Today, I returned to our Family Strengthening and Securing a Friendly and Protective Environment for Children® Premium Leadership Coaching Program to push the boundaries of the central theme of all we do: to build a fit world for our precious children to thrive. It is about envisioning the world in which we want our children to live, now and in the future, and going ahead to build it.

That is why the letter written by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan when they welcomed their first child in 2015 resonates so deeply with me. In that letter, they announced they would dedicate nearly all their wealth to building a world where their daughter and children like her could thrive. They weren’t focused on the dangers of technology or the growing complexities of modern life. Instead, they saw the infinite opportunities for learning, growth, and connection. They chose to shape the world they wanted their child to inherit, a world filled with possibility.

For too long, we’ve spoken of the 21st century as a daunting time to raise children, a world fraught with challenges, dangers, and uncertainties. But I see it differently. This is not just a time of challenges; it is the greatest time to raise children. It is the greatest time to be young. Why? Because the opportunities before us are unprecedented.

This mindset is the key. The people who change the world don’t dwell on challenges; they focus on opportunities. They understand that challenges are inseparable from opportunity, like two sides of the same coin. For the joy set before them, they endure the trials because they know the reward is worth the journey. And so must we, as parents and guardians.

Let’s take the example of personal safety and child safeguarding. We protect our children online because the internet offers them unparalleled opportunities to learn, connect, and innovate. We safeguard them in schools because education is their gateway to a brighter future. Protection is never an isolated task; it exists to enable opportunities. And this is why we must raise our children to embrace the opportunities of the 21st century, not with fear, but with boldness.

No century or generation has been without its trials. But here’s the truth: the higher the opportunities, the higher the challenges. This is not a reason to retreat; it is a reason to rise. To imagine a world where our children can thrive and then work tirelessly to build it. That’s what opportunity-focused parenting is about: choosing to see light at the end of the tunnel and walking steadfastly toward it.

As we guide and protect our precious children, let us teach them to see the possibilities that lie within every difficulty. Let us embrace the immense privilege of raising children in a time like this. The 21st century is not a time to fear; it is a time to win for our children, and for the world they will inherit.

To Join the next cohort of our class or request for a clarity session, please click the links below respectively:

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1.       https://bit.ly/SAFEforChildrenPREMIUMExecutiveCoachingProgramCohort1of2024

2.      https://calendly.com/taiwoakinlamimeetings/clarity-session-with-taiwo-akinlami

Do have an INSPIRED weekend with the family.