Your Daily Dose of Pro-Teen

"If I listened long enough to you, I'd find a way to believe that it's all true ... still I look to find a reason to believe" (RS)

Want to feel better?
Add some Pro-Teen to your diet!

Our health is important - both our physical and spiritual health. We need both to survive. Just as we need to remain healthy by feeding our bodies what it needs to function well, similarly, our souls need nourishment. We accomplish this by davening, learning Torah and doing mitzvos. Our souls depend upon these nutrients. And, just as if the body is deficient in certain vital nutrients, it can begin the deteriorate and cause us harm, so too, the soul. If we do not "feed" it "religiously," it will most certainly begin to decay and cause us immeasurable, long-lasting sorrow.
The teenage years can be turbulent times. At this age, children are at a period in their lives where they are making decisions and choosing their direction in life. Every step of the way, they choose their actions, those that will ultimately pave the way for their future. For them to succeed, we need to instill the seeds of success well before they arrive at this pivotal junction in time.

Vitamins are part of daily life. From a very young age, children consume various vitamins to retain their health and well-being. Many parents are fixated on making certain that every possible vitamin category is addressed properly. Systematically, they have their children take an array of vitamins as part of their morning routine. However, even those parents who do not pump vitamins into their children, there are times that they are triggered to begin, such as after a doctor's appointment. If results from a blood test show a deficiency in a certain area, surely the parents will become more vigilant in providing the necessary vitamins their child requires rather than allowing the problem to persist. 

If a teenager demonstrates a deficiency in his religious health, it is our duty to provide the much-needed "vitamins" to bring him back to healthy levels. This must be done with care and love since after all, we are dearly concerned about him. It goes without saying that we wouldn't want to cause further decline and jeopardize his future by pushing him to neglect the vitamins. Negativity, coercion, criticizing and reprimanding are all catalysts of greater distance and far worse health. It is, therefore, our responsibility to be positive and loving so that they will want to become healthier.
We must be supportive.
Accepting.
After all, the vitamins have to taste good and not leave a repugnant taste in their mouths! If we want them to take what they need, shouldn't we have a bit more pro-teen in our diets?

Say to yourself ten times today:
"Hashem, please help me be a healthier Jew!"