We as people, often wonder what in us or what of past has made us to what we have finally become, don’t we? Well there isn’t a straight forward answer to the question because there are many dimensions to child development.

Certainly biological conditions in parents and in children would alter several aspects of a child's being. This is not to say that it is beyond our control. Imagine we could give our children the unhealthiest food on earth and hook them to it or conversely provide our children the best of what’s available. From premium/vitamin rich vegetable and fruits to omega3 enriched milk, bread and eggs, although it may take a heavy financial toll, would make a world’s difference in a child’s construct.

Another is the parent/child interaction. Father and/or mothers work in almost all cases. May it be a nuclear family or extended, those that live around children would certainly impact. How do we then gauge whether or not such an impact is positive? How often did we ignore events that children undergo for them self (i.e. a father, mother or a relative battering the child for something than happened). Experiences that children go through include bad (criticism, hostility, ridicule and shame) and good (tolerance, encouragement, praise, fairness and security); would impact their life.

Personally, I as a child don’t recall interacting with my farther. Although good fatherhood is an essential element for the boys, my father believed that his role in the family is limited to breadwinning only. I barely had any conversation with him then; today my father is old and I support him financially but despite my best efforts, it is so very hard to connect with him socially or to have a chat.

When we finally become parents, the cycle continues and we practice parenting on our children in a manner that we feel is best for them but we tend to continually ignore children’s interaction with those around. Moreover, we as parents are less willing to be self critical and to make necessary adjustments in us to improve our children’s lives; and when willing, it is not just one of the partners that need to adapt, but rather everyone around the child. For anyone who is keen to change and or want to understand the relationship of various actions to child development or vise versa, I leave here the points I read from a nursery school noticeboard in Birmingham recently. Apply it and give me some feed back if you can.

A child living with

• criticism learns to condemn
• hostility learns to flight
• ridicule learns to be shy
• shame learns to be guilty
• tolerance learns to be patient
• encouragement learns confidence
• praised learns to appreciate
• fairness learns justice

The authors point out that there are two types of knowledge: explicit knowledge, contained in manuals and procedures, and tacit knowledge, learned only by experience, and communicated only indirectly, through metaphor and analogy. U.S. managers focus on explicit knowledge; the Japanese, on the other hand, focus on tacit knowledge. And this, the authors argue, is the key to their success - the Japanese have learned how to convert tacit into explicit knowledge.

To explain how this is done - and illuminate Japanese business practices as they do so - the authors range from Greek philosophy to Zen Buddhism, from classical economists to modern management gurus, illustrating the theory of organizational knowledge creation with case studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, Nissan, 3M, GE, and even the U.S. Marines. In addition, the authors show that, to create knowledge, the best management style is neither top-down nor bottom-up, but rather what they call "middle-up-down," in which the middle managers form a bridge between the ideals of top management and the chaotic realities of the frontline.

As we make the turn into the twenty-first century, a new society is emerging. Peter Drucker calls it the "knowledge society," one that is drastically different from the "industrial society," and one in which acquiring and applying knowledge will become key competitive factors. Nonaka and Takeuchi go a step further, arguing that creating knowledge will become the key to sustaining a competitive advantage in the future.

Because the competitive environment and customer preferences change constantly, knowledge perishes quickly. With The Knowledge-Creating Company, managers have at their fingertips years of insight from Japanese firms that reveal how to create new knowledge organizationally, and how to exploit it to make successful products, services, and systems.

While it is a moral responsibility for parents to prepare children to face life's challenges head-on, in today’s complex, busy world, it’s not easy to find the time and the right words to help our children deal with issues that they face each day.

Research shows that 60% of UK children aged between two and eight are deprived of a regular bedtime story, compared to only 7% of their parents who missed out on the magical tradition of story-telling on a regular basis.

May it be celebrating individuality, dealing with differences, interacting with others in a healthy way, overcoming reluctance, finding a new sense of optimism, facing fears with confidence, sleeping naturally, and learning new things, bedtime story telling is a great way to prepare children for life.

Recent studies show that the last 10 minutes before a child goes to sleep -- bedtime story time -- is probably the most critical form of quality time a parent can spend with their child, as it occurs at a prime comforting time from the child's perspective.

Good enough, but where do we find enough stories to tell?

