Your Child As Motivation
Parenting is the most rewarding thing a person can do, yet the most tiring in the same breath. At the end of a workday, there’s still homework, baths, bedtime, dinner, and cleaning. There may be errands, school activities, or family functions and issues after a long day at work. Life is hard and tiring. Who has the energy and motivation for a healthy lifestyle in the gym, playing or crafting with our little ones, give maximum effort at work, or thinking of opportunities and pursuing them?
Let us start with our jobs and careers. Is it just enough to do your job description and go home? I may be a little harsh in this aspect of life, but I propose that if we have to work for a living anyway if we have to be there then go above and beyond our job description. I can use myself as an example.
I am the operations manager for my company, essentially running the company under the ownership. I started as a supervisor at one of our accounts and went above and beyond, doing whatever was needed and then some in order to prove myself. Three months later, I was promoted to project manager and I still went above and beyond. Three months later, again I was promoted to the position I have now.
Why did I put so much energy and effort into a supervising job that I wasn’t that into? I always felt that in order to be a good role model that you should be that same role model even when the children aren’t looking. This helps to increase your own character as well. I wanted my daughter to know and hear how hard her Daddy works and how good he is at the things he does so she will inspire me to do the same.
I don’t push myself for myself, my little girl is my motivation to never accepting mediocrity in a job or career. Even if the success never came, at least I could go home knowing that she would know I didn’t leave anything and gave it my all.
A healthy lifestyle is probably the most important thing a person can strive for, with or without children. The reasons why a healthy lifestyle for yourself is very obvious, but what if you just don’t care about your body? It is important for us to be comfortable in our own skin, regardless of you’re obese or a bodybuilder. Is it okay to be unhealthy to a certain point though? I am going to sound harsh here, but today’s pacifism and “niceness” is hurting people and they need tough love. The answer is NO.
Your health doesn’t just affect you! Your health affects your family and most importantly… your children. When I talk about the gym or health, I am not referring to strict diets or being a gym rat. If you have a hard time walking a mile, eat fast food most meals, don’t have the basic energy to interact with your children other than conversation, then your health needs to be accessed. It is time to stop being lazy and making excuses and take responsibility for your health choices and your body.
Your children need a parent that can push them into a healthy lifestyle and teach them through example on how to live a healthier lifestyle, rather than rely on fast food or the couch. Children watch very closely at their parents and will take on their habits and lessons. Use this as motivation parents! Do you want your children to have social issues in school, not be able to participate in sports, have health issues, grow up to struggle with love, or even to teach their children the habits they learned from you? This isn’t a bash on you! We all fall short in healthy choices all of the time. I wouldn’t even say to be excessive with a healthy lifestyle; a moderately healthy lifestyle is more than sufficient.
In this world, there are so many opportunities that very few people pursue. Take this blog for example. I had no idea how to make a blog or where to begin. The energy that goes into writing these articles was beyond what I had expected. The more articles I would write, the less energy they took. Keep in mind that the more you do something, the easier it gets. If an opportunity presents itself, take advantage and show your children that anything can be done with research, determination, and hard work.
You may be happy with your life if so then I am very happy for you and that’s what everyone should strive for. There’s no reason we should accept our shortcomings. If you’re not happy with your body then do something about it. If you don’t like your job, prove yourself enough for a promotion when there’s an opening or take on other opportunities on the side and work hard enough to make them successful and do that full time. Perfection cannot be achieved, but showing your children to grow as a person and in life is something that we should all work on daily.
Again, this isn’t a bash towards parents that go through life without effort. This will hopefully give a new way of thinking to everyone because we all fall short somewhere. If you have no motivation to do anything for yourself, use your children and the lessons they’ll learn from you by example and observing you as your motivation. You’ll find that your self-worth will grow, as well and life will present many more opportunities and your entire family’s happiness will increase.
Excerpts are taken from the originally published piece, January 28, 2021, on the Diamond Parents blogsite.
