How can we teach our children the value of hard work?
Businessman, entrepreneur, and Crown Ministries President, Robert Dickie became an entrepreneur at a very young age and understands the importance of working for what you have. He reflects on his experience,
“I look back on my adolescence, things weren’t handed to me on a silver platter. We didn’t have a lot of extra in life. We were very blessed, but if I wanted something extra in life I realized I was going to have to go out there and work for it.”
“I became an entrepreneur at a young age and started mowing lawns and grew that business. In Michigan, I would shovel driveways during the winter time.”
This experience taught Robert an important lesson; one he believes is lost on many adolescents today.
“It taught me the value of hard work, it taught me the value of a dollar, and it let me refine my skills as I negotiated with customers, etc. I want my children to be brought up with that same type of mindset where they’re taught the value of hard work.”
He shares encouragement for parents,
“If you are a parent or a guardian, one of the best things that you can do is take away some of those luxuries. Don’t make it too easy on your child, because if you do, you’re actually setting them up for a very difficult time in life; teaching them the bumps in the road early on.”
“I’m so thankful that I had that experience of going out there having to struggle in the winter times shoveling driveways, and yards in the hot summer because it taught me so much.”
When work gets tough, it’s easy to want to drop everything and runaway from it. We should never run from something, but run to something instead.
“I’ve seen people who have been very angry at work they’re like, ‘Oh I can’t stand my boss, I can’t stand these people…I’m going to go prove them wrong.’ That’s running from something.”
He shares helpful advice on how to turn around and start running in the right direction,
“I would say, ‘Hold on. Let’s sit back and let’s make a plan. Let’s, first of all, seek God’s guidance and let’s not make a decision impetuously, out of anger or frustration, but let’s really seek God’s guidance. He’s going to open up a door, he’s going to show us the pathway, and let’s find something that you’re absolutely passionate about; let’s find something that you’re excited about.’”
“When we start to make that plan and we find that, now, we’re not running from a negative situation, we’re running to a positive situation. I feel that people are going to be much more successful in those types of environments.”
Learning the value of hard work, having an action plan and seeking wise counsel will lead us towards a successful career path and open up doors that only God can.
More helpful advice for your life at work can be found in Robert’s book .
