Youth Excellence: Why the loss of desire?
The last five days have been some of the hardest days of my life. I try to be an empowering and connected parent and when my daughter brought home some unsatisfactory grades, I was like totally not getting it. She told me how hard her classes are and how the teachers are wack but when I talked to the teachers, they painted a different picture. They say my daughter is not applying herself, she’s not handing in her homework, she’s not even doing extra credit and those are the freebies. I’m hurting for her right now because I know that life is so about excellence. You can’t get anywhere in life that you really wanna go by being mediocre. And if you are really brilliant, why not let your star shine?
I’ve talked to educators all across the country and even Tom Krieglstein who deals with apathy of college students, and there’s a profound lost of desire. Our young people don’t care about being excellent. They just seem to be okay with just being… being whatever… being cool… being for the moment… being there. But life is so much greater when you excel, when you grab the bull the horns and show life who’s boss.
I hurt for all the young people of the world who have been tricked into believing that mediocrity is a great way of life. Its not. I hurt for all the young people who think its cool to drop out of school, to get bad grades and to not apply yourself. The kind of world that is waiting for you is not pretty. I don’t profess to know why so many of our youth have lost their desire. But, I pray that its found and quickly.
To my daughter, I just wanna say, I love you and whatever that you’re going through, I’m here for you. I want you to share with the world how bright you are and all the gifts God gave you. He was not stingy when dealing with you. So little light of mine, let your light shine. Don’t be fooled by those who don’t believe they are gifted. For their journey is not yours. Be a person of excellence.
Peace to all my little lights in the world… all my girls of the world… all my boys all over the world… Let your light shine.
Tags: excellence, mediocrity, tom krieglstein
About the Author
Yasmin Shiraz is the President of Still Eye Rise Films, an independent production company which films educational and thought provoking documentaries that chronicle the lives, traumas and experiences of youth. Her first production, Can She Be Saved?, a documentary that examines violence among middle school girls, was an official selection of the 2009 Roxbury Film Festival and recently won a 2009 Indie Award of Merit from IndieFest.
Yasmin Shiraz is the Award winning Author of Retaliation a novel about a community’s response to youth violence. In 2009, it was selected as one of the top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers by the American Library Association. She is the author of The Blueprint for My Girls: How To Build A Life Full of Courage, Determination & Self Love (Simon and Schuster) and five other books. Her best selling “Blueprint” empowerment series is utilized as a self esteem, motivational, and educational tool at middle and high schools, after school programs, non-profit youth centers, as well as Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the country. 
One Comment for Youth Excellence: Why the loss of desire?
February 23, 2010 at 2:52 pm
This is such a good post!! How can we instill in our kids the importance of doing and being your best all the time? This is my challenge as a lifecoach, pastor, husband, and father..getting people to realize being average is not cool!!
I truly believe that the real culprit is our success as a nation. I spoke about this on a conference call with some of my colleagues. We are at a time where our kids are reaping the benefits of all the labor of our foreparents. No longer do we have to sneak and read by candlelight. No longer must we stand in a seperate line to get served or get a sip of water. So, our success as a nation can be a variable in the demise of the drive to be all we can be!!
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