?

Isn’t it wonderful to hear such questions from a girl who just turned eighteen?

It’s amazing. She is amazing!

And how beautiful to hear a thoughtful young man, just a couple of years older, sharing his reflections on the power of gratitude and optimism, on the beauty that surrounds us and those people who make these inner explorations a little easier for us.

And another wonderful girl speaking about the importance of knowing ourselves, of building and following ‘our own story’.

And the rest of these fantastic young people adding thoughts about giving ourselves time, building self-confidence, trusting ourselves, trusting our path, our life.

And about talking through our worries, because that’s what weakens them.

And there I was, listening with all my attention, not wanting to miss a single word, soaking in all that wisdom, all that knowledge hidden within these young hearts.

Trying, in turn, to share those few things I’ve only recently started to realize and accept myself, after almost half a century of living this life...

Those things that have helped me on my own journey:

• The power of intuition.

• The belief that, deep down, we always know what is right for us; we just need to listen closely and be in an environment that allows us to hear it.

• Acceptance.

• The understanding that in everything, there is light and shadow, ease and challenge, yes and no.

• The importance of listening to ourselves, observing ourselves, recognizing our values, understanding our motivations.

• Being empathetic with ourselves.

• Loving ourselves.

• Embracing our uniqueness and our journey.

It was a beautiful Thursday evening.

A beautiful end of October , filled with emotion, warmth, and meaning.

It held sensitivity, maturity, authenticity, encouragement, honesty, empathy.

It held youth.

It held life.

Young people do listen.

They reflect.

They care.

They grow.

Do we truly listen to them?

How do we support them in shaping their own path?

How much do we encourage them?

A beautiful evening full of thought, emotion, and connection.

A reminder that listening, sharing, and creating spaces for young people to think for themselves can truly make the world a little brighter.