Ep. 75: "Purpose" but Without the Eye-Rolling

<p>*<em>This episode contains strong language.*</em></p><p><br><a href="https://talkingtoteens.com/purpose-without-eyerolling/">Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episode</a></p><p><br>You remember high school, don’t you? The crushing pressure to define yourself, the need to fit in with your classmates, and the stress of meeting all the expectations of adults and teachers. <em>What do you want to </em>do<em> with your life? </em>they ask. But, at sixteen, did you really know? Did your life pan out the way you thought it would? Or was it full of unexpected twists and turns, mistakes that served as learning experiences on your road to success? </p><p><br>It’s important for teenagers to recognize that they don’t, in fact, need to know <em>everything </em>about themselves by 18. But nowadays, with social media emphasizing the importance of personal branding and colleges putting pressure on teenagers to perform perfectly, teens can feel boxed in. They feel they need to know <em>exactly </em>who they are and what they want...ASAP! And they may get the message that their life must be one clean story with no zigs, zags, or misdirections. This limiting belief is detrimental in a world that is full of fast-paced change. </p><p><br>Paradoxically, change is the most consistent part of human experience. Every day, we learn more about ourselves and make adjustments accordingly. And experimenting, failing, and adjusting is how we figure out what makes us happy, what motivates us to get out of bed each morning with a clarity of “purpose,” or, for those who are rolling their eyes at “purpose,” our “f*ck yeah!”</p><p><br>Alexis Rockley, author of <a href="https://amzn.to/2wHjYJO"><em>Find Your F*ckyeah: Stop Censoring Who You Are and Discover What You Really Want</em></a><em>, </em>sat down with me this week to talk about how you can help your teen find their f*ck yeah and break out of restricting stereotypes. Rockley, who humbly describes herself as a “nerd who loves research,” is leadi