My son Gabriel has been at a school camp this week.
I’ve missed him terribly.
He’s my good buddy.
I’ve been thinking a lot about kids and how we treat and value them.
It’s honestly mostly very shit 💩
Yeah, I am cursing again, but how you were treated as a child has greatly affected how you show up in the world today.
It’s in the message you were given.
Sit down. Watch your words. No exercise after dinner. Stay in your bed. Don’t swear. Stop arguing. Respect adults. Think before you speak. Be appropriate.
You’re probably nodding your head, thinking most of these things are correct, good, wise, even?
And yet it’s all about conformity.
Keeping kids small.
How many times did an adult ever say to you…
That’s not fair, that makes me angry too, let’s do something about it.
Go for it, ask that girl out, trust yourself more.
You are hilarious. Tell me that joke again.
That’s so awesome, let’s celebrate more!
Dude, why don’t we stay up all night and watch a bunch of movies? Life is to be lived.
Has any parent ever said these kinds of things?
The invitation of adults to children is always to be smaller, to watch more, to avoid risk, and to stay safe.
It creates a passivity that hurts everything.
It causes us to watch life and wait for it to happen to us.
It breaks my heart to think of the years I’ve lost playing small, waiting for life to happen to me.
On our Sphere Builder call today, Joanna broke down crying, saying I’m 69 years old and I want to make the most of every single moment of life that I have left.
Then she immediately registered for our Sphere Builder Academy for the next 12 months…
Because that’s the heart of what we do… Collectively, we are saying NO to small lives, anxious days, and watching life through a rain-swept window.
So today, as my son returns home…
I want you to know that I am going to give him full permission to express himself as loudly, confidently, and fully as he wishes.
I want him to live a big life.
And I want to give you the same permission also.
Don’t sit down. Stand up and live big.
With so much love!
G. x