Parent Teen Issues

ASK THE REV: My parents keep asking me if I am having sex. They tell me "Just don't do it". They tell me all the terrible things that can happen if I use drugs, drop out of school or drink when driving. They talk about peer pressure from my friends. A lot of my friends do these things all the time and nothing bad has ever happened to them. My parents never listen to me and I don't listen to them.

It seems as if you have a problem with your parents. Everyone including you are looking for only one thing, to feel good. Everyone, including you, have only three ways to solve any problem.

In One Dimensional Spirituality, you believe what happens causes your feelings. If your parents are bugging you, you don't listen to them. If taking drugs, dropping out of school, or pleasing your friends makes you feel good, then you will do it. If you do any of these things and in the end they do not work out, you will not feel good. What you did will own you and you will loose a lot of your freedom to make choices.

In Two Dimensional Spirituality you know your thoughts, not the events, create your feelings.  When things do not go well, you can change your way of thinking so you can feel good about happened. If you cannot find a positive thought, you will remain haunted by your thoughts.

By trying One and Two Dimensional Spirituality, you are attempting to feel good about what happens to you. There are things that happen that no one can feel or think good about.  In this case, you will have regrets for a life time.

In Three Dimensional Spirituality, you discover you have within you, a spiritual Presence of Peace you can depend on. It can bring emotional balance into your life. You can have a sense of Peace, not about what happens, but no matter what happens. You will also discover a Wisdom you do not have when you are not feeling this Peace. You can feel this Peace when you think your parents are not listening to you. You may even be able to share and negotiate your thoughts and listen to their thoughts without arguments. You might even teach them the difference being in the Presence can make.