WWMRMD?

As a teenager, you are faced with difficult decisions every day: should I skip class with my best friend? Should I write the paper for my buddy? Should I lie to my parents about where I’m going? Should I go to college or join the military? Should I join the popular kids and pick on the nerd in the cafeteria? Should I drink beer at the party? Should I work extra hours or join the football team? Should I pocket the $20 I found in the hallway? And the list could go on and on and on.

The question becomes, how do you know what to do?

The answer could come from a variety of places. Perhaps you have experienced something similar before: you know that you should not skip class with your best friend because you did that once before and ended up missing an important lecture, your parents found out, you got grounded, etc. Perhaps you draw from your morals and values: you know that you should not write the paper for your buddy, as that is unethical, and you know in your heart of hearts that it is wrong. Perhaps you draw from logic: you know that you should not drink beer at the party because you are not 21, you have to drive home, you know it will make you sick, you have to wake up early for work, etc.

But what about those decisions that cannot be answered by experience, by morals and values, by logic. How do you make those choices?

It may help to think about your role models: what would the people you look up to do in a situation similar to yours? If LeBron James found $20 in the hallway, what do you think he would do? Based on what you know about his charitable donations — giving $41 million to send kids to college, for instance — you can be fairly certain that King James would find the rightful owner of the missing money.

Likewise, if Demi Lovato witnessed bullying at school, what do you think she would do? Because you’re familiar with the anti-bullying campaign she launched a few years ago — as well as the personal stories that she has shared in magazines, in TV interviews, and in her song lyrics — you know full well that she would not join in the teasing, and she would not remain neutral; she would stick up for the person being harmed.

It is wonderful to look up to and admire celebrities, but it is even more beneficial to have at least one role model in your personal life, someone to whom you can go for specific encouragement and advice: a parent, a coach, an auntie or uncle, a mentor, a teacher, a religious leader, an older sibling, etc. While they may not straight-up tell you what you should do, they can be a sounding board to help you arrive at your own conclusion. For instance, they may not tell you to work extra hours rather than play football, but they may ask you a series of questions to help you figure out what is best for you based on your individual circumstances. They may also bring up their personal teenage stories — and the lessons they learned from the mistakes they made — to help you traverse those tough times.

Regardless of who your role model is, it is important to have one. It is important to know that you are not alone, that you are not the only person who has faced a particular conundrum, that you can make the right choice and succeed. And it is important to know that you have people who will help you on that journey.