The premise of following’s one’s bliss should never be undervalued or underestimated. Pursuing one’s dreams is a simple concept to comprehend yet utterly unattainable to achieve for much of the population due to a variety of reasons. External pressures such as the economy, family, religion, and politics all factor in to stifle ambition. But often internal pressures like the fear of failure present a greater obstacle. As a parent, one holds the key to unlocking a child’s potential. Conversely, parents can inadvertently destroy dreams by way of tendency towards risk aversion. What steps might a parent take to allow one’s children to dream big?
As a father of two young kids, I find myself arguably in the midst of the most important developmental time in their lives. In order to spark creativity within my children, I’ve come up with a few basic ideas.
The unofficial guide to Dreaming Big
- Recognize it’s not about you. Your child has a clean slate. Removing your own personal history from your child’s life enables him or her to create their own unique story.
- Observe your child closely. She or he will provide countless clues about their interests as well as their strengths and weaknesses.
- Be a catalyst. Create an environment fostering creativity. Introduce art, science, literature, music, sports and more.
- Be positive. Sometimes we have to fail to win. History is filled with countless individuals who suffered setbacks yet learned from their mistakes and achieved phenomenal heights.
- Get inspired by your child. Kids possess a sense of wonder many adults have long forgotten. On many levels, children really do keep us young.
What’s on your list? How do you open the door to new possibilities? Please leave a comment below. Be sure to stop by our Facebook page to “Like” us, won’t you?
