When I was twenty something years old I was camping at a campsite in Yellowstone National Park. It had just finished raining and most campers were in their tents or other protected sites. I got out of my tent and decided to go for a stroll. As I was walking I heard the sound of something rummaging through the various sites, it was a bear. I was maybe 50 feet from it. He started walking back into the woods surrounding the campsite.
Being from Brooklyn, New York the only thing I knew about bears was Smokey the Bear, the friendly warm-hearted bear that appeared in commercials warning us to take care not to start forest fires. I had no thoughts of the potential danger of what I was about to do.
I very stupidly decided to follow the bear into the woods, and after a few minutes I lost sight of it. Suddenly I heard a sound behind me. I had an image of the bear stalking me. I didn’t even turn to see if that was the bear, and my survival instincts took over. I “knew” I was at risk of being mauled by the bear. I must have broken several land speed records as I zoomed out of the woods back to my campsite.
In February 2000 I read about the United Nations awarding Saddam Hussein, at that time Iraq’s dictatorial leader, a special recognition for improving the literacy level in his country. His approach was to threaten those who didn’t learn how to read with imprisonment.
When I mentioned this to a very prominent educator, he responded by saying, “In the United States you can get 20 to 30 years imprisonment for being illiterate.” The point being that one of the most common denominators of those who are imprisoned is illiteracy. And I would like to add another common denominator is the lack of having uplifting dreams, belief and understanding of how they can make their dreams become a reality.
The term “at-risk children” mainly refers to individuals who come from communities where the level of poverty is high, and the level of literacy and school achievement is low. It is where many seem to be wandering wonderers, wondering what can I REALLY accomplish with my life.
In reality, everyone is at risk if they don’t achieve the level of skills and knowledge needed to survive in the 21st century. That includes knowing the correct path to take for their education or career. We talk about problem-solving skills, communication skills, the ability to evaluate the truth and relevance of all the data we receive, the ability to work in groups, etc., as being among the basic skills needed to survive in this ever increasing technology age. They are.
But we can’t minimize or overlook another area of knowledge and understanding needed to be successful, knowing they can pursue, with confidence, their true dreams and purposes.
A question I would ask parents is:
Do you have the knowledge to help your children take the responsibility to find and follow the path that will bring them a true sense of purpose and self-respect?
When we have helped our children know, with certainty, the path to achieve their TRUE purposes and dreams they can truly achieve the magnificence in life they are capable of achieving.
Are your children on their path to Magnificence? Or are they at risk of not knowing what that path is.
I have helped thousands of people across the world understand how to determine the right career choice for themselves. And helped them live the life they imagine. Please let me know if I can be of any help. For more information go to www.careersolutions.biz , or send an email, or call me at 323-804-5113.