I have mentored high school students, college students and young adults for several decades, in several capacities. In doing so, I have observed recurring motifs related to the internal struggles faced by modern youth. Young people contend with a smorgasbord of issues. While each young person is unique, careful observation across several decades has revealed meta themes sustained across time...

“Hey guys. Listen up. A plane has flown into the Trade Tower.” That’s all our trainer knew that morning. That’s all anyone knew at that moment. I had been working for Bear Stearns (London office) for about five months but we were in New York City for training during the infamous 9/11 attacks. “You might want to call your family and tell them you are OK. There’s a pay phone in the hallway. Class...

When our children were little, we replicated the time-honored tradition of putting the kids to bed each evening. Once the baby fell asleep, we would often close the door to attenuate household noises, especially the clamor of older siblings bustling about, lest we wake the baby. This brings us to a cardinal rule young parents learn quickly: Rule #1: Do NOT wake the baby. …especially late in the...

When I was little, I had an assortment of plastic toy animals – farm animals, a few dinosaurs, a giraffe, an elephant, and some others odd characters… the usual gang of creatures a young child might enjoy. And I did. This motley crew became the bedrock of an imaginary world that could occupy my mind and engross me in solitary play for extended periods. I don’t recall the various adventures my...