We Are All Products of Our Environment

The more I engage with children today, the more I fear that we have not set them up for success. While the rapid changes in technology certainly has some of the blame, I believe, it’s our unwillingness to take responsibility for the environments that we have created for them.

We have to be honest with ourselves about what our children are absorbing.

Many of us are still responding to life from a place of disappointment, hurt and uncertainty; and without realizing it, we're passing those same patterns down to the next generation.

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When our own emotional intelligence has not been developed, stress, change, and conflict often bring out reactions that are more about survival rather than adapting and leading.

When being challenged and faced with adversity, instead of listening, and taking responsibility, we blame others and make excuses. 

We shut down and ignore problems instead of communicating.  

We overreact and lash out instead of regulating our emotions. 

We take impulsive actions just to satisfy our momentary emotions, without regard for the people it will affect.

. . . And our children are watching all of it.

They are watching if we apologize and take ownership of our actions, or create chaos when we feel uncomfortable.

They are watching how we handle disagreement. 

They are watching how we respond when we are corrected. 

They are watching how we interact with people who are less fortunate. 

They are watching if we keep our word and stand on our values. 

Every interaction they have at home, school, church, community centers, are all teaching our children who they should become.

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I believe we are all products of our environment, but I also believe we do not have to remain prisoners of it. 

This is why The Auspice Academy was created: to help young people build the #emotionalintelligence, #communication skills, #leadership capacity, and #responsibility they need to succeed in adult life, before unhealthy patterns become permanent cycles. 

If we want a healthier society tomorrow, we have to be willing to teach, model, and cultivate healthier people today.