Some of Kelley's definitions, such as mind, consciousness, and body, particularly at the beginning of his article, seem needlessly complicated. However, first and foremost, his pinpointing of a common profile amongst high-achieving adolescents -- namely the overcommitted, intelligent, but insufficiently creative and internally motivated student is important. Creativity and having a sense of internally-created purpose makes life feel meaningful, and makes one's sense of self seem less determined by awards and being a part of the right social group. Society has accepted such stress on conformity and angst as normal in adolescents, but boredom, self-doubt, and unhappiness may have more to do with society and less to do with the adolescent stage itself.
Secondly, Kelley stresses that negative events are inevitable, from unpleasant chores to national tragedies, but adolescents need ways of dealing with the emotions stirred by these events. He cites the example of another type of adolescent, a young man confined in juvenile detention assigned to cleaning latrines who...
His inner attitude shifted, although is exterior circumstances were unpleasant. 9/11 motivated some adolescents to find a higher purpose in life.
Learning how to be 'present' in the moment is the solution offered by the author, and thus psychologists should work from the inside out, changing the mind, rather than focusing on externals. This approach is already too common in the world today. He asserts that "the potential for healthy psychological functioning is innate and natural. As such, it does not have to be inculcated or added to young people from the outside-in" (Kelley 2004: 10). "Supportive friendships, challenging work, religious faith, intimate friendships, realistic goals, and so on -- turn out to be effects, not causes" because resilient adolescents are made from within, not from without (Kelley 2004:11). The Health Realization model helps return children to this early state of enjoyment in everyday life and a natural healthy state of mindfulness.
