Phil Sena

Teenagers’ lives can be filled to the brim with activities—school, athletics, relationships, part-time jobs, church attendance, family obligations and personal hobbies. With increased independence and opportunities for extracurricular pursuits, the teen years can be exciting but very busy. However, it is during these years that we set the foundation for many patterns of health that will affect us as adults.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone you just met, and after your chat it seemed as though you had known the person your whole life?

Nearly all successful people have had the experience of coming to a turning point in their lives. Faced with a difficult decision, and at serious risk of failure, they must make a choice. Will they give up and fail, letting circumstances get the best of them? Or will they set goals that will lead them to success in spite of adversity? At the moment when you or I are facing our greatest challenges, it may seem almost impossible to rise above them and work toward success. But it can be done—as many have demonstrated!

It was the evening of February 13, 2011, and fans of teen sensation Justin Bieber were shocked.  At the 2011 "Grammy Awards"—the annual honors given to artists by the American National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences—many had expected Bieber to receive the "Grammy" award for "Best New Artist." Instead, however, the award went to singer and jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding.

Most peer pressure bombards its victims with messages telling them that they are inadequate and their life is incomplete, unless they go along with the crowd—even though the crowd does not often have the individual's best interest at heart. To resist these strong messages is not easy. To reject them puts a young person at risk of losing acceptance by his or her friends.