The Seven Gifts of Adolescence
Posted on September 25, 2025 by Lonna Gordon, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
Adolescence is often thought of a time to survive but it is really a time to thrive. This article tells you why!
“Adolescence begins in biology and ends in society.” – Ann Peterson, PhD
Adolescence is broadly thought of as the 2nd decade of life but as above quote alludes while it has a definitive beginning (puberty) it has a fluid end (adult maturity). This time frame roughly described as 10 – 25 years of age is second only to the first year of life in having lifelong impact. The choices, influences, and events of this 15-year stretch determine physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being far beyond any time period. So rather than viewing these years as just a time to survive let’s explore adolescence as a time to thrive through the 7 gifts adolescence brings.
1) Curiosity – Adolescents are learning about their immediate world and the broader world. They do not accept and immediately conform to rules but rather scrutinize them determining the why behind each one and if it fits into what they already know to be true. Some view this as “rebellion” however “rebellion” fosters curiosity and the belief that anything can be learned, figured out and mastered.
2) Adventure – What have you not pursued because it seemed too uncertain? Reflect for a moment all the things your adolescent-self tried out because you were curious? To see if it is possible? because you were looking for something new?
3) Open-mindedness – Studies show that adolescents rank highest in the Big Five personality scale in openness. The ability to see different personalities and embrace everyone’s reality is valuable in cultivating connection and growth in your teams.
4) Passion – What is your inner spark? What is the thing you would want to learn or do forever. This is your passion and pursuing it is the key to living a life of fulfillment and impact. Most of us have different passions now from adolescence, this is very much ok but the ability to identify a passion is a beautiful gift of adolescence.
5) Values – The biggest milestone of adolescence is creating your personal values. How has your adult you veered away from your values. Remember the 3 things you valued most as an adolescent and steer your course back to them.
6) Drive – Go after whatever you are interested in with the investment and vigor of a teen. Whatever a teen is doing they spend hours pursuing it, they will go to any length to go after it. They do not take “no” for an answer. They look at “no” as a cue to find a new way to get to a yes.
7) Strength – When you think about the number of transitions, tests, firsts, and personalities an adolescent interface with throughout the day it is remarkable. Most of us would balk at navigating this much newness and uncertainty today. Take a moment to congratulate what your adolescent-self accomplished and remind yourself today that you have overcome challenges before and will overcome them again.
If these 7 gifts resonate with you and you want to cultivate them more in 2026 look out for a new group coaching offering Feb – April 2026. If you want to augment these 7 gifts in an adolescent, you know schedule a coaching session for the young person in your life.
