Role Modeling For Our Children – Part II

In our blog series on Role Modeling, we bring part 2 of the same—an inspirational first hand account of how a father is a role model for his children.

 At 35, I was the youngest head of a telecom operation. At 39, I could not button up my shirt, write, flex my wrist or climb up steps. At 41, I was without a job and running up an annual hospitalization bill of 15 lacs.

What better circumstances to role model courage, grit and positive thinking?

My children have seen me push myself to go for a walk every evening for an hour even when I found it difficult to stand. They have seen me take on huge responsibilities at work, even when my eyesight was fading thanks to taking high dosage of steroids. They have seen me come out of hospital after couple of days of infusion and go on business trips when I could hardly carry my bag. They now know that one should never curl up and give up in life.

 They have also seen that when I was at the lowest ebb health-wise, I could still make them laugh with my uproariously funny stories and lighten up the atmosphere at home. They learned from me that when the going gets tough, the tough get humorous. 

 I have told my children about the way I push myself to take on additional responsibilities at work, often stepping into territories I am not familiar with, learning on the job and delivering high performance. They have realized that the boundaries of your job are limited only by your imagination.

 When I had to leave my job thanks to an unfair incident in the office at the height of my illness, they saw that instead of moaning over my fate, I went about reinventing myself to become a bestselling author and motivational speaker. They have understood that strong people do not waste their time on thinking of what could have been. They focus on the present to create the best possible future.

 My children have seen the way my wife stepped in and took charge of home and became the head of the family for all practical purposes. The way she uncomplainingly supported me even while running the household efficiently without ever complaining or dropping the ball made them understand how to take responsibility.

 So role modeling for your children is extremely important. It not only develops them, it also makes you a better person, since you do not want your children to learn the wrong things.