We are doing a disservice to our kids today. Because it was done to us and no one is telling us any differently.

She sat there, tears welling up in her eyes as she dabbed at them with a napkin. Getting closer to 70 years of age and still working full time, she said, “I wish someone had encouraged me to set goals and told me I could achieve them when I was younger.”

She grew up in a time when you were told to go to school, get an education and get a job. It worked great in a time when society and employers needed workers. It was a time when most of us didn’t know any different.

But there were some who did it differently, and they were branded as lucky or connected.

Her tears were because she realized she could have done it differently, if only someone had shown her and encouraged her.

Would her life be different? Probably, because she would have pursued her interests and desires instead of just getting a job to make a living.

Today is no different. If you tell yourself or your children to get an education and get a job you’re setting them up for a life of struggle and mediocrity.

Instead, inspire them to find a passion or something that excites their interest and creativity. Then help them set goals and identify a path to get there. If you don’t know how, find someone who can guide and mentor them. Don’t let your children’s future be another chapter in your book. Help them write their own.