Written by Devin Miller, Relate Contributing Writer

Will I get into my dream college? Will I fall in love? Will I have a successful career? We ask ourselves questions like these every day; questions about the unknown. A recent study showed 79 percent of teens are fearful of their futures. Bobbi DePorter, the co-founder of SuperCamp and President of the Quantum Learning Network, works to eliminate this fear and help teens focus on the “now.”

(Bobbi DePorter, a teen motivational and accelerated learning expert, photo by SuperCamp online press kit)

“It’s not about being perfect, it’s about giving your best effort,” DePorter said. While she admitted that not everyone can guarantee an “A” in a class or greatness in a sport, DePorter explained everyone can guarantee giving their very best effort. By working hard now, we can create options for the future.

As a member of SuperCamp’s “Shifting Teens’ Focus to a Positive Future” team, DePorter concentrates on the “excellence” aspect. She emphasized that excellence does not mean perfection by any means, just striving to be your very best. “Someone once said, ‘Perfection is God’s business,’ so leave that up to him,” she explained.

Teenagers are surrounded by people telling them how they should be; how they should act, and how they should look. This pressure makes our youth fearful or nervous of what lies ahead. If teens do not reach the high standards set by our society, it is only natural for them to feel inadequate.

DePorter explained there are endless media outlets of information and equal amounts of misinformation. With the unceasing growth of available information, she said we must begin to sort the good from the bad.

In order to overcome this fear of the future, DePorter suggested we create a space to talk about it. We need to stop and listen to each other. Through our body language and tone of voice, we can show others that we are open to talking about the subject.

“There is no fear in present time,” DePorter said. We are nervous about the test next week, the interview tomorrow or the college visit next year. Because our fears are in the time ahead, we must ask ourselves what we can do in the present that will make a difference in what happens in the future.

DePorter said in a reassuring tone, “What you are doing and what you are thinking right now are the most important things in the world.”

Check outSuperCamp online or call 800-285-3276.

Tags: attitude, Bobbi DePorter, grades, mindset, positive future, Quantum Learning Network, Super Camp