Fulfulling Personal Missions

It doesn't take having more than two to figure out that each child is different, coming to this existence with individual talents, interests, weaknesses and strengths.  Each of these is valuable in helping the child prepare for and fulfill his personal mission.

As a mother, I talk openly about my children's personal missions, though I do not have a clear picture of the mission of each child from the outset:  my role is to give each child the foundation and the skills to discover and do what God sent him to do.  I believe that when a person is following the Spirit and doing his best, he is either preparing for or is accomplishing his personal mission.

It is not always possible to tell whether we are in preparation mode or fulfillment mode!  Many of the Founding Fathers had success in multiple careers to prepare them for the specific roles for which they are remembered.  Our children may likewise need a variety of skills and experiences -- including disappointments and apparent failures -- in order to ultimately succeed in their life missions.  While this article focuses mainly on what our children learn and do, what they become is even more important; a person's character colors all his acts and leads to success or failure in accomplishing anything -- including his personal mission.

Developing talents and working hard.  What can a mother do to prepare her children for success in their personal missions?  Helping them to identify and develop talents and interests is an obvious motherly role, though mothers should remember that the brain's capacity to develop continues throughout life and all is not lost if a child does not develop every possible talent before leaving for college.  Helping children learn to recognize development opportunities and to work diligently may be better than becoming a drill sergeant and seeing to it that they develop the skills we value.

Educational foundation.  Teaching children to read, write and do math and giving them a context for their skills helps children prepare for the life missions to follow.  Parents are stewards and are accountable for these skills, even when we delegate them to others.  Helping children learn to learn gives them autonomy, now and later. 

Social development.  Providing social opportunities and helping our children develop tools to navigate among humanity is valuable, no matter what direction a child's personal mission takes him.

Defense Mode.  Sometimes a parent is required to protect a child from situations that sabotage opportunities to fulfill his personal mission.  Years ago, when one of our children was feeling pressured to make an early commitment to the military, we discussed with him what he already knew about his future and asked him to evaluate if his proposed course would be likely to lead him there.  Putting his options in context with his personal life mission helped him identify his motivations and make better long-range personal decisions.

Personal connection with God.  The most important thing a mother can do in guiding children to fulfill their personal missions is to help them develop their own connections to God.  As children gain confidence in seeking and acting on answers from the One who knows all Truth, they will know the course of their personal lives is in harmony with His will for them.  This helps them navigate storms and maintain humility in success.