Dr Scott Zarcinas
by Dr. Scott Zarcinas
My youngest daughter recently played her first game of soccer for her high school. Surprisingly, she wanted to play goalkeeper, the position nobody else in the team wanted to play.
As the last line of defence, the goalkeeper has the ultimate responsibility of preventing the opposition from scoring. Few players want to take that responsibility, and I was proud of her for doing so.
“Your team’s success is built on your defence,” I’ve often said to her, channelling my inner super-coach, aka Alex Ferguson. “When you have a solid defence, your attackers can be confident in going forward. If your defence is shaky, your attackers will always feel they need to come back and fill in the gaps, which weakens their attack. Your offence is built on the foundation of your defence.”
Likewise, if you were to ask an architect what the most important aspect of a building was, she would say, “The foundations.”
The foundations are the strength of the building. The stronger the foundations, the stabler the building. The weaker the foundations, the shakier the building.
When my family and I moved into our new house in 2009, one of the observations about the structure of the house that keeps being mentioned time and time again by our visitors is that there are no cracks in the walls.
Not one single crack in the whole building. Not inside. Not outside. The house is rock solid.
This is remarkable considering the house is now more than 50 year’s old, over which time it has copped a battering from storms, hail, sever winds, and extreme temperatures.
Curious as to how this could be, I did a bit of investigation and discovered that the house is actually built on solid rock. Most houses in our suburb are built on clay with cement foundations, but our house was built on solid rock that had to be dynamited out of the hill face into which it was built.
This means that in 50 years the ground and the house haven’t moved an inch, which is why there are no cracks in its walls, and will probably be just as solid over the next 50 years.
As parents, we are kind of like architects and builders of our children. Over 20 years or so, we watch them grow and help build them into the adults that they become.
Like buildings, the most important aspect is their foundation. The stronger their foundation, the stabler (i.e. mental and emotional health) the adult. The weaker the foundations, the shakier the adult.
In other words, your child’s foundation is a significant determining factor in how they are able to cope with all the storms and struggles that life will throw at them over the next 8 or 9 decades.
So what are the best foundations you can give your kids? What are the rock solid principles and values that your kids can build upon that will stand the test of time?
Well, here are my 4 Foundational Elements for mental and emotional wellbeing, the things you can help your children build into their life and establish a great foundation for their future:
- Love yourself
- Love what you do
- Love others as you would yourself
- Love life
Teach your children to be their own best friend and love themselves so they can reach their potential and become the person they are capable of being.
Teach your children to find their passion and love what they do so they can live to work and not have to work to live.
Teach your children The Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, treat others as you would treat yourself so they can help build a world that is loving, kind, generous, compassionate, and inclusive.
Finally, teach your children to love life with all their heart, all their strength, and all their mind. Because from the love of life comes the fullness and joy of life.
What better foundation can you give your kids?
About DoctorZed
Dr. Scott Zarcinas (aka DoctorZed) is a doctor, author, and transformologist. He helps aspirational people to be happier, more confident, decisive, and effective so they can reach their potential and become the person they are capable of being. He specialises in helping work-at-home fathers build their self-esteem and self-belief so they have the confidence and the courage to live a life that is true to themself. DoctorZed gives regular workshops, seminars, presentations, and courses to support those who want to make a positive difference through positive action. Connect with him at:
F: www.facebook.com/YNSOB.by.Dr.Scott.Zarcinas/
