Physically, our lives are getting easier. We used to gather our own food, create our own warmth, and build our own shelter. Agriculture came along and we let other people make our food. Someone was really good at building huts, so we got them to build ours, doing something else in return for them. These days, we don’t even have to cook our own meals, or wash our car, or take care of our kids during the day if we don’t want to. Human nature is to want comfort. To make things easier for ourselves. Not only that, getting other people to do certain things allows us to concentrate on what we’re good at. Or what we enjoy. We are constantly giving over responsibility for certain areas of our lives. With AI and automation, this will only increase. For example, … Read More
Good and bad comparisons (giving some guidance to kids)
One day, in about 10 years, one of my kids is going to come and ask me why we don’t drive a BMW like their friend’s parents do. What am I going to say to that? How am I going to show them the danger of making comparisons like that one? Maybe I’ll tell them of a friend of mine who asked a similar question about 30 years ago. I’ll tell them how hard he worked and how much he sacrificed to get that first flash car. His relationships, a little bit of his integrity, his time. How it satisfied him for about a month until he set his eyes on an even nicer car. Within another month he has traded his in for another, losing a bit on the trade. I’ll tell them how this cycle repeated. And it … Read More
(Book) Growing great families – Ian & Mary Grant
A well-researched book on growing great families that pulls no punches. It puts the onus squarely back on the parents whilst giving lots of tips. If you read this there’ll be plenty of notes to take and actions to implement once you finish! 1. What is a community? Focus on the need for connection and community – found in a family. Not an individualistic focus. It’s a very secure thing for a child to be born into a family which already stands for something, has values, principals, goals and leadership. It takes a village to raise a child. Truth and love are the bricks and mortar of community. We were designed for connection and belonging. To be part of a team. Make your family a team, able to rely on each other. We bond to things we invest in. … Read More