Old fashined or trendy?

I was talking to a sixteen year old teenager. He was sharing the current excitement among his classmates. The trigger for their excitement stemmed from the idea of coming to college next Tuesday, marking attendance, skipping classes, sneaking out of college and jumping into a movie theatre with pop corn in hand. How exciting and adventurous?

The sixteen year old does not understand why they should skip college when the parents are absolutely open for them to watch a movie. In fact, they have enough money in their pockets and all the freedom to go for a movie. Unconvinced with the whole idea of skipping college for no reason, the sixteen old declined the idea mentally.

However, the dilemma for the sixteen year old boy is how to manage the peer pressure. All his friends want him to join the excitement which he is not convinced about. At the same time, they are good friends and he wants to feel close to them. There is also the other danger of being labeled as old fashioned if he does not act trendy.

What should the teenager do?

Why do we feel low sometimes?

At once, life may look like a drab with nothing exciting around. We search for something that can inspire us, ignite our spirit, and show us some direction. Why does it happen? Is it because we loose interest in what we are doing? Or is it because we fail to see a meaning what we are doing? To break this mood, one can get busy. Keeping oneself busy is the easiest thing to do - we can get into some activity, hop into a movie theatre, chat with friends, eat out or simply get hooked onto television. Even all such action to keep oneself busy does not excite. It is the internal vacuum that one needs to examine and be aware of. Ask oneself the questions like:

• Why am I experiencing such internal vacuum?
• Is it boredom? Am I seeking some change or variety in what I am doing?
• Is it a lack of meaning in what I am doing?
• Am I expecting something that I am not getting at the moment?
• Am experiencing any restlessness because what I wanted is not coming my way?
• Is it because someone criticized my work or no one recognized my work?
• Am I physically too tired?
• Am I experiencing temporary mood swing?
• Am I too anxious about some results to come my way?

An honest introspection on these questions may throw up an answer to understand the internal vacuum and to discover a way to get out of the low mood. I attempted the above approach for myself and found me coming out with a fresh perspective and renewed energy.

Any long spells of low mood needs more closer look and must be addressed at the earliest.