Gift Giving

“Perception is 9/10ths of who we become.”

I read an article in Forbes magazine about ““the business gene.”  In this piece they looked at 8 successful families to determine if entrepreneurship was a hereditary gene or a fluke.  As I read the article, my mind went back to a concept that led me to start my nonprofit organization Created2Care Inc,.  That is the idea that perception is 9/10ths of who we become.

We hear it in music, see it in movies, and read about it in self-help books.  People often become what they see.  “I sold drugs because that’s all I knew”.  “I stole from people because that’s what we did to survive”.   Baby lions learn how to hunt and survive by watching their mothers chase and their kill prey.  It is hereditary to be a lion, but learning how to hunt is a life-saving gift given to the cub.  In the same way, we as humans learn from observation.  Although we are capable of some independent thought, even those have been perpetrated by the words or actions of others.

So as parents, what gifts are we giving are kids?  Its expected for our children in to go to school and earn a high school diploma but have we taken the time to instill the gift of learning?   It’s expected for our kids to get some type of employment but we have instilled in them the sense of self-pride and responsibility to those around them?   Education and work are expected and mostly fulfilled by children but as parents are we encouraging our children to reach further? Are we molding their characters and investing and challenging our children and expecting a high return or doing the bare minimum and expecting above average results?When our kids see us, do they see motivation and determination?  Or do they see complacency and laziness?  Do they see managers, bosses, and CEO type skill sets or entry-level and cashier potential?  I’m all for doing whatever it takes to pay the bills, but while doing that I have to cultivate a gift I can leave my son.   

It is our duty to raise one step higher than our parents and mentors.  If they received a GED, then we must get a HS Diploma, if they received a Bachelor degree, then we must expect no less than a Masters degree.  If they were entry-level for 20 years, then we need to be the boss for 20 years or own the company.  We have to show our kids that there’s more to life than the status quo and mediocrity, and that through hard work and goal setting they can achieve whatever they want.  It’s all about giving them the right perception and attitude. 

My son has the right to be set on the right path, one that I may have tripped and stumbled on but have now mastered through experience and faith. I’ve worked hard to achieve a laundry list of goals and it will all be a waste if I don’t prune and glean his character into something outstanding. It amazes me how parents sometimes place more value on temporal things such as clothes, cars or homes when their children are cast aside and often not prepared for life because of their negligence  and selfishness. I believe that the more I work on improving and expecting more from myself that the more my son can become.  I’m embracing gift-giving parenting...are you? 

Just Me