Raising Kids With a Healthy Mindset

We are not just raising kids; we are raising moms, dads, business people and tomorrows leaders. Are we giving them all the preparation they need? I have heard countless times we are never quite ready to have kids, let alone raise them. Never ready? There are a lot of things we can get ready for and I believe raising kids is one of them. What we need is the understanding and awareness of what being ready means. There are multiple aspects to raising kids, none which are very easy. As parents, we need to be aware of these aspects and understand how they work and affect us. Our kid’s mental and emotional health is at stake. Doesn’t it make sense that we need to equip them as best we can? It use to be considered enough to love and provide for our kids. That old school way of thinking did not account for our children's mental, emotional and self image. These are rarely spoken of but play a huge roll in raising successful kids. The saying, “We are never really ready to raise kids,” does not set well with me, I could not disagree more. Our society has helped to shape our thinking as the only way to be ready, is financially. Although important, it is far from the only item on the, “being ready” list. What about self love and emotional stability? Positive self talk and parental verbal reinforcement are important. Anger issues, if any, should be dealt with. Ignoring them will not make them go away. Of all these, there is one common denominator and that is, choice. We can ignore these, or work on them but that is a choice. Aside from inherited disorders, there are no predestined elements. We can make them workable and manageable in our own lives so our kids receive double benefits. This introduction is the first of a series on raising kids with a healthy mindset. Kids need their parents, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. The problem is, too many parents are leaving out the last two of the three. Where does a healthy self image come from? It mostly comes from the parents and their surroundings. Are we showing and teaching our kids everything we should be? It could be what we are not doing that causes the most harm and were probably not even aware of it. Next week, we will dive into what it means to be ready. There are multiple things we can do for our kids, so that they can be ready for life and that we program them in a healthy way. I have never met anyone who wanted to be a failure at raising kids. My hope is this series will increase your awareness to be an even more successful parent. Have a great Friday everyone, be blessed.

What is Reality

Have you heard someone say, “that’s not reality?” To that, ask, “what is reality?” Oddly enough, most people don’t understand what reality is. Is reality the world around us? Is reality our lives as we know it? It has been said that reality is what is factual and true too each of us. Factual and true, if this is the case, what we believe to be true is our reality. Our beliefs, healthy or unhealthy, largely determine our reality. Because of this we all have a slightly different view of reality because we all believe differently. Why is it that some believe making a million dollars a year in income is not reality while others do it? Their reality is different. This does not mean are beliefs can break universal laws. The only place we can find success before work, is in the dictionary. Just as gravity grounds us, universal laws work 100% of the time. It is our reality that works with these laws and makes the difference. What do we believe to be true for ourselves and our life? These beliefs we have total control over. Our self image, confidence, what we expect from ourselves and what value we set on ourselves control a large part of our reality. Association also plays a roll in our reality. Like attracts like so our friends say a lot about how we see ourselves. My mentor years ago had an income well above 100,000 a year. It had been this way for years. It didn’t matter what he did. His strengths worked in his favor, but more than anything, he believed this was what he was worth and how he was to provide for his family. It wasn’t a big deal to him he was actually quite humble about it. His reality was different from most people. Have you ever thought, “I could never make 150,000 a year?” If so, it is because of your belief. You don’t believe you’re worth that much. My mentor not only believed it, he expected it and got it! The beliefs we hold internally can only express themselves externally, which comes in the form of our actions. Your beliefs and reality have brought you to where you are now. If you choose different beliefs, you will create a different reality. Have a great Friday everyone, be blessed.

Out of the Vault...a Classic

Americans love watching movies. Romance, action, thrillers, we want them to make us laugh, cry and keep us on the edge of our seat. Then, when everything is quiet, they scare the heck out of us! Movies take us out of our own reality and put us into a fictional character’s life. They help us remember faith, hope and love are real and always win. Who doesn’t love to be inspired by a good movie? Not too long ago, I watched a movie that had a profound impact on me. The first time I saw the film I missed it, but the second time I got it. Rocky Balboa comes back for a final Rocky movie. He is older, his wife has passed, his son is his own man and now he needs to fight one last time. The film never made it big like the previous Rocky films. It never even made it to the top of the charts. Through the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, Rocky inspired us. You have to admit, after watching a Rocky movie you could tackle just about anything! His son has just learned his dad is going to fight and he is not happy about it. The two are talking at night, outside of Rocky’s restaurant. Over the years, his son has become a victim to life and wants to talk his dad out of fighting. As the mood builds, the next words that Rocky says are life changing: “Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody will hit as hard as life… but it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward! How much you can take and keep moving forward! That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth but you have to be willing to take the hit and pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you want to be because of him or her or anybody is what cowards do and that ain’t you, you’re better than that!” This is life 101 folks! “It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” Rocky’s statement to his son was so hard hitting, it stopped me in my tracks! Every man and woman who has ever achieved great things in their life would all agree with this statement. What happens, happens to all of us. The question is, will you keep moving forward? You need to watch the movie if you haven’t already.. Life is about getting up after you have been beaten down. If you can accomplish this, you will be far ahead of the pack. Have a great Friday everyone, be blessed.