Helping Young People Live on PurposeHelping Young People Live on Purpose
The Next Right STEPS podcast
Steve C. Ward shares stories and practical guidance aimed at helping teenagers live intentionally, stay safe from addiction, and build a hopeful, faith-centred future. The episode focuses on self-awareness, emotional intelligence, healthy relationships, and taking small next right steps towards a better life.
36:03•17 Sept 2026
Helping Young People Live on Purpose and Avoid Addiction
Episode Overview
- Living intentionally and building small, positive habits can prevent minor issues from becoming serious problems.
- Teenagers benefit from increasing self-awareness, recognising emotions, and working on both weaknesses and strengths.
- Understanding clear facts about substances, including alcohol and fentanyl, helps young people make safer choices.
- Developing emotional intelligence and using the pause–evaluate–choose process supports better decisions and relationships.
- Having faith in God, dreaming big, and taking next right steps each day can give young people realistic hope for the future.
“"You are on earth for a reason. And there are things you are meant to do in life. You have a good future in front of you. And you can get there a step at a time."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? In this episode of The Next Right STEPS, Steve C. Ward shares how his own teenage years, fuelled by insecurity and a desire to fit in, led to three decades of alcohol dependence – and how that painful journey now shapes practical guidance for young people.
You’ll hear a down-to-earth mix of real stories (John, Emma, Brianna and Logan) and straight-talking advice aimed at teens and young adults who want to stay healthy, avoid addiction, and feel less anxious and alone. The episode breaks things into clear, bite-sized ideas: living each day on purpose, building self-awareness, understanding emotions, and putting small, positive habits in place before problems get big.
Steve explains how thoughts literally reshape the brain (neuroplasticity) and why encouraging positive thinking, hanging around good people, and learning about real life early on can reduce the risk of addiction. He doesn’t sugar-coat the dangers, either. Facts about alcohol, fentanyl, impaired driving, and teenage brain vulnerability are laid out in simple, memorable language, making it easier for young people to make informed choices rather than impulsive ones. There’s a strong spiritual thread as well.
Teens are reminded they’re "not broken or alone" and that they have worth, a good future, and a God who is "only a prayer away". Emotional intelligence, practical coping tools, and the idea of taking "next right steps" show up again and again as realistic ways to move forward, even when life feels messy.
Parents, youth workers, and teens themselves get a structured roadmap: dream big, set small goals, plan ahead for tricky situations, protect their minds and bodies, and keep faith at the core. If a young person in your life could use some encouragement, practical tips, and hope about the future, this episode might be a helpful place to start – what next right step could it inspire for you?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.