Raising Entrepreneurs: What to Do When Your Kid is Born to Think DifferentlyWritten by Sam Rosen
Adolescence brings with it many challenges – for both parents and kids. Young people, still new to world, are embarking on a journey to discover their passions, joys, and authentic self-images. More often than not, however, their journey more closely resembles an elongated stampede of enraged elephants than it does an innocent soul-searching endeavor. But no one said growing up would be easy.And there are young entrepreneurs out there who see world in a truly positive light. Sure, they have their ups and downs like most teenagers, but they are motivated, focused, and want to make a difference. Who are these kids? How were they raised? What do they have in common with one another? At risk of making some sweeping generalizations, I will paint picture of young, confident entrepreneur – with knowledge that this over-idealized portrait often comes in many colors and hues. While entrepreneurship was never common in my family, many young entrepreneurs had experiences early on in life that lead them towards an entrepreneurial path. In general, there are two possible ways young people feel compelled towards entrepreneurship: inspiration and avoidance. Both can act as powerful catalysts for taking action. In case of inspired action, young entrepreneur most likely grew up in an environment where individuality, responsibility, and financial literacy were encouraged. Even if parent made little money to support his or her child, underlying message often centered around taking initiative and following one’s own path. On other hand, in instances where avoidance is primary motivator, child usually wants to avoid becoming like their primary caregiver, who was most likely a negative influence. Friends of mind who have exhibited this type of motivation often have a very strong drive to succeed, yet, in part, base their motivation on what they don’t want to become – and must overcome even greater adversity in life. In order to facilitate spirit of entrepreneurship in your family, there are many steps you can take. While these steps are particularly geared towards entrepreneurship, they apply toward creating any harmonious relationship between parent and child:
| | Do One Thing DifferentWritten by Oz Merchant, C.Ht., NLP Trainer & Coach
I was walking into my office building other day, when I realized that I always approach door from same side, open same side of door, with same hand.Now you could call it deja vu, but I know that it has happened before, almost everyday. I am walking around in total trance. It is a good thing that I trust my unconscious to keep me out of harm's way. Without it, it could be fatal. So I wondered, in how many other areas of my life am I just wandering about asleep. Now some times it is useful to have a trusty autopilot, I am sure Gurdjieff would disagree, but it is true. You don't want to think, consciously at least, of how to go from first gear to fifth gear, while remembering to check blind spot, rearview mirror, and on and on... It is much easier to just trust your unconscious mind and do it! But now other times, when it is not useful, for example in relationships, or being stuck in process of your own success. How do you get out of that trap, or Kiyosaki's rat race, if you are thinking of work-related issues? You are stuck in a groove, digging yourself deeper, and being miserable in process.
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