What would the storyline look like if a movie were to be made based on your life?
Imagine watching a movie about a guy who has a dream of owning a Volvo. He sets out to work all his life for it and finally, the movie ends with him driving off into the sunset in his brand-new Volvo. How would you feel at the end of the movie? Would you be inspired, moved to tears, or feel cheated and demand a refund?
Yet, this is the story of many of our lives. Many have given themselves over to pursuing goals that do not matter in the end and ambitions that leave them dissatisfied. In “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years,” Donald Miller says, “Good stories don’t happen by accident. They are planned.”
While there is no way that we can plan every aspect of our lives, we can choose a general direction that we will take during the course of our lifetime. Typically, parents would ask their children “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Most children would dream of becoming a firefighter, police officer, teacher or doctor and maybe an influencer!
Is this the best question to ask your children? Asking such a question may prime them to think about life merely in terms of a profession? Many adults who have found their dream jobs experience a midlife crisis! Having tasted success, they begin to wonder if they have made any difference in the world.
So, perhaps we should be asking our children a different question like “What problem do you want to solve when you grow up?” This helps the child adopt a mission perspective to life – how can I contribute to others – rather than a good paying job that also affords one’s status.
Parents, begin asking the child the question, try to answer the question for yourself. Show your child what a mission-directed life looks like.
By Parcsen Loke, Family Life Coach, Centre for Fathering.
Food for Thought: A protagonist in a movie is the main character, the hero. Which protagonist do you think you identify with the most?