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A child saying they look up to you or saying that they are proud of you with all sincerity sometimes brings a bittersweet feeling. Hearing such words is always great but it comes with so much responsibility. Sometimes such words drive us to excellence while other times we say a silent prayer hoping that the children do not end up making the mistakes we made. Whichever the case, being called role models makes us hope that the children become even better than us.
We all desire that the children around us excel at various things, especially academically or in sports. Many times we overlook the need for the children to excel in their talents as well and such children grow up believing they have no special abilities. I believe talents are an important aspect of any child’s development and they are more likely to enjoy things that they have an easy time doing. Many believe that talents are not easy to spot but it is because they ignore the little things that children do or are fond of. Talents partly influence the career paths that children take. For instance, children who can draw well may be more inclined to artistic courses.
As much as education is important, I believe that there should be a chance for children to excel at whatever else they love. Well, that’s as long as it is legal and/or morally right. Basic education is important and all should be encouraged to excel but at tertiary level, they should be encouraged to excel at what they are good at/ they enjoy doing.
I believe excellence involves giving one’s best and being better at something during each subsequent trial. I have always wanted to be better at the things I love doing and the situation was not different even in my childhood and that is a trait we should nurture from childhood. Sometimes our best is the best there is but we ought not to settle; there is always something we can improve on. If our best is not good enough, we should forge on with a desire to do better the next time. Most importantly though, is to identify things/ careers that will make us want to leave bed every morning and those which we naturally desire to be better at without being pushed.