Grindley, who runs three bookshops and an Internet site, www.lostforwords.com, believes it is never too early to start a child off -- he would place a book into the cot of his one-month-old.

Paulo Coelho also has a gift for his readers, you may print but sale is forbidden. Stories for parents, children and grandchildren - [789 k, .pdf file, english]

Should you know of other great sources, please contribute!

Written by the author of "The Alchemist", this work offers his personal reflections on a range of subjects from archery and music to elegance, travelling and the nature of good and evil. It also shows us how life has lessons for us in the greatest, smallest and most unusual of experiences.

Long Description
This is a breathtaking collection of reflections from one of the world's best loved storytellers, Paulo Coelho. In this riveting collection of thoughts and stories, Paulo Coelho, the author of "The Alchemist", offers his personal reflections on a wide range of subjects from archery and music to elegance, travelling and the nature of good and evil. An old woman explains to her grandson how a mere pencil can show him the path to happiness! Instructions on how to climb a mountain reveal the secret to making your dreams a reality. This work presents the story of Ghengis Khan and the Falcon that teaches about the folly of anger - and the art of friendship; and a pianist who performs an example in fulfilling your destiny. The author learns three important lessons when he goes to the rescue of a man in the street - Paulo shows us how life has lessons for us in the greatest, smallest and most unusual of experiences. "Like the Flowing River" includes jewel-like fables, packed with meaning and retold in Coelho's inimitable style. Sharing his thoughts on spirituality, life and ethics, Paulo touches you with his philosophy and invites you to go on an exciting journey of your own.

Reviews
Praise for Paulo Coelho: 'An exceptional writer.' USA Today 'His books have had a life-enhancing impact on millions of people.' Times 'One of the few to deserve the term "Publishing Phenomenon".' Independent on Sunday 'Coelho's writing is beautifully poetic but his message is what counts!he gives me hope and puts a smile on my face.' Daily Express '"The Alchemist" is a beautiful book about magic, dreams and the treasures we seek elsewhere and then find on our doorstep.' Madonna 'It's like music, really, the way he writes, it's so beautiful. It's a gift that I envy above all others.' Julia Roberts

Many of my readers approached me asking about the two stories that I heard from my good friend and so would like to tell one of it today. It is from the book The Alchemist (Plus) and as follows:

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.

Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man's attention.

The wise man listened attentively to the boy's explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn't have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.

"Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something," said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. "As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill."

The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.

"Well," asked the wise man, "did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?"

The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

"Then go back and observe the marvels of my world," said the wise man. "You cannot trust a man if you don't know his house."

"Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.

"But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?" asked the wise man.

Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.

"Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you," said the wisest of wise man. "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon."

Sometime ago a very close friend of mine read to me a couple of stories. The two stories were so thought provoking that it never left my ear. In fact, having heard the stories, made a better person, than I ever was. He later told me that the two stories were from 'The Alchemist' and I therefore bought a copy for my self and I find it very inspiring.

It is a book written by Paulo Coelho who is not only one of the most widely read, but also one of the most influential authors writing today. 

The book has tonnes of quotes and here are just a few:

Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.

In the long run, what people think about shepherds and bakers becomes more important for them than their own destinies.

No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it.

Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.

And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

"They (the sheep) are so used to me that they know my schedule", he (Santiago) muttered. Thinking about that for a moment, he realized that it could be the other way around; that it was he who had become accustomed to their schedule.

The boy could see in his father's gaze a desire to be able, himself, to travel the world -- a desire that was still alive, despite his father's having had to bury it, over dozens of years, under the burden of struggling for water to drink, food to eat, and the same place to sleep every night of his life.

The problem is that they (the sheep) don't even realize that they're walking a new road every day. They don't see that the fields are new and the seasons change. All they think about is food and water. Maybe we're all that way, the boy mused.

It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.

It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them.

"It's a book that says the same thing almost all the other books in the world say," continued the old man (Melchizedek). "It describes people's inability to choose their own destinies. And it ends up saying that everyone believes the world's greatest lie."

"What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised. "It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie."

"It (destiny) is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny."

"It (mysterious force) is a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your destiny. It prepares your spirit and your will ......

To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation.

If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it.

When each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.

It's called the principle of favorability. When you play cards the first time, you are almost sure to win. Beginner's luck. Why is that? Because there is a force that wants you to realize your destiny; it whets your appetite with a taste of success.

