The post We Are Not Seniors We Are Recycled Teenagers appeared first on Good News!.

I love this line, which comes from a quote by Melodie Beattie, which reads in its entirety:

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”

And I would add this thought — that without gratitude, you can turn any paradise into hell.

Without gratitude, you will always walk away from the table still starving — no matter what measure of abundance has been laid before you.

Without gratitude, every job is the worst job on earth, every spouse is deficient, every friend lets you down, every home is on the wrong street, every gift is the wrong size, every novel is full of typos, every mattress is uncomfortable, every cup of coffee is too weak.

Without gratitude, every choice you ever made will always feel like the wrong choice.

Without gratitude, summers will always be too hot; winters will always be too cold. The music will always be too loud, the movie will always suck, the teenagers will always be too rude.

Without gratitude, people who vote or worship differently from you will always be monsters in your eyes. Without gratitude, you will always feel you were born into the wrong family. Without gratitude, the waitress will always be too slow, and you will always get the worst seat on the bus. Without gratitude, every driver on the road except you is an idiot.

Without gratitude, life is The Misery.

These three things are so true…

1) There is no happiness without gratitude
2) There is no transformation without self-accountability
3) There is no peace without forgiveness

But first among those — the alchemy of all alchemies — is gratitude.

If we learn nothing else while we’re here, then, we must learn how to say THANK YOU.

#quote #Melodie #Beattie #Gratitude #life #denial #acceptance #confusion #clarity #meal #feast #stranger #friend #paradise #hell #starving #job #worst #deficient #friend #home #street #gift #novel #typos #mattress #comfortable #summers #hot #winters #cold #music #loud #movie #teenagers #rude

The post Gratitude Unlocks The Fullness In Life… appeared first on Good News!.

Now an Innovative 4-H Program Is Changing That for Millions

The “American Dream” is built on the idea that with hard work, upward mobility and success are possible. In our ever evolving and technology dependent society, digital skills and broadband access are necessary tools for achievement.

However, more than 24 million people living in the U.S., including 19 million in rural communities, do not have access to broadband, also known as high speed internet. That leaves a large portion of today’s teens locked out when it comes to high speed internet. This essential service in today’s economy impacts everything from children’s education to their future economic mobility.

Recent research shows that overall, teens without broadband access feel less equipped online with it comes to connecting, creating and learning. The research also shows:

 Almost half of teens surveyed said they’ve struggled to complete homework due to slow internet connections
 Teens without broadband are less optimistic about their social mobility for higher education & careers
 43% of rural teens surveyed plan to leave their hometowns and 34% of those teens cite poor internet connectivity as the reason; which means these towns are losing talent and future innovation.

As leaders in positive youth development, National 4-H Council partnered with Microsoft on the 4-H Tech Changemakers program. The initiative is aimed at closing the connectivity gap in rural areas by empowering teens to bring technology and digital skills to their communities. The program works to position digital skills as a valuable life skill that’s necessary for improving non-urban communities’ path towards economic mobility.

The 4-H Tech Changemakers are working with broadband service providers throughout the U.S., along with community members and civic leaders to help teens gain the digital skills needed to benefit from technology and high-speed connectivity, which includes everything from online safety to computer basics and device training.

On Friday, April 24, join members of the 4-H Tech Changemakers to learn more about the programs being implemented, how they’re helping to bridge this technological gap and make sure that all community members across the country have the tools and skills they need to achieve the American dream.

#jennifer #sirangelo #4h #4-h #american #dream #elusive #teenagers #high #speed #internet #changing #millions #built #hard #work #mobility #success #possible #evolving #tech #technology #society #digital #skills #broadband #achievements #economic #communities #access #service #connecting #creating #learning #homework #connections #higher #education #careers #teens #future #innovation #youth #development #change #makers #empowering

The post Jennifer Sirangelo, ACHIEVING THE “AMERICAN DREAM” MAY SEEM ELUSIVE FOR TEENAGERS WHO DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO HIGH SPEED INTERNET? appeared first on Good News!.

This year, nearly three million young people will graduate from high schools across the United States. Many will continue their education, while others will begin pursuing careers. In both cases, they will be required to make many of their own decisions which will have financial implications and directly impact on their ability to become independent.

Junior Achievement’s and The Allstate Foundation’s annual Teens and Personal Finance Survey provides a snapshot of teens’ behaviors and attitudes around money management. It examines how teens view the importance of effective spending, saving and budgeting—and their opinions around how well they are executing those tasks. The key findings illustrate a teen population that is more optimistic now than in past years about its financial future, yet faces challenges related to effectively managing its money.

Jack Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement, will discuss key findings of the survey along with tips for parents on how to make their teenagers smarter about personal finance.

About the Talent:
Jack Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement. Starting as a student in the Junior Achievement program in Toledo, Ohio, he attended the University of Toledo on a Junior Achievement scholarship and has since served in a variety of leadership roles with increasing levels of responsibility over the past 40 years.

The post Jack Kosakowski , Junior Achievement Discusses Teens & Personal Finance Survey appeared first on Good News!.