Children Learn What They Live was a poem on child-rearing written by Dorothy Law Nolte for the weekly family column for the Torrance Herald in 1954. I think all of us have an important role to play in the upbringing of children; it doesn’t has to be our own children, it can be any children who come into contact with us. What do we want them to learn from us?
Children Learn What They Live
If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.
Just come across this video in Facebook, shot in Malaysia, about Autism which I would like to share with you. According to Wikipedia, although there is no known cure to autism, there have been reported cases of children who recovered. And as the message in the video, I believe that if we are patient with autistic children, we can discover their strength and the keys to their lives; they too, will Shine and become successful in life. A good reminder to all of us.
I believe that some of you might have already read this before; it was a 30 seconds speech by Brian Dyson, former CEO of Coca Cola. Although Brian Dyson gave this speech on September 6, 1996, the words which were spoken back then are as applicable today as they were more than 14 years ago. He had aptly used an analogy of juggling balls to compare to what most of us have been struggling to balance in our lives: namely work, family, health, friends and spirit.
And how true it was when he described family, health, friends and spirit as glass ball and if we drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. Work, on the other hand, is a rubber ball which will bounce back when drop. This is something which we have to remind ourselves often to juggle the glass balls carefully. I hope that his words of wisdom would give you an insight in life.
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit … and you’re keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or evenshattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for Balance in your life.
How?
Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.
Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be pave.
Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings!
Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.
Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
Brian G. Dyson, former CEO, Coca-Cola Enterprises during his speech at the Georgia Tech 172nd Commencement Address Sept. 6, 1996
Based on a true story … I hope the video below will inspire you as much as it has inspired me!
5 Taiwanese, average age 81
One has hearing problem
One has cancer
Three have heart disease
Everyone has degenerative arthritis
6 months of preparation
Travelling for 13 days around Taiwan
1139 kilometers
From north to south
From night to day
For one Simple reason
What do we live for?
Dream
For ordinary people with extraordinary dream!
Dream Rangers
TC Bank, Taiwan
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Taiwan
Creative Director: Jennifer Hu
Copywriter: Jennifer Hu, Justin Chia
Art director: Leah Chen
Producer: Abby Ku
Director: Thanonchai
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3 day trial on “Match.com” until August 22, 2011.
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I believe that some of you might have already read this before; it was a 30 seconds speech by Brian Dyson, former CEO of Coca Cola. Although Brian Dyson gave this speech on September 6, 1996, the words which were spoken back then are as applicable today as they were more than 14 years ago. He had aptly used an analogy of juggling balls to compare to what most of us have been struggling to balance in our lives: namely work, family, health, friends and spirit.
