Nature's focus is on survival and reproduction. In order to accomplish this, the animal kingdom followed patterns learned from their parents. The species that survived were creative, inventive, and adapted to a broader world. We need to see how following traditional patterns may stop us from developing our personal talents and interests.
For much of the 20th century, the pattern was mostly about marriage and reproduction. In order for the family unit to survive, father brought home the bacon and mother fried it up in a pan (plus took care of the house and children.) Young men were advised to find a career that provided a good economic compensation to support and pay the family bills. Many young women didn't envision a career beyond marriage and family. If they did, they felt that career must coordinate with their many family responsibilities. The American Dream was a picture of mom, dad, and the kids. Survival and reproduction were the goals.
In the 21st century, we can see the shortcomings of this pattern. The traditional American Dream is changing. Many families need two incomes to survive. Young men and women are encouraged to develop their talents and interests, get an education, and begin a career before marriage or at least before having children. People are beginning to realize that they should not sacrifice developing their own talents and interests in order to reproduce the next generation.
Encourage your teenagers to design their own dreams, find out what they want to do with their lives, and develop their own potential. Of course, they need to be able to support themselves, but their career should be something they enjoy, something beyond survival.
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