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3 Parenting Fears and How To Face Them

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3 Parenting Fears and How To Face Them

I asked parents a question on social media not to long ago. The question was, “What do your worry about or fear the most as a parent?”


Here Are The Top 3 Answers:

1. I am afraid that my child will get hurt or get really sick.

2. I am afraid that my child will be bullied online or in person.

3. I am afraid my child will get off course in life.

I have been asking this question at parenting conferences and to individual parents for about a year now and the three answers above are pretty consistent with most parents.


When it comes to our children we want the absolute best for them. We don’t want them to get hurt, bullied or loose their way. I am with you and I have worried about

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What Can Einstein Teach Us About Balanced Living?

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What Can Einstein Teach Us About Balanced Living?

Urban legend suggests that Albert Einstein’s wardrobe consisted only of black pants, white shirts and black shoes. The reasoning behind the simple wardrobe was that it reduced his choices.

If Einstein only had white shirts, black pants and black shoes he had no choice about what he would wear that day. He had to wear a white shirt, black pants and black shoes.

In other words, he would not, could not stand in his closet looking at and contemplating his options. He simply reduced his ability to choose and by reducing his ability to choose he led a more simple life. I wonder if his philosophy has some

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3 Fears That Paralyze A Leaders Potential Part 3

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3 Fears That Paralyze A Leaders Potential Part 3

Review: 3 Fears That Paralyze A Leaders Potential

 

1. The Fear of Imperfection

If my fear of imperfection makes me want to cover up, then Be Aware.


2. The Fear of Connection

If my fear of connection makes me want to hide, then Be Vulnerable.


3. The Fear of Rejection

I know, I know, leaders don’t fear rejection. Well, at least we don’t fear it out loud. I have met many leaders, including myself, that say, “I don’t care what others think.” Ok, I get it, I understand. There are two problems with this. First, we really do care what people think but saying we don’t somehow makes us a better leader? There s something wrong with that philosophy.

Second, and most important, if we don’t care what others think then, according to researcher Brene Brown, “We loose the capacity for connection.” I hope you heard that last line. "We loose the capacity for connection."

If we we don’t connect with others

3 Fears That Paralyze A Leaders Potential Part 2

3 Fears That Paralyze A Leaders Potential Part 2

The Fear of Connection

I should say the fear of deeper connection. Most of us connect on some level just not a deeper one. We connect on the surface talking about things like news, weather and sports.

Most of us don’t fear surface level connection because it’s easy. Questions like, “How are you?” How’s work?” “What’s going on?” are safe questions to ask and answer. Deeper connection requires openness and vulnerability and that my friends is unsafe.

 

You Are To Close

(8) When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.

(9) Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

(10) He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” Genesis 3:8-9 NLT

I love the picture verse eight paints in my mind. A picture of

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3 Fears That Paralyze A Leader's Potential Part 1

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3 Fears That Paralyze A Leader's Potential Part 1

The Fear of Imperfection

The fear of imperfection paralyzes a leader’s potential because it reduces our capacity for meaningful connection. When a leader is open and honest about their shortcomings and struggles they take a risk and become vulnerable and open to attack.


The Fear of Imperfection Makes Me Want To Cover Up

Our fear of imperfection was introduced way back in the Garden of Eden.

She took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. Genesis 3:6-7 NLT

Both Adam an Eve started a trend that we have perfected today, the art of covering up. Adam and Eve used fig leaves we use smiles, busyness and

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You Can Act The Way You Want IF You Think The Way You Should

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You Can Act The Way You Want IF You Think The Way You Should

"Act your way into feeling, don’t feel your way into acting.” A well known quote that I have used in talks and tried to practice in my own life for quite some time. In fact, if truth be told, I was a wholehearted believer in the concept. Today, I’m different. I would reword the quote to something like this.

 

You Can Act The Way You Want IF You Think The Way You Should

 

Somewhere in my past I must have tossed my feelings and thinking out the door in favor of a purely rational, “do better, try harder” mindset. I would say something like this, ”Craig, keep doing and eventually you will start being.”

So, leaders, parents, and anyone who will listen. Stop “acting” your way into anything. Start thinking and believing better about

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Why We Should Hug Our Kids Every Day (No Matter How Old They Are)

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Why We Should Hug Our Kids Every Day (No Matter How Old They Are)

The Science

When our boys were born, our son Alec had to spend a few days in the NICU. During his stay, I found out something about the process of care for babies. The hospital had a volunteer program called “snugglers.” They are called snugglers because that is exactly what they do, snuggle. They spend hour upon hour picking up babies in the NICU, sitting down in a chair and holding them.

At the time, I thought the practice was a nice hospital amenity, but later I found out the research behind the power of touch in the NICU. “Benefits include stimulation of circulatory and gastrointestinal systems, better weight gain, lesser stress behavior, positive effects on neurological and neuromotor development . . . and improved sleep.” (See Footnote 1)

There is “A growing body of research has uncovered another dimension of touch that