PORSCHE

We are not always willing to “pay for” what we want in our lives: A thinner body, to play the piano, happiness, money, fulfillment, etc..

Good things take time, and they will ‘cost’ you effort. This is one of the most important things that we help children to understand: if you do nothing, you’ll likely get nothing.

I had a conversation with kids in class last week, when I saw that they needed some motivation…..when they just SAT THERE after I gave them directions.

I sat down. I asked them to name someone that they respected a lot. Lots of hands shot up almost immediately. THEN, I asked them to tell me something that their person does that they respect. One said: “My aunt bakes things. She’s the BEST baker I have ever seen!” One boy said a basketball player’s name and talked about his skills, another spoke about his Grandpa. The kids mentioned engineers and painters and woodworkers and cooks. All of them, mostly grown-ups and relatives, were admired because they did something, great.

We talked about how their special person probably had to practice a lot to achieve such greatness. They all could DO STUFF! I explained that that’s why teachers ask kids to do lots of different kinds of things; to get them ready for many situations and to expose them to various approaches. Kids need to know how to do stuff!

Doing stuff makes you stronger, smarter and better. You have to know how to do stuff or nobody will hire you. You have to do stuff to be successful in the world. Doing stuff will get you friends, money, recognition, love, rewards and most of all, what you want.

Sometimes we want the Porsche, but we don’t want the payments.