***SEEKING WORTHWHILE FRIENDS***

 There is a lot of truth in the saying that the only way t have a friend is to be one. Sometimes persons feel it keenly when they are left out of things by other young persons whom they may admire. Or they may have had friends only to lose them. They feel very hurt about this. Possibly they do not realize that friendship is a two-way street.

So we well to ask ourselves:What am i doing to be friendly to others? How much sincere and unselfish interest do I take  in others, and what do I do to contribute to their happiness and their good? What qualities am I cultivating that would make others feel that they would really like to have me as a friend?

The kind of friends you get depends largely on the way you go about trying to find them. Some seek to win friends by spending money on them, or by inviting them to share in the enjoyment of material possessions, such as a stereo set and records or sports equipment. True, this may draw some to us.

Worthwhile friends cannot be "bought", either by the use of material possessions, or by flattery or by always giving in to what the other wants. any friend that can be bought is never worth the price, however much it might be. True friends are attracted by what you are ,by your qualities,not by what they can get out of you.

So,while it is good to have a friendly disposition toward people, if you want genuine friends you need to be selective about those you choose as close and confidential companions.

Proving Ourself Responsible

As we approach manhood it is natural for us to feel a desire for self-identity, to feel that we are a distinct person. It is also natural that we have a desire for a measure of independence. Our parents will likely begin preparing us for the time when we can be independent. How?

No doubt by gradually giving us more responsibility and the privileged of sharing in making certain decisions as to things we will do. They may invite us to express our preference as to certain subjects we will take at school or they may let us take a part-time job.We may be allowed to do our own buying of some of our personal items. But whatever our parents see fit to do in this regard, it will then be up to us to show that we merit responsibility. If we act in a childish way or get  "big-headed," then they may have to reduce our privileges  until we show our self more of a man.

This desire for greater self-identity and a measure of independence is accompanied by other natural desires. We will feel a need to be appreciated by others for what we are and what we can do. Some youths seek to satisfy their desire for self-identity and 'a sense of belonging' by joining or forming "gangs". But  such gangs  generally make their own code of conduct, and the facts show that this almost always leads to wrongdoing, at times even to serious crimes. Probably more than any other single factor, bad companionship is to be found at the root of the problem when young men get into trouble.

Avoid Becoming a Quitter

     Once you are convinced that your goal is really worth while, planning how to reach it is also vital. Many young persons fail to finish what they start because they become discourage. Some unforeseen problems or obstacle may spring up. Or they find that what they undertook to do is harder than what they thought it would be. What now?

     Such a situation reveals what you are really made of .If you let hardships fill you with negative and pessimistic thoughts, this will rob you of the strength to go on. So, instead, look on the situation as a challenge. Rise to meet it with extra effort-extra thought,  energy and time. Challenges can make life interesting if you do not run away from them. By overcoming, you grow in confidence and resourcefulness.You can then undertake future task with greater assurance and enjoyment.

     So avoid developing the habit of quitting just because the going gets hard.Otherwise, the next time things get difficult, the tendency will be to do the same, to "throw in the towel", to quit. By not, letting this habit get a start, you can keep your life from becoming just a series of failures and unfinished projects.

     If you prove that you are not one who gives up easily, not a quitter or a dropout, you will earn the confidence and respect for others.

How Do We View Discipline?

     We probably know someone-maybe a fellow student or a teacher-who never admits to making a mistakes or being wrong. How do we feel about someone like that? Would our opinion of him go up or down if one day he came right out and said, "I'm sorry; I see I was wrong"?

      Really,we all make mistakes, don't we? None of us are perfect or faultless.Some mistakes come from just 'not knowing'. But not all do.Many mistakes are because of not caring. So not all wrongs can be chalked up to simple error. Willful ignorance is often the cause. Worse, a person may do what he knows is wrong-excusing himself for one reason or another.

     All of this shows the need for discipline, which involves correction. We all need correction, whether we are young or old. In fact, if there were no discipline or correction their could be no progress in any field of human living. People would keep on making the same mistakes, believing the same wrong ideas, never advancing in knowledge or ability.

    But did you know that discipline means more than just correction?It can also be training that molds, strengthens, or makes better. Discipline is properly given with a view to correction and improvement for the future.

What Kind or Friends Do We Want?

   Having a true friend adds a lot to the joy of living. People who are "loners" and avoid others are rarely, if ever, really happy. What is there about friendship that adds so much to our happiness?

   Doing something with friends seems to multiply the enjoyment of that particular experience. On the other hand, when things don't go well and we feel depressed, a good friend can do a lot to relieve our sadness. Friends can be real, help us when trouble threatens. They can warm us of danger and help us to escape it, and can encourage us when the going is hard

   Being a friend means more than just acting friendly. A genuine friend is loyal to us and to our best interest. Today, most people seem more interested in outdoing their neighbor than in helping him. Even among so called "friends" there is often a spirit  of competition, not of loyalty. Many friendships lasts only as long a neither person is called on to make some change or to give up some selfish interest for the good of the other. In this competitive world a true friend is not easy to find.

Growing into Manhood

       We can benefit by looking at how we each had our beginning as individual. Just think about it ; Not so many years ago we were a single fertilized egg cell smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. From that tiny beginning, we began growing within our mother's womb. In time our body was complete with a brain that thinks, eyes that see, ears that hear, and many other marvelous organs. How did this remarkable growth take place?
       Our parents didn't draw up blueprints to produce us. Rather, this was all done within the fertilized egg that was formed by the uniting of a sperm cell with the egg cell  in our mother's womb. In a matter of minutes, the plans were drawn up inside that tiny cell for the entire new human that turned out to be us!
       In only nine months the single fertilized cell with which we began became a fully baby, an amazingly complex organization of some billions of cells. Our growth will never again so rapid! But about thirteen or fourteen years after our birth, we begin another rapid spurt of growth. At this particular time we start changing. The entire transitional period, which is known as adolescence, lasts for a number of years. It ends when we reach physical maturity, generally between the ages of twenty and twenty-three. This period is not the easiest in our life, but it is very, very important. It is proving ground for our future development.

Say for Today and Tomorrow

     Our youth should be a wonderful time of life. It is something like spring season of the year. Youth is a time of fresh vitality. Our body is getting stronger and our mind is also developing. Many opportunities are opening up to learn and to do things.So there are lots of reasons why youth should be a happy and exciting time.

     But is it,or will it be, for us? There are many things that can help or hinder in this. Some of these are things we can"t do anything about. But many of them we can.Youth is a time of challenge. As we probably realize,the road of life today has plenty of rough spots. It takes courage to face them. But if we learn early how to overcome the rough spots,then the rest of the road becomes far smoother for us. each time we win out over a problem our confidence will grow.

      How much better it is to face the challenge of youth than to let the rough spots, the pressures and problems, sidetrack us. Of course, it would be easy just to dream or to kid our self that life is different from what it really is. But sooner or later those who do that are sure to run into hard reality. It could hen be very difficult to recover and move ahead. Valuable time would be lost because, a the saying goes, we are young only once.