Be the Dad You Were Meant to Be

Almost all the problems we see in the world are a result of something that happened in a home a decade or two or more ago. These problems are NOT going to be fixed by governments. They are not going to be fixed by politicians. They can’t be. Politicians and governments couldn’t fix it if they tried. They will try. But it’s not going to work. The problems have to be fixed elsewhere. They have to be fixed where the problem started. In homes. Most of the kids in prison don’t have dads present. Most of the kids committing crimes don’t have dads present. That’s where you and I come in. It’s time for us to step up. If we step up soon, we may have a chance to change things. If we don’t….well, let’s not go there. We are going to. Let’s start today with what you do for work. Here’s more bad news: Nobody is going to care what you did for work after you die. They will care what you did as a parent. Even if they don’t consciously know it, the effect you have as a parent is immense. Your parenting will ripple for centuries after you are gone. Let me prove it: Do you know what your great- great grandparents did for a living? If you are like most people I’ve asked this question, the answer is no. Some people may know what one or two of them did. But remember, you have 16 great-great grandparents. Do you know what they did for a living? I’m betting you could care less if they had the best horse or plow or the nicest fence in town. But the choices they made are still affecting you now. Let me give you an obvious example. I live in the United States of America. The reason I live here is because more than one of my ancestors made a parenting decision that they wanted to raise their children in America. This choice by my ancestors, made hundreds of years ago, affects me profoundly today. In soooo many ways: It affects my religion. It affects the language I speak. It affects my economic opportunities. It affects my children. It will affect my grandchildren. And my great grandchildren. Now, that is an obvious one. What about one that is not so obvious. Were my ancestors kind? Were they checked in? Were they drunk? What was important to them? Even though the influence may not be as obvious as moving to America, the influence is just as real. That’s why it is so important to invest in yourself. To become the parent that you need to be. Because what you do as a parent will last longer than anything else you do. What you do in your own home will have more effect in the world than anything you do at work.