Tag: actions

Rules of being a good parent

Every parent wants what is best for their kids. These “rules” are something quick I thought about for my 3-year old and 1-year old. The rules will grow and modify as they get older (such as teaching them to be respectful, responsible, and have good work ethic, talking about philosophy, etc). But for now, with my limited experience as a parent, I feel these are a good start for any new parent. Read below and let me know your thoughts in the comments section!

Rules of being a good parent:

1. Be interested in them and give them your attention…When you’re with them, be PRESENT. Don’t be on your phone or watching tv. Don’t think about work. Ask them questions and actively listen to them.

2. Don’t be afraid to say no…kids shouldn’t feel entitled to anything. When you said no, stick to your word. Don’t give in because they’re throwing a tantrum. It’s always going to be easier to give them what they want, but is that helping them in the long run?

3. Teach them that actions have consequences – whether those are good or bad consequences depends on the action.

4. Support their interests. You may not like whatever they happen to be into at the moment, but if it’s not hurting them, support them. Be interested in what they’re interested in, even if you have to fake it. Let them be themselves and explore things on their own without you influencing them to like/dislike something. They should figure that out on their own.

5. Tell them you love them. They should know how much they mean to you and they should feel loved and supported. Tell them you love them and that you’re proud of them everyday.

This too shall pass

“This too shall pass.”

Tell yourself this often to stay level headed. Tell yourself this in good times and in bad. Make sure that you’re doing the right thing today to set yourself up for a better future tomorrow.

Just because things are good today doesn’t mean that they will remain good tomorrow. If you get lazy and don’t follow through with your duties then things will turn around for you in a way that you don’t want.

The same is true if things are bad today. It will get better, but only if you’re doing the right things to correct your situation. Don’t just give up. Losers throw their hands up in the air and give up. Winners know when to cut their losses, when to pivot, and when to try again.

How our thoughts make our reality

The world reflects your own feelings back to you. Reality is neutral. Nothing is “good or bad,” but our thoughts make it so.

Change your thoughts and you can change your life. Not only can you make things better or worse by what you do, but also what you say, think, and feel. Shift your mindset to a positive one, where every setback is another opportunity to learn and grow, and where every success is a stepping stone to greater achievement. Choose to be happy and helpful. Choose to not let others’ actions or words affect you, unless you it is to have a positive affect on you.

Facing fear

Everyone is wired to be fearful. It is how you respond to that fear that determines your likelihood of success. Sometimes it’s best to act/be the aggressor, while other times it’s best to sit back and let the storm pass. But regardless of what is the best course of action, the number one thing to remember is to not panic. Control your emotions, logically decide what should be done, then go do it.

Something I’ve been thinking about recently…

I recently listened to a podcast with Tim Ferriss, featuring Jim Collins. Jim is the very successful researcher and author of Good to Great, Built to Last, Great by Choice, and many others. Tim is a very successful writer in his own right, with best sellers including The 4-hour Workweek, Tools of Titans, and Tribe of Mentors, but he is probably better known for his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, these days.

In this interview, they brought up an interesting thought exercise regarding trust and relationships. The question posed by Jim was if you naturally trust others vs. if you feel they need to earn your trust. Does how you behave from the outset of meeting someone help to shape whether they become more trustworthy (at least when it comes to their behaviors/actions towards yourself)?

In other words, are your subtle actions (showing you trust/distrust them) serving to empower them? Will they work harder for you (if they are collaborating with you or an employee for you) because you implicitly trust them? Will they be kinder to you or have a better relationship with you because of the trust you have shown them from the beginning? Or, if you are distrusting and guarded at first, will it indirectly cause them to be more guarded? Will your lack of trust actually become a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy and make that person act more untrustworthy?

It’s an unanswerable question, but a good one to think of…my actions affect myself, of course. But how are they affecting others (which, in turn, indirectly affect me yet again)?