We need to
instill confidence in our children to help them surpass the potential we see in
them is one of the many nuggets I gleaned from being at the Hope Global
Forum this weekend.
In the early 90’s I remember watching classmates being picked on
because of the color of their skin, whether it be too light or too dark. I am of a darker hue, so you would assume
that I would be included in children being harassed, but I was not. I recall being called aspook once, but the
ironic thing was he was much darker than me.
I rebutted his comment with the fact that he was darker than me, which
made our peers target him. I remember others
asking him why he would say that about me, especially since I had done nothing
to him. He had no response he just shrugged
his shoulders and hung his head in shame.
I really think that he was tired of being picked on and wanted to defer
the harassment to someone else for once. I was a pretty quiet, so he probably thought I
would not say anything and our classmates would leave him alone and focus on
me. I actually felt sorry for him and
tried to defuse the situation with a random joke (luckily it worked).
Years later I remember being asked if I thought my skin color ever
hindered me from anything. I replied, my
skin tone may have been a limitation without me really knowing it, but there
were no specific instance that I can recall.
However, I never saw my skin tone as a negative. My mother did an incredible job of telling me
how beautiful I was and how my skin tone was amazing, so I always thought that
I was extra special and my color was an asset.
My mother instilled confidence in me, without me realizing it.
Hope Global Forum had an awe-inspiring Saturday opening session (Expanding
the Gains of Women and Girls “How to Prosper in the Global Economy”) packed
with women who are successful change agents.
A common theme among the panelist was: I can do anything I put my mind to; which was a confidence builder that
their parents instilled in them, through words and actions. The city of Compton’s, Mayor Aja Brown, said
that instead of allowing her to watch TV on Saturday morning, her mother
enrolled her in computer and engineer classes that expanded her mind, which
prepared her to be ahead of her classmates and gave her the confidence to push
herself past the norm. The managing
Principal at Seventh Capital, Monica Mehta, told us how she was read Fortune
magazine instead of famous childhood books subconsciously telling her that you
are smart enough to understand these businesses stories that will help you
later in life. The common thread
throughout all of the stories that the panelist told was that words and actions
from their parents instilled in them a confidence to excel to unknown heights….which
they are doing.
The opening session was followed up with an incredible break out
session (The Youth Entrepreneurial Mindset: Taking Action for Generational
Change), which reinforced through facts that building confidence in our
children was a key factor in helping them be successful.
As Kat Cole, President of Cinnabon said– “Confidence gives you the
power to see what is possible” Let’s help our children dream the impossible
dream and then make it happen.
In closing … if you have never heard it before or you have not heard
it lately … You are beautiful (Handsome)!
