In 2007 my daughter and I attended a Rebelution Conference by Alex and Brett Harris, authors of the book, Do Hard Things.

As a parent and homeschool mother, it was an inspiration to see these homeschooled brothers telling teens that they are capable of achieving far more than our culture expects of them today. Even more than what they said was the example of their own accomplishments – publishing a best-selling book at the age of 18, creating a popular website and forum, setting up and conducting teen conferences across the U.S.

The book starts off with examples of people from past generations who accomplished great things as “teenagers”, although that word did not even exist at that time. Teens are challenged to do five different kinds of “hard things.”

1. Things that are outside your comfort zone.
2. Things that go beyond what is expected or required.
3. Things that are too big to accomplish alone.
4. Things that don’t earn an immediate payoff.
5. Things that challenge the cultural norm.

If you are a teen, I encourage you to read this book and rise above the level of mediocrity expected, or at least accepted, by our culture. If you are a parent I encourage you to put this book in the hands of as many teens as possible.