Take inspiration from Mark Wahlberg when dealing with teens

By opening up about his wayward past, the Hollywood star shows how important it is to confront and act upon our mistakes.

One of the difficult things many people face when they’ve made mistakes is feeling that there is no chance of redemption. This is particularly true for young adults who lack the wisdom and experience — and perhaps faith — to realize that there is always a way to make up for their poor life choices.

This can leave them feeling pretty worthless, and they might even ask what is the point of choosing a better path in life.

As parents, one thing we should try and do is to help our children, no matter their age, realize that there is always a positive step forward to take, especially if they can acknowledge their previous errors. And this is where the actor and former bad boy Mark Wahlberg can inspire.

Hoping for forgiveness

The devout dad of four previously opened up to a group of teens at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago about his former poor life choices, as NBC News shared at the time:

I just always hope that God is a movie fan and also forgiving, because I’ve made some poor choices in my past. ‘Boogie Nights’ is up there at the top of the list.”

The Father Stu star hasn’t shied away from admitting his previous wrongs, not only in some of his movie roles, but for his life choices that landed him in prison.

And it is by embracing his wrongs that Wahlberg has been able to seek forgiveness and move forward, carving out a successful career and family life.

No one is perfect

While the Hollywood star is open about his past mistakes, sometimes it can be useful for our children to understand that their parents didn’t always make the perfect choices, either. In fact, it can be a great relief for kids to know that their mom and dad have become the people they are today, at least in part, thanks to the less than smooth journeys they’ve taken along the way.

So if you feel your young adults are feeling a little lost, or need guidance, take a leaf from Wahlberg’s book and share some of your past decisions that weren’t always wise. Not only will your kids feel closer to you, it will also help them to have faith in a more positive future.