Thursday, March 6, 2014

What I know for sure!



Oprah has a page in her magazine where she writes: 'what I know for sure' and I think it's a fantastic way of connecting with your personal progress.  What I know for sure is that you cannot grow (or change) a child to be what you want them to be. I have spent most of my life trying to fit into the conservative Christian mold that my parents created for me.  Most who have known me since childhood know that this was a very half-hearted attempt!  As a little girl I loved to run free (and often half nude & barefoot) because I loved the feel of the sun on my back and the hard ground against my feet as I ran.  And yes, that's how I got around until I taught myself to ride a bike at 4 years old...I ran.  I ran and a swam and I hiked and then each day, at the end of the day, I would drag my tired and dirty little body home so my mom could take care of the rest. As the school years passed, I felt a gnawing sense of irritation because of many things...to name a few: 1) I didn't understand my peers 2) I felt like I should be able to talk to adults and so I made jokes with teachers but they ignored me 3) What did going to church 3x a week have to do with anything? 4) Is this all there is to life? What I know for sure is that children are born with their own distinct personalities and tendencies and you cannot make them little clones of you.  I spent a lifetime trying to figure out why I didn't fit it until I realized, its not my job to fit in!  Its my job to clear the path for my success...its my job (to do my part) to break down the self created barriers that exist between my thinking and my experiences in this world...and that's it! As I heard it recently said, "What other people think of me is none of my business!" 
If you are a parent, its your job to teach right from wrong, to teach core values, to teach self discipline, equity and tolerance. It is not your job to make sure your child loves the same sports you love, or the same food you love or the same hobbies you love. If you expose them to many things (cultural and otherwise) and have a completely open mind about their absolute future success, there is no need to pass on your insecurities which are disguised as demands. As George Bernard Shaw once said, "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
Lisa Ekanger Your Floyd Wickman Trainer!


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