Think back to when you were a kid. What was one of the most common questions you were asked?
Was it, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
How did you answer that question? Think about it, are you in the occupation that you said you wanted to do when you were little?
Or did you go after that dream, only to end up with a flop because you were never able to attain the title or worst maybe you got the title but were left unhappy and unsatisfied.
When I was younger there were a lot of things I said I wanted to be. Some of those things were accomplished and left me feeling empty.
So early on in parenting I knew I wanted to shift my focus with my kids. I decided to concentrate on raising my kids to know who they are and to develop a self-identity. My focus has been on cultivating character, even over academics. I have made it my goal to till my children’s heart with insight from scripture and I keep them highly accountable for character flaws.
Throughout the years. I have made constant McMillion statements.
The McMillions are:
Leaders and not followers
Hard workers
Not given to the flesh
World changers
Created to sit with royalty and so on….
I have made ton of similar statements as a hoorah, but also as personal identity statements.
Over the years I have come to the conclusion that asking kids “What they want to be when they grow up?” is not the best question to ask them, rather the best question is, “Who do you they want to be?”
Identifying who they want to be will establish a deep root system for them as they mature, and it will allow them to form a good self-value. Think about it, how many teens do you know today that have a strong personal self-identity? Unfortunately, it is rarer than we can probably fathom.
However, there are a minority of teens that do contain the fortitude and ability to grasp their own personal value. They are the ones that soar to great heights. They are the shakers and the movers in a community. They are the world impactors.
Are you ready for your kid to impact the world?
Are you interested in hearing what teens have to say on this topic?
If so, tune into our Podcast on this very topic HERE and become a Mother of Change!
World Change Begins in the Home!