The long-term quality of all of our lives is at stake.
“If you are blessed to be in a position to work with kids for a living, understand that it is a high stakes responsibility.
You are in a position with access to the most highly impressionable people, who will once day influence the trajectory of the world.
Don’t take it for granted.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
Along with my relationship with Christ and my family, getting to work with kids for a living is one of the greatest gifts in my life.
To wake up every single day, knowing I have the ability to make an impact on our youth is something that I’ll never take for granted.
It’s a big deal to me. Matter of fact it is a huge deal to me.
When you look at it from afar, life moves fast.
One day that kid is 6 years old, the next day he’s in 6th grade, and before you know it he’s graduating high school.
Because of this speed (that will catch you if you’re not prepared for it) I am forced to be intentional every single day.
I’m not perfect, but it is my intention to take advantage of every single micro interaction that I can.
The reason this is important to me is because I have learned that those tiny, what seem to be menial interactions at the time, compound over time.
There’s always tomorrow or ‘next time’, until there isn’t.
The micro becomes the macro and if as coaches, leaders, mentors, & educators we miss this, we missed the whole damn point.
We miss the opportunity to make quality impressions on the most impressionable minds.
If you do not understand that working with kids is about much more than “a good deed” or “filling a role” you’re better off not entering the field at all.
Working with kids for a living, while rewarding, is a high stakes responsibility.
Why?
Because their futures are at stake.
And guess what that means.
Your future is at stake as well.
These young boys and girls grow into young men and women.
These young men and women grow into professional men and women and influence the trajectory of the world.
Did your impact on them help or hurt their future?
There is no neutrality when it comes to impact.
You added value or you didn’t.
It’s fine to look at the “big picture” but recognize what goes into the big picture.
It’s the day-to-day interactions when you’re in the trenches with them.
If you’ve committed to them, give them everything you’ve got.
The quality of all of our lives depends on it.
