The photos above are of my parents, Mike and Julie Frank, as younger adults tending to their children.  Back when I was a youngster they planted a little seed in my head that continues to grow to this day.  Even though they didn’t have the same opportunities that they gave me growing up they had the insight to give me the tools necessary to live an enjoyable and successful life.  When I ask them how they knew what to do as parents they typically respond saying that they didn’t know what to do.  They didn’t read books, blogs, or articles on the subject of parenting.  They just did what they thought seemed right. 

Back in 2005 I started working with an in depth goal setting structure that I think is an invaluable tool for success.  I’ve tweaked it over the past 4 years and have come up with a structure that I think works best for me.  I just went through a round of my goal setting process over the past few weeks and I’ve realized something about myself.  I like to Think Big.  I like to set very high goals and work hard to achieve them.  When going through this process I tried to think back to when I first started thinking this way and it all comes back to my childhood.  At a very young age I remember my parents telling me that I could do anything that I set my mind to.  This was a very powerful thing for them to tell me over and over as I grew up.  This got me thinking in the right direction and without barriers. 

Jen and I would like to have a child of our own some day and this process got me thinking about what I think we could do to give our future child the best opportunity for a happy and successful life.  I’ve come up with three things that came naturally to my parents without them even having to think about it. 

• Show them love.
• Help to build their self confidence.
• Remind them that they can do anything that they set their mind to.