Our society eulogizes people who achieve material and professional success. Our mindset has become conditioned to revere CEO’s of major corporations, startup entrepreneurs who take their ideas to multi-billion dollar valuations, star athletes, political leaders, and, in general, people who amass large amounts of wealth or reach the apex of their vocation. While all such accomplishments are laudable and certainly worthy of admiration, we have a responsibility of immense importance which is often overlooked. I am talking about the bringing up of our children. I believe that unless we succeed in instilling good values, right attitude, a sense of responsibility, and the ability to dream in our children, all our other accomplishments are rather shallow. As Aristotle said,
Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.
Think about it. If we rise up the corporate ladder, create great amount of wealth, or accumulate gold medals at the expense of our children, have we truly achieved success? If we fail to prepare our children to become good citizens, have we accomplished anything?
Bringing up responsible children requires attention, dedication, and effort. If we only prepare our children to follow structured rules, mark bubbles on standardized tests, lead a mechanical life, and excel at computer games, we have failed, we have failed miserably. We need to prepare them such that they become productive adults, good citizens, and caring individuals. Only when we instill in them such values, will they be able to contribute positively to society.
The development of children has to be done while they are still young, while their personality is malleable, and definitively before they develop habits which can be destructive not only to themselves, but can potentially harm the world. If we want to give a certain shape to iron, the iron has to be poured in the desired shape while it is still in a molten state. Similarly, good habits have to be inculcated while the children are still young. Frederick Douglass, simply but eloquently, said
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.
We may have become successful entrepreneurs, celebrated professionals, or even heads of nations, but if we have failed in bringing up our children well, we have failed, and we have failed spectacularly.
Life is Precious. Live Well©
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