I recently StubledUpon an article published in 2009 in Computerworld about futurist Ray Kurzweil’s prediction that with nanotechnology, scientists will create nanobots that repair damaged cells, cure cancer, back up our memories and ultimately make humans immortal by as soon as 2040 or 2050.
As exciting (or scary if you’ve studied what happens with overpopulation or read Dan Brown’s Inferno) as this may seem, regardless of whether these nanotechnology predictions come true, there is a way that you can live forever: by investing your time and sharing your knowledge with a child.
Children are our gifts of everlasting life and legacy. They are the clay that we, as parents, educators, mentors and leaders have the ability and duty to help shape by sharing with them our wisdom, knowledge and experience.
I have two girls, so I am very passionate about making sure they are aware that the sky is not the limit for them, no matter what occupation or industry they choose. Every word my husband and I impart and every minute we invest in them, will help shape the women they become.
Today, my seven year old wants to be the Governor of Florida, an entrepreneur, a scientist and an inventor. My five year old wants to be a teacher and a doctor and a circus performer that dances on elephants. No matter how those dream jobs evolve over the next ten to fifteen years, I know that the more conversations we have, the more I will have the opportunity to introduce them to new and exciting ways they can make their own positive impact on the world.
“Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.”
– Lady Bird Johnson, former U.S. first lady
I believe all parents, teachers, guidance counselors and mentors want their kids to succeed. However, we have likely all observed parents unintentionally passing along their own insecurities to their children. I have heard of parents telling teachers their child has the attention span of a gnat. Mothers encouraging their teen age girls to major in communications, HR, or liberal arts because the programs won’t be so hard to get accepted to, or there will be more options (or less competition) for them. When instead, they should encouraging them to follow their dreams and believe that all doors will open if they are confident in their ability to constantly learn, communicate effectively and use every ounce of their drive and talents to pursue their passions with integrity, hard work and commitment.
“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”
– John W. Whitehead, founder, Rutherford Institute
The more time you spend in meaningful conversations with children and teens, the more of your inspiration, knowledge and experience will live on forever in their minds and the minds of the children to whom they pass your wisdom. I have been blown away with the talent I have seen come out of University when I was interviewing recent college grads for sales account executive positions with Gartner. I am even more impressed with the second graders reading 500 page novels, teaching digital printing (See photo below), starting businesses and changing the world (check out Kidpreneurs for examples of some inspiring young entrepreneurs).
Last month, I was inspired to see so many smart and talented leaders discussing the future of technology in the classroom at the TBTF Florida Digital Classroom Initiative Workshop held at MOSI and hosted by Senator John Legg. We live in a time of unprecedented technological innovation that allows our children to learn the answer to almost anything instantaneously through the power of the internet (or as my daughters say, just ask “Google”). But technology is neither good, nor evil, moral nor immoral, ethical or unethical.
With the power of knowledge at their fingertips, it is our duty to teach them the early lessons and inspire the confidence that will allow them to chase their dreams and accomplish things our ancestors would not dare to imagine. It is also our responsibility to encourage them to pass on to their children the lessons of integrity, morality and ethical use of the unfathomable power the advancement of technology will bring so that we can reach beyond the stars rather than end up in a ball of dust.
I believe we have the intelligence to create the technology that will repair our bodies, make cancer obsolete, and build colonies on planets that we don’t even know exist today. But it will take confident, inspired, talented and ethical people to do these amazing things. And whether you have your own children or not, you have something you can share and pass along to a child, by talking to them, mentoring them and investing your time and talent into them so they can leverage your expertise and leap ahead to do things we only dared to dream of doing.
“Truly wonderful the mind of a child is.”
– YODA, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
This holiday season, instead of (or in addition to) spoiling your kids with sugar and Frozen dolls or Video Games they will forget about in January, why not start a conversation and commit to yourself and your kids to talk with them an hour a day. Listen to them. Get to know them. Learn together. It’s amazing what ideas they come up with and what they think about. You are guaranteed to learn something too.
Not sure what to say? Here is a good resource I found by Googling “How to Talk to Kids”
“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”
– Mohandas Gandhi, political and spiritual leader in India
It’s no big secret that the future of the world is in a fragile state right now with new levels of cybercrime being reported daily, ISIS recruitment and North Korea threatening action if a Sony Pictures movie is released on Christmas Day. Even if we are not still living the flesh a hundred years from now, getting rejuvenation therapy and memory backups from nanobots, if we prioritize our time with our children and truly listen to them, inspire them and impart our moral and ethical values to them, we will still live on in our future generations.
Don’t have kids? The Boys & Girls Club, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Junior Achievement and hundreds of other non-profits and NGOs can help you live forever by mentoring and inspiring the next generation of IT leaders, astronauts, doctors, scientists, movie stars, social workers, professors and builders of our future.