How to Prepare Children for Life

There are three types of people in this world: those who fear to fall the most, those who fear to hit the ground the most, and those who fear never being able to get back up again, the most. According to neuroscience, the brain has the ability to modify its connections, and change throughout human life, which is called Neuroplasticity. It is believed that older people have less of the brain plasticity that is required to learn new things than younger people. However, a strong brain does not equal a strong mind, and a strong mind is what's necessary for a child in this day and age. That being said, the children today can learn to become more and more resilient, and prepared for life and its tragedies depending upon what influences them the most, the support they both give and receive, and their willingness to overcome.

To start off with, influence is one of the greatest and worst creations that has a name on it. Not only does influence come in all shapes and sizes, but it also comes from many different sources, as well. Influence is power. But how powerful it is, that is dependent upon the type of person wielding it, and how big their position of authority is in one's life. It varies for everyone. For example, the person telling a young teen not to drink anything with alcohol in it could be their parent, but their position of authority in that teen's life may not be as big as their best friend's, which is why their influence on them may not work. But another thing you must consider is that, unlike we'd all like to believe, not all parental influence is good. Some people have parents whose influence on them contributes to them doing terrible things, such as drugs, assault, or even committing suicide. In such cases like that, we'd like to believe that their teachers' or peers' influence will be good, and strong enough to balance out everything in that person's life, so that they won't be pushed or persuaded into making the wrong choice. If; out of parental, peer, and teachers influence; one of them is bad, it will, in most cases, take both of the other two to combat against it. Of course, humans have the power to make their own choices, but sometimes influence can be so strong, it can trick you into believing that you do not have any other choice.

When that happens and things go wrong, there is one thing humans tend to rely on, and that is support. Support is something that no one can live without, especially when everything is going wrong. Whether it's a shoulder to cry on, or someone to talk to, there is no one alive on this earth that can go without one on the other. Accepting help from others is sometimes necessary. Giving support, on the other hand, may not be necessary, but has quite a few benefits that shouldn't be overlooked. Studies show that when people do good things, such as donating to charity, the brain releases feel-good chemicals that encourage them to do more kind acts. When helping others, people give off positive vibes that rub off on those around them. Such acts can help improve and maintain great relationships with other people. However, whether it's giving or receiving support, it's not as simple and easy as it seems. When receiving support, it's easy to become suspicious that the person is only doing something for you in order to get something in return. Likewise, when giving support, sometimes people feel like they're forced to do so, because they feel like they owe that person as that person may have done something for them previously. Misconceptions like these can prevent people from reaching out when they need help and accepting help from others.

Henceforth, the strong will to overcome is very important and necessary in order to be able to keep moving forward. Those with strong wills will do anything and everything to overcome their difficulties, no matter how hard the task or hopeless the situation. To not let the tragedies of life overwhelm them, they have to be strong. If they let it overwhelm and overcome them, it will become them. Those who have been overwhelmed tend to let their tragedies define them, become a part of their being. On the other hand, those who have not let their tragedies overwhelm them, own what they have been through. Their tragedy does not define them, they define their tragedy. The difference between the two seem subtle when spoken with words, but it's quite evident when seen in person. The overwhelmed person puts himself at the center of this tragedy, whilst the strong-willed person puts the tragedy at the center of himself. To develop a strong will, one must first believe in themselves, trust themselves, and refine themselves. As Tony Hillerman once said, "If you are not for yourself, who will be for you?"

All things considered, with strong influence, strong support, and a strong will, the children today will have the strength to stand up, stand for, and stand against anything that life throws at them. These are the type of children that become over-achievers, prodigies, great thinkers, world leaders, and so much more. Every child needs to have an equal opportunity to become something amazing, even if the outcomes are not as equal. Whether they choose to fall apart and let life beat them down, or choose to let it make them stronger, it's their choice. It must be remembered that the future is not something that they hold, it's something that they are.