Make good choices and be a good leader
The following is an excerpt from “I Am Not Your Friend: 21 Keys to Healthy Parenting” by George Mekhail. Visit the Bitcoin Magazine Store Order your copy of the book on sale today.
I started using this phrase as my last word when dropping my kids off at elementary school, and I continue to use it as they get ready to go out with friends or leave the house. Danielle and I often say that one of our primary intentions in parenting is to raise children who will become leaders. In our world, the concept of leadership has become somewhat difficult to understand, if not downright confusing. Leadership is not the same as authority, nor is it the same as popularity. Just because you’re president of the United States doesn’t make you a leader, or at least it doesn’t automatically make you a leader you can emulate. Many celebrities boast legions of ‘fans’ who follow them on social media, watch their every move in the tabloids and even look up to them as role models, but being a celebrity doesn’t mean being a leader worth following. Effective leadership has become the only thing in this world rarer than Bitcoin.
The unfortunate circumstances of modern times can be directly linked to the lack of effective leadership. Most people in power are obsessed with greed, control, and corruption. This is due in part to a woefully flawed incentive structure exacerbated by a broken monetary system. This makes it easy for the rich to get richer and for the corrupt to accelerate unchecked. We’ll delve deeper into this topic later, but things have gotten so bad that those in power don’t even seem to care about optics anymore. They are flaunting and mocking their oppression, as if to say, “What are you going to do about this?” I believe part of the answer to that question is playing the long game with Sound Parenting. If the next generation of parents commits to the vision of developing the next generation of strong leaders, we will begin to make meaningful progress in humanity’s common struggle for the ideals of freedom, peace, and prosperity. If we think of all the historical breakthroughs during which humans fought back and emerged victorious when faced with tyranny, we can find examples of strong leadership. After all, someone has to raise the next George Washington, and there’s no reason why that person shouldn’t be you or me.
take yourself seriously
I think it’s funny when people say, “Don’t take it so seriously.” So how should I accept myself? I am a fairly light person. I love making people laugh. I can also be the best with a positive attitude. Life is too short. I beg you to take me by the horns and make all my hopes and dreams come true. In that sense, I would say that I take myself seriously. If you don’t take yourself seriously, you shouldn’t expect others to take you seriously either. And what a foolish way to live this precious life. I say: Take yourself seriously. Aim high. Dream big. Fail often. appear. Keep moving forward. Smile out loud. Take risks. Be extra. Don’t hedge. And most importantly, teach your children to do the same. Don’t listen to other people’s insecurities who want you to shrink so you can feel better about yourself. Don’t suppress your dreams before they have a chance to see the light of day. The world needs more boldness, more bravery, and more outliers who aren’t afraid to stand up to the bullshit. I guarantee you that every legendary historical figure took themselves seriously, took their dreams seriously, and took their business very seriously. Make no mistake. This is an active, ongoing decision that requires ongoing self-reflection and self-awareness. it is not necessary worry About what people think of you. Every time you decide to take yourself seriously, you are taking steps to not only achieve your goals but also realize your God-given potential.
take responsibility
Each of our lives can be summarized as a series of decisions. Every day we are becoming someone, and who we become is made up of the choices we make. For every situation we face, we can make the following decisions: How will we get through this situation? It is our response to every question that arises, whether it is expected, fair, or difficult. In fact, each of us has the ability to evaluate these situations and determine the best course of action. The combination of utilizing our abilities to respond appropriately demonstrates one of the most beautiful words in the English language: responsibility. Seriously, let’s take a moment and evaluate how rich this word is and how important it is in this game of life. Making good choices and being a good leader requires taking responsibility. Teaching children how to take responsibility for their own lives is a fundamental goal of quality parenting. The first step to achieving these results begins with helping people recognize the real-world impact of every decision they make. Looking further ahead helps us see how much of our current situation comes down to the numerous decisions we have already made. Yes, everyone has different abilities. Yes, everyone has a variety of response tools at their disposal. But equally everyone has the opportunity to accept their own responsibilities given the circumstances. The hallmark of effective leadership is found in the willingness to take on greater responsibilities than can reasonably be expected. Strong leaders tend to crave responsibility and actively pursue it. They also tend to make wise, thoughtful, and intentional decisions in every situation they face.
On the other hand, poor decision making can be explained by the inability to respond effectively to a given situation. Just for fun, let’s call it unresponsive. This is often a characteristic not only of poor leaders, but also of people we might describe as herdsmen, NPCs, and blind followers. Think about how many bad decisions are made as a result of “peer pressure” or “following orders.” These are not the types of children we are trying to raise. We want lions, not sheep. Sadly, the world is full of uncritical thinkers who raise uncritical thinkers who lack the tools to accept responsibility and want others to make decisions for them. Bad decisions unfortunately tend to go bad much faster than smart decisions. As this drive grows, it can lead to consequences such as addiction, pain, and ultimately regret.
Don’t regret it even when you’re 80
As far as we know, we only live once. There is only one George Samir Naguib Mekhail Saad Nasir Massoud. It would be helpful to have one, but there is no undo button in life. You cannot command Z your way through existence. “No regrets when you’re 80” is more of a personal expression that I have adopted, but I have used it with my children to explain the meaning and importance of making thoughtful decisions and making each day count. We all have regrets. Things we wish we had done differently or could have changed. I approach the concept of regret as a strict description of something that literally cannot be changed. Often we attribute the word regret to situations that can actually be changed, but making that change happen is very difficult or requires a lot of discomfort. Some people say, “I regret what happened with Justin,” but the reality is that you can improve your relationship by picking up the phone and calling Justin. You may not have to call her hers today, but she’ll probably be able to cross at least one thing off her list of regrets before she turns 80. I keep this mantra in mind to help me put my options into perspective, especially when faced with big decisions. The question behind this phrase is: If I decide to do X, what are the chances that I will regret this decision near the end of my life?
It’s helpful to know that trying to avoid regret can lead to unhealthy obsessions, which can limit risk-taking and expression of creativity. This is not what I am suggesting. Rather, we need to find a healthy balance in limiting situations that lead to irreversible regret. Most importantly, we need to teach our children how important it is to make decisions early in life and help them understand how these decisions, like interests, compound over time. The sooner our children learn to take responsibility for every action in their lives, the more mature, wise, and self-reliant they will become. Good decisions lead to great character. Outstanding character creates great leaders. Good leader, because it has been your lifelong goal to raise children who will surpass you in every way.
