The FIRM Principle Part 3    

“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.” – Ayn Rand

When you talk to people about building desire in their children or even in themselves, most are all for it.  We talk of things like creativity, goals and the pursuit of dreams.  But when it comes to really do what it talks to build desire – that is a different story.  You see, desire takes work and time and resources that we do not always want to part with.  This is why when you ask people what they really want to be, most will answer “I have no idea.”

 BELIEVING

“Man’s desires are limited by his perceptions;” poet William Blake said, “none can desire what he has not perceived.”  For too many people, telling our children that they can be and do anything they what when they grow up is as much a fantasy as Santa and the Easter Bunny.  Success-Minded People know that you first have to help a child to know what they want and then to believe they can achieve it.  Here are a few ways to help a child (or an adult for that matter) believe they can achieve their dreams:

 BUILDING DESIRE

•  Teach them to be curious.  Children are curious by nature and are always trying to find new things.  Do not suffocate this curiosity with fears that they will get hurt or disappointed or it is too lofty.  If a child is curious about the stars, get him books and take him to an observatory.  If it is music or art, get her the tools she needs to pursue it.  Maybe they will stick to it and maybe they will move on.  That is all okay.  What you are teaching them is that it is good to be curious and to set new and better goals.  Nothing will keep them more constructively occupied than creating new goals.  Coach Lou Holtz said “If you’re bored with life – you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things – you don’t have enough goals.”
•  Teach your children that hard work is a good thing.  Don’t teach your children to take the easy path or the one that will give the fastest results.  The best way you teach a solid work ethic is to have one yourself.  If you child sees you always take the easy way, they will believe that is what they need to do.  Greatness never comes unless by hard work.  And yes, I said greatness.  Never, never, never, never teach your children that being less or just getting by is humility and honoring to God.  When we think that not giving God our best in all we do is pleasing to God we are foolish.  You are saying to God that He does not deserve our best.  Scripture tells us that we are to do ALL THINGS to the glory of God.
•  Teach your children to embrace and focus on their gifts, not on their weaknesses.  Children want approval and to please those they love.  Show them you are excited about what they can do and what them to excel at what they are good at (their strengths).  Do not always focus on the areas they are weak at and struggle with.  Albert Einstein was right when he said “Everyone is a genius.  But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

 © 2011 John Patrick Hickey