FEAR

The guy who takes a chance, who walks the line between the known and unknown, who is unafraid of failure, will succeed.

—Gordon Parks

Does that mean the guy who is afraid of failure is doomed? Not if, when faced with fear, he swallows hard and proceeds anyway. Our children may get the unfortunate and fallacious notion that fear is there to limit them. It is they who limit themselves when they allow fear to paralyze them.

Call to Action: On this day, using family, friends, or historical figures as examples, I will take five minutes to talk to my child about the fact that fears can in fact be surmounted. Even baby steps forward will do it, supplying and building the confidence necessary to take bigger and bigger strides toward success.