Forefront Families

Do you dare to think that you could change the course of history for your family?

Wow!  It seems impossible doesn’t it?  I can imagine that Lance Armstrong, Sir Edmund Hilary and Neil Armstrong probably changed their future families’ history because of their fame through amazing accomplishments.  Having such an exceptional achiever in the family would surely create a tremendous feeling of pride.  Imagine how the future generations of Presidents and film stars have been influenced by their ancestors’ achievements.  Perhaps we can all look back and find someone worth talking about in our past histories.  Most successful people start off as ordinary individuals.  They were not born with a ‘fabulous’ extra chromosome that hurtled them into inevitable success.  They had to work out what they were passionate about and then put in the hard yards to be good enough to reach the goals they set for themselves.

      Now let’s consider how to create a stellar successful family unit.  The secret is to be proactive and disciplined.  If you let things just happen, you won’t be in control.  Influences you don’t want in your home will creep in and dictate.  Your family will waft to and fro with the latest and greatest wind that happens to be blowing.  There will be no unity and no sense of purpose or direction.  It will be just a number of individuals all living under one roof without common goals.  So, think of a family you admire and analyze what it is about them that attracted you.  Ask them how they became successful.  Just like achieving individuals, they would have worked out what each family member was good at.  By being focused, they would have concentrated on making sure each individual was reaching their potential.  It is important to expect great things of yourselves and your kids.  When they see you excited about success they will naturally want a slice of the action, too.  Surround them with successful life stories or inspirational movies like ‘Radio’ and ‘Sea Biscuit.  Introduce them to their hero if that is possible.  Be a hero to your own children.  Help your kids set short and long-term goals and nurture them through failures.  When great things are happening in your home, you are teaching your kids good work ethics and are helping them develop a positive self-esteem. 

      How can you create a family that is not only successful, but will positively influence future generations?  To do this, you have to know what you want your family to be remembered for.  Talk about it together as parents, and if the children are old enough, then include them in this important conversation.  An excellent resource for strong family values is the Ten Commandments.  Use the values found in the commandments and adopt these as some of your core values.  Next, devise a family motto.  Something like ‘’We Strive for Excellence’, or ‘Honesty and Justice for All’.  You need a motto that requires you to reach or strive for something.  Practice the values you have chosen and then teach your kids what these values will look like in your home.  Give praise for getting it right and create consequences for non-conformance.  With this strong foundation you can create and pursue family goals that match up with what you want your family to be known and remembered for. 

      By having common goals and the desire to help one another achieve personal successes you will encourage unity and family pride.  Your children will want to find life partners who think the same way.  This perpetuates your legacy.

      If you have any comments or success stories on this subject please tell us on managment@forefrontfamies.org