Children and youth today live surrounded by influence — from friends, classmates, and especially social media. While many trends can be fun or creative, some encourage risky, harmful, or even dangerous behavior.

Life isn’t always easy — and it’s not meant to be. Young people will face disappointments, changes, and moments when things don’t go as planned. What makes the difference is resiliency — the ability to recover, adapt, and keep going.

The way we think about our abilities shapes everything — how we learn, how we face challenges, and how we respond to failure. A growth mindset isn’t about perfection — it’s about progress. It helps children and youth approach challenges with confidence, resilience, and joy in learning.

Every child comes into the world with potential — unique strengths, talents, and possibilities waiting to unfold. Whether that potential flourishes or fades often depends on one key factor: how they learn to see themselves.

Self-trust is the quiet belief “I can.” It grows when young people experience just-right challenges, receive specific, growth-oriented feedback, and feel believed in by the adults who teach them.

Accomplishment is the lived sense of “I can do this.” It grows when goals are clear, effort is coached, and progress is visible. Authentic achievement isn’t outperforming others; shifting attention from comparison to personal progress lead to stable self-respect.