“Live life to the fullest,” “Live like there’s no tomorrow,” “Live each day as if it were your last,’’ — our society is filled with a number of catch phrases designed to inspire us all to take nothing for granted and seize the day! Unfortunately, we don’t all take heed of this advice until our days are numbered. Enter the Bucket List—things to do before you “kick the bucket,” the theme of the movie The Bucket List, in which Morgan and Jack travel the world in search of fun and adventure because they believe they are about to die. What would your bucket list look like if you knew or just believed you were going to die? What if you were young? Would you head off into the wild beyond, like Morgan and Jack, or would you abuse drugs and engage in other unsafe behaviors like so many of your peers today?
The perception of time is everything and unfortunately, a number of teens don’t believe they have much time left. According to a recent study conducted by Dr. Iris Borowsky, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, nearly 15 percent of teenagers believe that they are going to die young. Consequently, these feelings of hopelessness cause teens to engage in dangerous behaviors because they feel that they have nothing to lose. Dr. Borowsky’s study found that over seven years, adolescents who thought they would die young were seven times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS, attempt suicide, and participate in fights that resulted in serious injuries.
Hope for our children’s future, requires us all to ensure that they believe and behave as if they will indeed have one. To do this we must offer them guidance and teach them the necessary skills that promote a safe and long-lasting life. NCPC offers various resources, such as our Community Works curriculum, that educate young people about the cost and consequences of crime and encourages youth to analyze situations, exercise reason and critical thinking skills, effectively communicate ideas, and exhibit positive behaviors. If you have advice or program and resource recommendations for our young people, leave a comment below.
Hey Robin! This is an inspiring post - creating our bucket list definitely keeps us focused on what's important to us. Coincidentally, I recently wrote an article on my blog on bucket list, which covers the importance behind a bucket list, how to write one and 101 things to do before we die: What's On Your Bucket List? 101 Things To Do Before You Die.
Posted by: Celes | The Personal Excellence Blog | August 11, 2009 at 07:10 AM