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Parenting

How Your Children Can Help You Succeed
By Amie E. Feliccitti

Raising children is the most inspiring gift you have been given. If you pay attention, your children will teach you how to succeed in life and really be happy.

Persevere. Children persevere. They don’t fear failure and as a result they can’t help but succeed. They don’t stop and question their ability to succeed, they just DO. A child will practice a hundred times a day, and fail just as many times, to crawl. They try and fail time and time again until eventually, low and behold, they’re crawling. Do they sit down and mope? Maybe for a second. They hoot, holler, let out their frustration, and then get up again and get busy. In the blink of an eye they’re crawling and succeeding in exactly what they set out to do! We need to believe in our own ability to succeed. We must stay focused and go after our desires until at last we claim them, just as our children claim their independence through their unwavering perseverance.

Ignore fear. How many times do you hear moms and dads around you proclaim that their child is ‘fearless’? Likewise, how many of those same parents are amazed at their child’s ability to scale walls and tackle mountainous terrains? Children don’t see their challenges as daunting, nor should we. We should embrace our roadblocks as adventurous hurtles positioned for leaping over.

Be Curious. Children are the most inquisitive, most curious persons on our Earth. “Why? Why? Why, Mom? Why, Dad?” they ask. “Why, block, do you bang loudly on a hard table but not the rug?” “Why do these square pegs fit inside this edged hole, but not inside that round one? Why? Why? Why?” Children experiment. They learn. They grow. They explore. They do all this for the sake of doing it and they have fun as a result! Adults, try doing something, just to do it, and don’t stop and ask yourself what the purpose is. Just enjoy. Just explore, experiment and learn.

Exert Determination. Ever try to put a toy out of your child’s reach? What does she do? She looks up, smiles and then does whatever it takes to get that toy. She swishes, she creeps, she puts her back up, she does whatever it takes. She gets that toy, though. She is determined and her mind does not compute an inability to get what she wants. She just decides to go after what she wants and eventually possesses her prize. Zeroing in on our goals and striving to achieve is a skill we all possess. We must embrace and cultivate it to get what we want in life.

Be Hardworking. Children work hard and do so without complaint. A boy who is learning to walk stretches and stands, falls and pulls everyday. He works his muscles until they’re exhausted. He takes a nap, only to awaken and try again. Slowly, little by little, he strengthens his tiny body until he’s able to hold his own weight. One day, that little boy smiles and claps in glee as he toddles around his living room floor. He doesn’t mind the hard work. He’s achieving. Easy money and material possessions are valueless. It’s what we earn through hard work that will make us want to dance around our own living rooms in glee. Don’t complain about hard work. Celebrate it for all of its rewards.

Have Pure Hearts. Children love unconditionally. They see and accept you for who you are and love you anyway. Their love is endless, pure and true. Not only do they look for the good in you, but they find it. They help you shine. Look around you. Appreciate people for who they are. Honor their individual gifts. Find the good in those around you and help them shine. Love people unconditionally.

Children are our most inspiring, most knowledgeable geniuses on this Earth. They are our teachers and mentors. They are our true heroes and heroines. If you want to succeed in life, look to your children. Their wisdom is infinite.

Amie E. Feliccitti is a freelance writer.