The Importance of Involvement

Here's a quick quiz: Why do you think so many teenagers get into trouble? The answer: More often than not, it's boredom.

Sure, screwing up is part of the growing process, everyone knows that. But I remember quite a few times when I was sitting around the house, bored out of my mind, when one of my friends would call and suggest a game of Wal-Mart tag. Now, for those who don't know, the game is simple: Get as many friends together as possible and play tag in the nearest Wal-Mart supercenter until you get kicked out. Looking back (all of last year), I realize how much of a pain we were to those poor upper-aged greeters who almost had a heart attack every time we'd walk through the door. Not to mention all of the annoyed customers, employees, and managers that had to deal with us. But of course we didn't think about those things- we were bored, and on a mission to alleviate it.

This is not the point, however: Had we had something better to do with ourselves, we wouldn't have been causing so much trouble. The simplest way to avoid times like these is getting involved in a local school, community, or church group. Here's 3 great reasons why you should:

#1: It looks great on a resume

For high school/college kids, staying involved means you make a difference. Companies and colleges like seeing stuff like that! Not only does it prove you're willing to go above and beyond what you're supposed to be doing, it also shows you care about more than just yourself.

#2: It means making new friends

Sure, that sounds like a recycled line. As if the first reason wasn't, right? This has a few benefits you may not have thought of, though. First, more friends means more people to hang out with (which means more opportunities to have something to do!). A strong network of friends will come in handy at some point in your future, if it hasn't already. And if you think stress is bad now, just wait; life always has another curveball or two waiting in the wings.

#3: It keeps you from being bored!

C'mon, parents and kids alike hate that "b" word. So much time is wasted looking for stuff to do, it's almost ridiculous, and I'm sure many people would agree with that statement. But staying active prevents you from going off and doing something stupid (which we are very apt to doing at this age), and it keeps your mind working at the very least. Besides, there are a ton of organizations out there, waiting to be checked out by you. Get a few friends and look around, see what looks good. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!