We all have points in our lives as high school students where we just feel like we cannot do anything, but everyone deserves to know that they are worth more than the voices in their head. Being able to help someone else have a better day is something that teenagers should especially strive for, because the teenage years are a time of change, and unfortunately, self doubt. When self doubt creeps in, empowerment can save the day. We have all heard the word ‘empowerment’, but how we can actively practice something we all may not be familiar with.

To be an empowering person means to help others achieve their goals by helping them recognize their full potential. Students and teachers should be practicing this every day! Let’s say that a teacher recognizes that a certain student isn’t doing his or work, the teacher can choose to confront the student in one of two ways: attack them by saying,”You are going to fail this class,” or be encouraging and say “I know that you can finish this work on time because look at all of the other great things you have done so far.  You can’t just stop now.” Now the student is left with the thought that his or her past accomplishments are actually being noticed, and they will naturally feel that they can do it again, so in this way empowerment is an action that can be built on because the motivation is coming from within themselves.

Peer to peer empowerment can be very healthy for a high school environment because, as we all know, most teenagers lifestyle is very social media based, so we are constantly seeing other people’s standards of who we should be and what should become of us. Every one of us has accomplished something worth valuing, but it is so easy to get lost in the school work, social media, friends and family that we eventually forget about all the amazing things we have done and what are potential could be. We can all be a friend that lets a friend in need know how much they are worth, so if someone you know is self doubting, be that friend that reminds them why they are awesome; empower them! Not only will you put a smile on their face but i’m sure it will put a smile on yours too.
Our high school lives are not going to be all sunshine and rainbows because we start being nicer to people, but imagine how much more enjoyable this experience can be for all of us if we tried to empower others instead of bringing them down. Don’t forget to remind yourself of the valuable things you have done in your life and give yourself the credit you deserve!