Life is Like a Big Jigsaw We're Piecing Together

 

What do you want to be? It must be one of the most universal questions asked of children. The question intensifies as the teenage years arrive and gets even hotter as we find our selves at a position when some thing should have been done and we need to be on the road to some where.

I remember a commercial that talked about career opportunities. It started off with a lot of children discussing their career aspirations. “I want to be middle management”, “I want to be a temp secretary”, “I want to be on a weekly wage always struggling”. The advertisement played on the fact that, that is not what any one would aspire to. Yet so many people end up in these situations, seeking out a life for themselves.

So what is it that we teach our children? Ezra Taft Benson was once quoted as saying “Our young people need love and attention, not indulgence. They need empathy and understanding, not indifference, from mothers and fathers.” He said “Praise your children more than you correct them… My Plea… is a plea to save the children”

The worldly success of good job, education, being a contributor to society starts with a well balanced individual. It is difficult to piece together life’s puzzle. The jigsaw pieces don’t always fit in the way we think they should. However if children are taught with love the question, “What do you want to be?” becomes even less important than the question "Who do I want to become? The answer to that question may well be someone that's able to look at the jigsaw puzzle pieces and know where to begin - even when there is no picture on the box.