Plant the Seeds of Greatness
Parents like to think their sons and daughters can do anything. And they can! But, this doesn’t just happen. They need encouragement and support — and helpful hints about the practical ways to get where they’re hoping to go.

February is "Plant the Seeds of Greatness" month. This awareness month is designed to give people permission to take time to sit back and evaluate how their life is going. Are there changes your student would like to make? If so, you can help him improve his situation.

For instance, do you know what goals your student is working towards, both personally and professionally? What he wants to achieve in his life? This is important. You may have known that at age 7 he wanted to be a rodeo cowboy. Or that she wanted to be the first female president of the United States. Although your student may still be harboring these goals, it’s quite likely that she has some other short-term and long-term goals in the mix too.

So, how can you help plant the seeds of greatness? Doses of reality interspersed with permission to dream work really well. And a little bit of encouragement goes a long way.

This month, consider:

• Asking your student what his current short-term and long-term goals are.
  
• Discussing the practical strategies he is taking to accomplish these goals.
  
• Asking if there are ways you can help him to achieve his goals.
  
• Talking about both his good and bad habits and how they are contributing to or hindering his ability to achieve his goals.
  
• Offering suggestions and alternative ways of thinking about things.
  
• Sharing some of your own short-term and long-term goals.
  
• Reminding your student to have dreams ... they are important.

And remember, there’s nothing wrong with thinking big! Who knows what great accomplishments are yet to come.