THE "DASH" GUY

 

Men, I want to share with you Principle 3 of a 10 Principle report I developed called,

“10 Ways Dads Can Positively Impact Their Child”. 

 

 If you would like to receive all 10 Principles, request your FREE copy of the report in the request box on this site. 

 

 These are the same principles that I used in raising my three adult children. I think you will find these principles to be very practical, but yet powerful and impactful in the life of your child.  

 

 

3.    Children need a Dad to help them to create a vision for their life

 

 

Dads, we need to seek God’s face regarding what His purpose is for our child’s life.

 

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18). We see the evidence of this everyday in our communities (i.e. teen pregnancy, gang violence, drug and alcohol abuse, etc.)

 

We need to help them develop a vision for their life. We need to help them to see the “Big Picture” of life, because children tend to operate in the immediate or presence, they tend not to give any attention to the future or long-term goals.

 

Therefore; as dads we can help them in this area by asking, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  “What do you feel God wants you to do with your life?”

 

I believe when a child has a vision for their life, it helps them in many ways: it provides an overall direction for their life; it provides them the motivation to set and achieve goals; it provides them the self-discipline they need to stay focused; it helps them with their short and long-term decision-making; it helps them in determining which courses to take in school; it helps them to decide which college to attend and/or profession to pursue; and it helps them in choosing their friends. I use to tell my kids when they were growing up, “Choose your friends wisely, because people will either help you or hinder you from achieving your goals in life.”  

 

I remember when my youngest daughter was a little girl, around nine or ten years old. I asked her the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” This was a question I had asked her several times in the past, but this day she told me, “I want to be a doctor”. Like most parents, I was a little shocked, but excited about her declaration. I thought to myself, “Where did she get that idea from?” You see, we have a large family and there is not a doctor anywhere in her family tree on both sides.

 

As her dad, I had a choice that day. Either I would tell her how unrealistic her dream was or remember that children are like “wet cement”, they have “unlimited” potential.  (See Dads, Your Child Is Like “Wet Cement” for more information.) I chose the later. I decided that if she could conceive the idea of being a doctor, in spite of the odds stacked against her, as her dad I could believe it too.

 

I told her that day, “Yes, you can be a doctor!!”  I went even further; I started to create a vision in her life.

 

I told her, “Can’t you hear them; they are calling your name on the PA System!!”  “Doctor Sharonda Clark!!” “Calling, Doctor Sharonda Clark !!”   This great BIG smile came across her face, when see “saw” the vision I was creating for her life.

 

I will admit, one of the greatest joys of our lives, was when she received her Medical Degree in Psychiatry, from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas in May 2008.  As proud parents and family members of this new doctor, we raised in the air on graduation day a banner, which read: “Praise Him for a Dream 20 years in the Making; Realized!!”

 

Later that summer, during a reception we had honoring our daughter, Dr. Sharonda Clark. She shared with the audience at the reception, “There were many days along the way, I wanted to quit.”  “But, I could hear my daddy’s voice in my head saying,”  “Doctor Sharonda Clark!!”  “Calling, Doctor Sharonda Clark!!”  These words kept her focused on the goal.

 

Dads, what would have happened to this little girl’s dream, if I had made the mistake so many parents make, when they tell their child what they can not do, instead of encouraging them to pursue their dreams? 

 

Please don’t make this mistake in your child’s life!!

 

If you would like to receive all 10 Principles, request your FREE copy of the report in the request box on this site.   

 

 

Please provide me your comments on this topic. If you have additional topics you would like to see us discuss, please send me an email or post a comment.

 

Also, refer this site to other men you know, so we all can journey together!! 

 

For the woman in your life, my wife (Sylvia) has a personal development site focused specifically on the needs and concerns of women. The site is called, www.thedashlady.com. 

 

Also, we have a joint site focused on the needs and concerns of couples

(i.e. married, engaged, and seriously dating). This site is focused on helping couples to grow together through personal development. The site is called, www.marriagerhythm.com.  

 

Please visit these sites and leave us a comment about the current posts. 

    

Again, thanks for visiting this site.   

 

Randy

The “DASH” Guy

randyclark@thedashguy.com

www.thedashguy.com

 

 

 

 

 

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