Tuesday, January 13, 2009

MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO TEACH CHILDREN

I was recently asked the question:
What would you consider THE TEN MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO TEACH CHILDREN
NOT ONLY TO SUCCEED FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES
BUT TO CONTRIBUTE TO BUILDING A BETTER WORLD?

Tough one. Lots of different choices. Below is my attempt at it based on about 60 minutes worth of reflection. Will post this now, and will do follow up posts if I change my mind. I've also put the question out to my network on LinkedIn and on Facebook, so may have reflections based on what others have to say as well.

1. Self-esteem and confidence. Learn to love yourself for who you are and whatever your abilities. This is critical for true happiness, but also to truly love others as well. When we look at all the people in history this earth would have been better without, many of them lacked in this area.
2. Respect yourself. Treat yourself right. Eat well, exercise, cherish your health. Don't let others take advantage of you either.
3. Responsibility and leadership. Gandhi's words, 'Be the change you want to see in the world', are so inspiring. Take responsibility for yourself, your actions, your family, your community, etc... Lead by example. Behave in a way that inspires others to do the same (in a good way!).
4. Be kind to others. Reject intolerance and bigotry in all their forms. Embrace others for who they are, trust in their good intentions, believe that most people are fundamentally good. But don't forget some aren't and know how to deal with that.
5. Learn from the past. Study world history, ancient and recent. Consider multiple points of view, and form your own opinions along the way. The 'truth' is often quite subjective.
6. Travel. Experience other cultures. Appreciate and accept them for their differences, even if they don't all appeal to you. Live in multiple places if you have the chance.
7. Be flexible and embrace change. Whether in work, in life, in technology, change is a constant. Don't be afraid of change. Prepare for its inevitability and don't let it destabilize you. Look for the opportunities it creates and capitalize on them.
8. Be solution-oriented. Don't act like a victim or look for someone to blame. When faced with adversity, focus on what you can do to overcome it, and reflect on what you can learn from it in the process. This is a critical skill to be successful professionally but also in general.
9. Live within or below your means. Don't define your success in financial or material terms. Enjoy nice things, meals, trips if you can afford them. Share with others as much as you can.
10. Respect the earth. Be kind to animals and the environment. Use natural resources wisely.

4 comments:

  1. Here's my list. Not the usual stuff:


    Life is short, so you must make it wide – Do many, many different things in your life.

    Make change your friend - The world will continue to change in ways nobody can predict. Be like a sailboat that uses the wind and current of change to get where you want to go. Learn to read the patterns and use them. Change will happen. Enjoy it.

    Time is more valuable than money – You can get more money. Once time is gone - it’s gone. Remember this principle when making judgments about how to spend both your time and your money. Spend them both on things you truly enjoy, not stuff you are supposed to acquire or do. What do you truly value? That is what you should spend your time and money on.

    Be an agent of change - If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? Spend some time changing it.

    You are not your job - If you every have power use it gently. Respect those above you in a hierarchy, but never just assume they are correct or doing the right thing. Judge for yourself. There is no dishonor in any honest work. Status changes.

    Skills are valuable possessions – Continually develop the skills you use in your work. Never stop learning new things and improving your skill at things you love doing. If you keep learning new tricks, you will never be an old dog.

    Be kind to people who piss you off. You probably annoy someone and they put up with you.

    Admit your mistakes. People will admire you for it and are you more likely to learn from them.

    Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve probably not done enough.

    Love unconditionally - If you expect something in return, it is a transaction.

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  2. Thanks for sharing your thoughts John, much appreciated! Hope you're well.
    - Bruno

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