In The Face of Cynicism

Who knew that cynicism could start so early.  How early?  Well, apparently 9-year olds can be cynical.  I had no idea.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’re probably aware that one of my intentions as a parent is to teach my children, and model for my children, the creative power that we each have, the power that is rooted in intention and deliberate, conscious choice.  With this in mind, one of our morning rituals before my kiddies head off to school is for us each to state one goal for the day, and what kind of day we’re striving to create.  So, oftentimes, my children will head out the door after having stated confidently something like, “My goal is to have a fun day and to do well in my math quiz.”  At the end of the day, or over dinner, we have an opportunity to check in on these goals and intentions.  As I said, for me it’s about having them learn and understand that they do have some say in how things go.

Well, this morning we had two of my daughter’s friends with us for the before-school time (mom had to go to work early, and I was happy to help out with childcare).  When I asked my daughter what kind of day she was going to have, I distinctly heard her 9-year old friend say, with a tone of utter disdain, “What kind of day is she going to have?  How can she know?  I don’t know what kind of day I’m going to have until it’s done?!!!!”  Now, while I understand that for some this whole concept is novel — I just wasn’t prepared for the cynicism.  That very cynicism is what gets in the way of people claiming their co-creative power and potential.

So, knowing that this cynicism starts early, I am increasing my commitment to modeling and teaching these strategies to my children.  And, I want to challenge you to do the same.  I firmly believe that intentionally deciding what kind of day you’re going to have serves better than the conventional “wait-and-see” paradigm.  It all begins by answering this question:  What kind of day are YOU going to have?