The Take-Aways

• • During adolescence you might find that you are really tempted to do risky things and there is a really good reason for this. Adolescence is an important time for you because you’re transitioning from child to adult. To do this well, your brain is designed to give you the courage and curiosity to try new things so you can learn new skills, develop new relationships, and experiment with your growing independence. 
  • It’s the the adolescents of the world that come with new ideas and new ways of thinking of the world. 
  • To support you in being brave and thinking brave, your brain is wired to pay more attention to the potential positives of a course of action, than the negatives. You’re just as capable of making really strong, healthy, positive decisions as an adult is, but because the part of your brain that tends to experience more fear when faced with risky situations isn’t quite as developed yet.
  • Remember, this is to give you what you need to take the risks that will elevate you, and really push you forward – and this is a great thing. Sometimes though, risks will end with consequences that aren’t so great for you. These risks include sexting, drinking, taking drugs, driving too fast.
  • Of course it’s great to follow your curiosity, experiment, and explore, but you need to be smart about it. What this means is before you make a decision, know that you might tend to focus more on the positives than the negatives.
  • To make more empowering, healthy decisions, take a step back before you decide on anything and ask yourself what the potential negatives might be. Negatives don’t necessarily mean that it’s not a good idea to move ahead with whatever it is you’re thinking about, but taking time to do this will make sure that you make the decision with clarity and wisdom.