Don't forget that everything you deal with is only one thing and nothing else.

I'm like everyone else -- I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.

He had learned that there were certain things one shouldn't ask about, so as not to flee from one's own destiny.

This wasn't a strange place; it was a new one.

And both you and I needed to cleanse our minds of negative thoughts.

You must always know what it is that you want.

"I'm already used to the way things are. Before you came, I was thinking about how much time I had wasted in the same place, while my friends had moved on, and either went bankrupt or did better than they had before. It made my very depressed. Now I can see that it hasn't been too bad. The shop is exactly the size I always wanted it to be. I don't want to change anything, because I don't know how to deal with change. I'm used to the way I am." The boy didn't know what to say. The old man (crystal shop owner) continued, "You have been a real blessing to me. Today, I understand something I didn't see before: every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don't want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I'm going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don't want to do so." (Note: the shopkeeper is a person who knows his dream but doesn't want to realize it.)

There was a language in the world that everyone understood, a language the boy had used throughout the time that he was trying to improve things at the shop. It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired.

He could always go back to being a shepherd. He could always become a crystal salesman again. Maybe the world had other hidden treasures, but he had a dream, and he had met with a king. That doesn't happen to just anyone!

Making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.

It was shepherds who were the first to recognize a king that the rest of the world refused to acknowledge.

There's no such thing as coincidence ... the mysterious chain that links one thing to another, the same chain that had caused him to become a shepherd, that had caused his recurring dream, that had brought him to a city near Africa, to find a king, and to be robbed in order to meet a crystal merchant, and ...

The closer one gets to realizing his destiny, the more that destiny becomes his true reason for being, thought the boy.

People need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want. We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same Hand.

Because I don't live in either my past or my future. I'm interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man. .... Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now.

The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity.

He had lived every one of his days intensely since he had left home so long ago.

Love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny.

"Why do we have to listen to our hearts?" "Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find your treasure."

"But my heart is agitated," the boy said. "It has its dreams, it gets emotional, and it's become passionate over a woman of the desert. It asks things of me, and it keeps me from sleeping many nights, when I'm thinking about her."   "Well, that's good. Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say."

"Because you will never again be able to keep it (heart) quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what you're thinking about life and about the world."

"Even though I complain sometimes, " it (heart) said, "it's because I'm the heart of a person, and people's hearts are that way. People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don't deserve them, or that they'll be unable to achieve them. We, their hearts, become fearful just thinking of loved ones who go away forever, or of moments that could have been good but weren't, or of treasures that might have been found but were forever hidden in the sands. Because, when these things happen, we suffer terribly." .....

Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested.

When you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.

Don't give in to your fear. If you do, you won't be able to talk to your heart.

But the path was written in the omens, and there was no way I could go wrong.

Life really is generous to those who pursue their destiny.

I was recently surfing and came across http://www.stevepavlina.com/million-dollar-experiment.htm which happened to be an experiment on the intention-manifestation model of reality, where the goal is to generate $1 million of additional wealth for each person who chooses to participate.

The reasons to join, as the website outlines, are:

• Help participate in a global thought experiment to experience the power of intention.
• Focus your thoughts on the goal of attracting wealth in a way that serves the greater good.
• Possibly become a millionaire yourself.
• There's no downside other than investing a fraction of your time each day in holding the intention.
• If there is a superconscious effect to this experiment, you will be on the receiving end of other people's positive intentions.
• Even if the effect is purely subconscious in nature, you may become more attuned to financial opportunities in your life right now.
• What if it works?
• It's 100% free! And there's no catch!

The website also recommended some reading to improve ones ability to manifest intentions and they are:

• Marc Allen Interview - Marc Allen used the power of intention to become a multi-millionaire without becoming a workaholic. Discover his advice on manifesting wealth and abundance in your life.
• Cause-Effect vs. Intention-Manifestation - How intention-manifestation is different from more traditional goal-setting.
• Manifesting Intentions - An example of how intentions manifest through synchronicities.
• Do Your Beliefs Reflect Reality or Create It? - How much do your beliefs create your reality?

Moreover, you could Sign up for the free Personal Development Insights Newsletter, loaded with practical information and advice on time management, motivation, goals & goal setting, problem solving, overcoming procrastination, work habits & personal productivity, balance, courage & fear, relationships, people skills, and getting your life on purpose.

Hope someone finds this useful.