For well-over 40 years, Randy Russell, has been mentoring young, college-age youth into soulful adulthood. As a guest on The Woodbury Report radio show, which is hosted on K4HD.com, he spoke to Lon Woodbury about the transitional program he founded to help young people find their way in the world.
As an independent educational consultant, Lon has worked with both families and troubled youth for three decades. Today, he is the author of a number of books on parenting teens, as well as the founder of Struggling Teens and the Woodbury Reports.
Guest Profile
Mr. Russell is a Native American who has spent his entire life experiencing his deep connection to mother nature. Growing up, he was fortunate enough to be initiated into adulthood by his parents, by his mentors, and by tribal elders. In 1974, he started a mentorship program for college-age students. His educational qualifications include a Master's in Recreation and Leisure earned from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Modern Challenges to a Transition to Adulthood
What is adulthood? Randy defined it as a time when a young person became fully responsible for his or her own life. This responsibility included moral and physical maturity, as well as self-care and looking after a family.
Selecting a life purpose, accepting their own unique personal traits and habits, and becoming self-aware and possessing deep self-self knowledge, said Randy, were all signs of reaching a soulful adulthood. This spiritual element was a deeper transition.
A mentorship support system was something parents could do to help their children transition to adulthood. This chosen circle could be close relatives, like uncles and aunts. Older people were able to show teenagers how to take care of themselves, solve problems, and connect with the spirit of mother nature.
Young people needed to discover the notes of their own song. Both mentors and elders helped facilitate this.
Parents, at some point in time, had to hand over the teaching of their child to wise, mature adults. This was because young people were accustomed to tuning out their parents but were open to listening to other adults in their lives. Children began to tune out their parents to hear their teachers better.
A young person's transition helps them discover their unique gifts and talents as a way to understand their passions.
It was always best to find mentors who could relate to a young person's innate interests and abilities. Parents could play a role, too. Guided by parents and other elders, a rite of passage could be designed for a young person.
As an independent educational consultant, Lon has worked with both families and troubled youth for three decades. Today, he is the author of a number of books on parenting teens, as well as the founder of Struggling Teens and the Woodbury Reports.
Guest Profile
Mr. Russell is a Native American who has spent his entire life experiencing his deep connection to mother nature. Growing up, he was fortunate enough to be initiated into adulthood by his parents, by his mentors, and by tribal elders. In 1974, he started a mentorship program for college-age students. His educational qualifications include a Master's in Recreation and Leisure earned from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Modern Challenges to a Transition to Adulthood
What is adulthood? Randy defined it as a time when a young person became fully responsible for his or her own life. This responsibility included moral and physical maturity, as well as self-care and looking after a family.
Selecting a life purpose, accepting their own unique personal traits and habits, and becoming self-aware and possessing deep self-self knowledge, said Randy, were all signs of reaching a soulful adulthood. This spiritual element was a deeper transition.
A mentorship support system was something parents could do to help their children transition to adulthood. This chosen circle could be close relatives, like uncles and aunts. Older people were able to show teenagers how to take care of themselves, solve problems, and connect with the spirit of mother nature.
Young people needed to discover the notes of their own song. Both mentors and elders helped facilitate this.
Parents, at some point in time, had to hand over the teaching of their child to wise, mature adults. This was because young people were accustomed to tuning out their parents but were open to listening to other adults in their lives. Children began to tune out their parents to hear their teachers better.
A young person's transition helps them discover their unique gifts and talents as a way to understand their passions.
It was always best to find mentors who could relate to a young person's innate interests and abilities. Parents could play a role, too. Guided by parents and other elders, a rite of passage could be designed for a young person.
About the Author:
Discover more about the problems faced by Struggling Teens. Lon Woodbury records the entire interview on his Woodbury Reports radio show show for people to listen to at any time.
