Teens Taking Responsibility

HIGHLAND BEACH, FL--(Marketwire - February 26, 2009) - By many accounts, it was the youth vote that carried the election for Barack Obama. An estimated 23 million young Americans under the age of 30 voted in 2008's presidential election, an increase of 3.4 million compared with 2004, according to a study released by Tufts University.

This update is reflective of the responsible, more active role in the world around them. Responsibility is one of the seven traits kids need to overcome the odds, according to Mark Hansen, author of "Success 101 for Teens: 7 Traits for a Winning Life" from Paragon House (www.success101forteens.com).

Hansen believes we need to teach our youth the following seven traits:

--  Determination means being committed to what you want to achieve and
    making sure you are mentally and physically prepared
--  Responsibility revolves around accepting full responsibility for
    ourselves. We are each in charge of our own behavior and actions
--  Confidence is about believing in yourself, because if you don't
    believe in yourself, no one will.
--  Love means understanding the power of that emotion. It has the power
    to drive us to do both wonderful and dreadful things, and we must be able
    to manage that power with wisdom.
--  Persistence maintains that you must stick to what you are looking to
    achieve and continue forward with making sure what you are doing is
    supporting what you want to accomplish.
--  Dreams are important, because they are the fuel for our engines. We
    must keep each of our dreams alive.
--  Attitude is about making choices. Each morning when we wake up we have
    a choice and that attitude we take for ourselves is our choice.
    

"Every day there are discussions in the media about problems with our youth," Hansen said. "My belief is that we must counter that attack and provide a step by step guide for our youth to follow, empowering them for a winning life."

About Mark Hansen

Mark Hansen is a successful businessman and former elected official who relates to struggles in adolescence because he went through tough times after being hit by a car as a child. His struggle to overcome partial paralysis and regain the abilities to walk and talk underscores the passion he has for teaching young people the lessons he learned the hard way.

Contact Information: Contact: Rachel Friedman 727-443-7115, Ext 206 rachel@newsandexperts.com