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"Have you ever wondered what Jesus must&amp;#039;ve been like when he was a teenager? Maybe not, since there&amp;#039;s a major gap in his life story in the Bible. But his teen years had to have helped shape him into the man that he became. Well now, renowned physician, philosopher and writer Deepak Chopra has penned a novel called Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment, which imagines what Jesus&amp;#039; teens and early twenties could have been like. We caught up with Dr. Chopra on his book tour recently to ask him a few q&amp;#039;s... Q: Your latest book focuses on Jesus as a very young man, before he was the Jesus we know. Why is it important for us to understand Jesus&amp;#039; teen years? A: You have to understand the teen years of any leader to understand the mechanics of their leadership. There are certain things that dominantly stand out. People who become great leaders are those who take time to reflect every day on the big questions: Who am I? What is my purpose? Who are my heroes in history, mythology, and religion? What are my unique talents and how do I express them? These are the qualities of silent reflection that make a great leader, like Jesus. Q: What can teen readers take away from this book? A: I hope teenagers will be inspired by this story to maximize their potential. The teenage years are years of great chaos and confusion in your lives, but also a time of seeking a deeper meaning. You will see the confusion and the questioning that Jesus went through\u2014just like any other teenager, Jesus had to go through that, too. In the teen years, we often confuse self-image with self-esteem. Teenagers are very influenced by the image others have of them. All sorts of complexes come from this, Q: Do you think today&amp;#039;s teenagers get a bad rap? A: What we do wrong with teenagers is we talk down to you instead of treating you as equals. Adults complain that you&amp;#039;re not good listeners but really, adults are not listening to what you&amp;#039;re trying to tell us. We&amp;#039;re always trying to give you advice. We should treat you with lots of respect and dignity and groom you to be future leaders. Q: You are known as a man of great faith. What can a teenager do if they have faith in a religion other than the one their parents brought them up in? A: I would say that rather than looking for another religion, look for the values that are in every religion. The time is coming when we will go beyond narrow religious confines and embrace a spirituality that will include the best of all religions and transcend narrow boundaries. Remember this: Beliefs divide, values unite. When we go to the values that underlie so many religious beliefs, they unite us. So try not to worry what your parents think \u2014 try to help them see that you do live by the values that they taught you. Q: What&amp;#039;s one thing every teenager can do starting today to help change the world? A: Take the vow: On my Website right now you can take the vow of nonviolence in your thoughts, your speech, and your actions. Every time one person becomes peaceful in their own life, it changes the world. Imagine what would happen if everyone took this vow? I&amp;#039;ve been working in this field for many years and we make movies and create stories about peace, but unless we make the change ourselves, nothing is going to change. As Gandhi said, be the change you want to see in the world. Go to deepakchopra.com and sign up to take the vow today! To buy Deepak Chopra&amp;#039;s new book Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment, go to bn.com. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/a11127/5-questions-deepak-chopra/>