Recently, a friend posed an interesting question on social media. He’s a somewhat introverted fellow, and decided that writing his thoughts down might be a good way for him to share wisdom with his young son. He’s planning on writing a book for him. His question: What words of wisdom would you share with a young boy about growing up to be a responsible man? I find his question to be very interesting. The socialization of youth is such an important task for any society. Most of the tidbits of wisdom shared with my friend were applicable to any child, not just boys. Really, this is just about what it takes to develop into a decent human being. I thought that I would share a couple of the thoughts that I offered up to my friend. I was a little late to the game, so many of the good ones about love, faith, hard work, etc. were all taken. Anyway, here’s what I came up with:
It is important to cultivate true strength. Not just of the physical sort, but a strength of character…of spirit. Resilience. Use the strength that you develop to make a better world around you. Use your power to uplift those who have no power. Focus on your strengths, but be aware, also, of your vulnerabilities. Make sure to spend time doing the things that are within your strengths. This build self-esteem, and these activities also offer us chances at self-actualization. However, it is also important to spend some time outside of your comfort zone. It’s a humbling and humanizing experience that can lead to growth of character.
Well, there you have it. Those were the ideas that I shared. If you were posed the same question, what tidbits of wisdom would you share? Comment below.
John Windsor – Mandt Faculty
