WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT YOUTH AND PURPOSE
Sources:
The Development of Purpose During Adolescence William Damon, Jenni Menon, and Kendall Cotton Bronk Exploring the Nature and Development of Purpose in Youth Stanford University Portraits of Purpose: A study examining the ways a sense of purpose contributes to positive
PURPOSEFUL YOUTH
• Perform better academically
• Are connected to health and productive behaviors in all their manifestations - Psychologically - Socially - Physically • Are relatively open, vital and enthusiastic about their interests and focused on the broader implications of their efforts • Are committed to core values including humility, gratitude, and integrity • Actively seek and create communities of like-minded peers and maintain intense, long-term relationships with mentors
• Are more health conscious
youth development Kendall Cotton Bronk
• Strive to have a positive impact on themselves and the world around them • Embrace other desired outcomes such as pro-social behavior, moral commitment, achievement, high self-esteem
INTERNAL & EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PURPOSE • Primary factors that aid in developing a sense of purpose - Socioeconomic status - Personal motivation - Family involvement - Belief in one’s own ability - Race • The most significant determinants that contribute to purpose discovery and attainment are: - personal motivation - personal belief that one has control over the factors that lead to fulfilling his/her purpose. - support received from family, mentors, and other loved ones • Young people who are purpose-minded, but who lack the means to achieve purpose, are often met with disillusionment and disappointment that incidentally hinder purpose fulfillment.
• Build resiliency to unfavorable circumstances in life
• Devise a number of creative strategies for overcoming challenges.
NON PURPOSEFUL YOUTH
• Are more focused on short-term rather than long-term aims • Are significantly less likely to be open, vital, or committed to core values • Have mentoring relationships less focused, less intense, and less long-lasting
• Become increasingly difficult to acquire motivating belief systems later in life. • Endure personal effects that may include: - self-absorption
- depression - addictions - psycho-somatic ailments
• Deviant and destructive behavior, a lack of productivity, and an inability to sustain stable interpersonal relations.
Finding Your Superpower
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