Becoming a father has brought so much joy and gratitude into my life. Fatherhood has also increased my awareness of how I conduct life daily. Over the past few months, Oaklen has begun to show admiration towards me. The first time Samantha expressed that Oaklen got excited when I entered the room, I was excited. Then I began to remember as a child how I thought my father was a superhero. It was then that I realized the burden I now carry because there is no human I will ever have more of an influence on than Oaklen.
Human neurology wires children to learn through observation. An area of the brain in charge of integrating audiovisual information observes an action taking place. The data is then relayed to the inferior parietal lobule, where the brain imagines taking the same action, and the inferior frontal gyrus, which rationalizes why to take such an action. For this reason, you want to make sure you are supplying positive inputs and leading by example.
One thing that drives me insane, when attempting to help people integrate a healthier lifestyle is the excuse, “it is hard because I have children and I have to make two different meals.” There is a crisis happening right now when it comes to the health of our children and it is up to us as adults to lead them towards vitality. I know that we may have already started feeding our children processed foods that they have become addicted to, but a lot of time, we are projecting that they will not eat whole foods. We say we do not have time to exercise because of our kids, but we can make exercise a part of playtime and allow them to join. I even remember doing aerobic tapes with my mother when I was a child. We say our children spend too much time on their screens. Are they observing you reading a book or watching TV, though? We complain that they have behavioral issues, but have not gotten their spines checked for subluxation.
The future of our world is in our hands. We are raising the next generation of humans. If we want to build a healthier and happier world, we must set the tenant. Do some reflection on your life, and discover which of the five essentials you are neglecting. Then work daily on becoming better. Your children will observe this behavior and emulate your actions. It is not about being supernatural. It is about the process of becoming supernatural.
If you want to learn more about leading by example, make sure you RSVP for the Raising Healthy Families seminar on September 28th.