Contributing to Life By Parent-like Actions - Parenting by Learning, Growing and Applying
Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2007
by Carl Chesal
Bizfare Enterprise Inc
Is
it miraculous or maturity that, as a newbie grandparent, the meaning
of life seems clearer than ever?
This new and
wondrous child, our granddaughter Ellie, has jumped Grandma (Baba)
and Grandpa into a new chapter of our lives. After some over-fifty
reflection, the notion of making a name for yourself in the corporate
or political realm now appears to sit more toward the “all about
me" end of the “lifetime achievement" scale. Being
a positive contributor to the world
is really the ultimate goal of life - moving up the 'Scale of
Lifetime Achievement' toward the more selfless “all about you"
end of the scale.
MEANING
OF LIFE #1: Contributing to Life, even through the smallest action,
is the meaning of life itself.
Life
and my upbringing has taught me one thing: The best way to make this
a better world is to focus on your local world, starting with your
immediate family and then your community. “Keep your own backyard
in order", my parents used to say.
Think about
your earthly role and responsibilities from the aspect of a sibling,
a life partner or a friend. It may allow you to identify ways you can
make a material difference to those closest to you. After all, this
is your circle of influence, where you should responsibly provide the
greatest and most profound impact on human behavior. Think of this.
If our life's accomplishments and contributions created a positive
force on our immediate Circle of Influence, this world would continue
to grow and prosper into a much better place for us and future
generations.
Scientists and Psychologists have
long said that our whole human personality blueprint is determined in
the first 10 years of our lives – our formative years. By the age
of 10 years 90% of our Life Values are solidly established in each
individual. Think of this! In the first 10 years of our lives, the
way we think, the way we think of ourselves and others is defined and
imprinted as our psychological makeup. Our Value System is now
defined - the course of HOW we grow and interface with our earthly
surroundings. The only way this personal value course or mindset can
be altered would be through some significant
emotional event:
some impactful event that 'stops us in our tracks' and forces us to
consider a alternate path from this point forward.
With
such lifelong impact associated with our formative years, it stands
to reason that Parenting
is a major determination of a child's ultimate adult human behavior.
It is our role as parents that garners the single most important
impact on life. There can be no greater vocation in life than raising
children to become productive, positive and additive to the goodness
in this world.
Parenting, at a minimum, requires
that a child's need for basics, like Food, Shelter and Safety, be
met. It is the higher needs of Affection, building self-esteem and
self-actualization that truly define the areas that are affected by
parenting or early childhood development.
MEANING
OF LIFE #2: Being a committed Father or Mother to all your
children!
Provide your children with a solid
foundation so they may be the Best That They Can Be as an adult. Be
committed to all levels of child and adolescent development. Across
the entire range of Maslow's
Hierarchy of Needs:
-
Physiological
- Safety
- Love, Affection
and Belonging
- Self- Esteem and Esteem received from
others
- Self-Actualization (a person's need to be and
do that which the person was "born to do")
There
is nothing more important than being a parent! The foundation for a
person's adult life is influenced, molded and formed in those
formative years of life. The parent has the ability and
responsibility to create the best environment for learning and
enforcing social, self-confidence, attitude and leadership
skills.
Like any area of expertise, parenting (and
in a support role grand-parenting and teachers) requires continuous
study, discussion and exercise to improve and perfect the craft.
MEANING
OF LIFE #3: Life is all about learning, growing and applying (Ask
Listen Try) to create an even better world.
Let's
expand the traditional definition of parenting. Being parent-like
could also include responsible parenting to those children of the
global community called our friends, our colleagues and our
neighbors. Expand the idea of Parenting or Grand-parenting to include
any adult responsible for some aspect of a child's upbringing or
development or education. Now with even more committed and
responsible parents ensuring a healthy childhood environment, won't
this be a much more supportive and tolerant world?
I
must get back to being a grandfather. I truly enjoy this part of my
life!
About the
Author:
Carl Chesal is a
business and channel development consultant, trainer, internet
marketer and professional photographer. He operates BizFare Enterprise Inc,
providing business, marketing, and internet marketing consulting
services. Bizfare Enterprise also operates a number of secure on-line
Professional Services sites, like Communicate
Innovate.