March 11, 2017

Quote of the Week

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." -- Winston S. Churchill

Encouraging A Positive Attitude

"In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. [...] The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was also injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to talk or walk."

Continue reading this story together with your older children to find out how Washington overcame this major obstacle in his life to build the bridge he dreamed of, by maintaining a positive, can-do attitude throughout.  [read story]  If you'd like to plant seeds of positivity in the hearts of your own children, we offer this blog post, which is filled with wonderful practical ideas for families: 10 Hands-on Activities to Encourage a Positive Attitude in Kids.

Reading Corner

Title: Attitude Is Everything
By: Vicki Hitzges
Ages: 10+

"Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching? How true it is. If you are surrounded by people around you who gossip or complain often, it can bring you down and adversely affect your mood and productivity. In turn, if you are surrounded by upbeat people who have positive attitudes, you can’t help but feel better and be more productive. Attitude Is Everything is visually stunning, filled with great stories, four-color photography, and inspirational quotes. It helps to have a sunny outlook. Doors open to optimists. They make friends, earn respect, and others enjoy and want to be like them. The question is: How can we do that consistently? Author Vicki Hitzges has nailed it! Your success or failure is not about how you dress, how you look, or even how you’re educated. It’s all about your Attitude!" -- Publisher

Be the Change

Share the following quote with your child: Abraham Lincoln said, “People are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”  Tell them a little about about Lincoln's journey and how he failed many times in various elections before he finally succeeded and became the President of the United States.

Discuss which positive qualities he must have had in order to overcome his failures.  Invite your children to reflect on what they find more challenging versus what comes to them more naturally, with less effort.  Then talk with your children about how every person has strengths and weaknesses, and if we stay positive and keep trying our best, each of us will be able to achieve our dreams.