I attended my nephew's 4th birthday party recently. Some children's natural state is happiness, some whininess, some shyness. My nephew's natural state is running. As tends to happen to these types, he tripped with a crash. When he stood up with a pouting look on his face, someone asked if he was hurt.
"No," he replied with a sniff. "I'm tough."
That got me thinking about a Tony Robbins' quote: "Remember that your values - whatever they are - are the compass that is guiding you to your ultimate destiny."
To some extent, our nature is determined by the chemistry of our birth. But to a larger extent, our nature's shaped by what we put into our mind after we're born. Do we see ourselves as "tough" or "weak"? Are we "smart" or "dumb" (and what kind of "smart" -- school smart, business smart, relationship smart)? "Brave" or "fearful"? "Happy" or "unhappy"? "Blessed" or "cursed"? "Successful" or "failed"? Chances are, whatever the belief is will eventually become reality. My nephew, doubtless coached by his parents, will become tough like his father as long as he continues to think so. And I'll continue to place my breakables on higher shelves.
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