On Saturday I dropped my daughter off to do a school assignment with her friends.

On the way home there was a FREE car wash. That’s always music to my ears.

So why on earth would people give up a beautiful Saturday morning to wash cars for other people… FOR FREE?

These weren’t just ordinary people — these were people whom many say are self-centred, insensitive and really don’t care about others at all. Most of them were teenagers.

Why would teenagers do this?

Role Models

Who we spend time with, and those who have the greatest influence on our lives will determine the direction our lives will go.

These teenagers had two great influences in their lives that I know of, and there could be more.

Firstly — their school chaplains. School chaplains are amazing people who give their lives to helping schoolkids deal with issues that possibly no one else has the opportunity of working with them on. Family issues, bullying issues, relationship issues, self-image issues and many others, as well as encouraging them in many of the great achievements and efforts they put in.

Secondly — the TAG you’re it school program run by Az Hamilton and Juice 1073 on the Gold Coast. A program that goes into schools and teaches kids about generosity and appreciation. Doing good for others.

Part of this program includes giving ‘TAG’ cards to the students who want them. With these cards, they then do a good deed for somebody else, and pass along the card to the person they have done the good deed for. That person then goes and does a good deed for somebody else and so on.

Pass It On

With these two influences, the school chaplains and some amazing teenagers were “tagging the city” of the Gold Coast. Because of having my car washed, I am fortunate enough to have a “TAG” card and it’s my turn to do a good deed for somebody else.

So what are teenagers really like? They are kind, generous, thoughtful, appreciative go-getters… if that’s how we influence them.

The behaviour and speech that comes from our kids are based in a lot of ways on what we draw out of them; what we believe about them. Sometimes, we just need to dig a little deeper.

What do you believe about your kids? What can you draw out of them?