Brené Brown once said, “Who we are and how we engage with the world are much stronger predictors of how our kids will do than what we know about parenting.” When you let shame guide your actions, you teach your kids to feel ashamed too. But when you respond with strength and purpose, you model resilience and confidence.

Why do we often have a tendency to devalue humans rather than condemn the actions of humans? Why in this example do you think so many people attacked the man? Why, if people disagreed with the action, didn’t they use the law and regulation put in place by our society to discipline or punish him and leave it at that? If they felt the law or regulation wasn’t an adequate deterrent for the action, why didn’t they attempt to change the law or regulations? Instead, they attacked the man. Why?

I stand in a category so rare that most would say I shouldn’t exist. I should be drunk, broke, sick, in jail, or dead. But I’m not. I’m alive. And I’m thriving. My life shows that the odds have nothing to do with our results. I am not special or different than any other person. I am not smarter, more intelligent, or more gifted or talented than anyone else. People have overcome much more with fewer resources than I have. I’ve used patterns that work to defy the odds again and again. Anyone can do what I’ve done or accomplish what they want to do. Anyone can make radical change and beat the statistics when they use the processes and systems I’ve used. My purpose is to get you on track to get what you want, regardless of the odds.

Feeling overwhelmed is common for parents of teens. There’s always too much to do—earning a living, running a household, caring for kids, maintaining relationships, and everything in between. It can feel like life is too much.

As parents, we all want our kids to have good friends. We believe that friendships will help them feel happy, confident, and secure. But just like with horses, if we don’t understand the right way to encourage connection, we might unintentionally create problems instead of solutions.

Breakups are tough, especially for teens. Their first heartbreak can feel overwhelming, but as parents, you can guide them toward understanding, healing, and growth. Below are 16 ways to help your teen experience loss while maintaining their self-respect and grace.