Keys To Inspire The Entrepreneurial Spirit In Youth And Children
Talking about entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship is fashionable. It is a broad subject that responds to a real need both of an economic and personal nature . And it is that entrepreneurship is much more than looking for a life working on your own. Entrepreneurship involves making the decision to find and develop our own talent and implies the possibility of deciding our own destiny.
Fortunately, the entrepreneurial spirit is a capacity that can be developed from childhood by enhancing the development of certain skills and, above all, the enhancement of certain attitudes.
In this way, when we talk about an entrepreneurial spirit, we usually talk about creativity, assertiveness, self-confidence, ability to resolve conflicts and to make decisions, positive thinking, etc.
This is all very well, but how do we make our children and young people develop these capacities? How do we get them to value their entrepreneurial potential if, since they are babies, what they have to do is imposed on them? How do we awaken in them the interest to develop personally when in their environment they see negativity and resignation? Why is it so important to maintain an entrepreneurial attitude in life?
The importance of an entrepreneurial attitude
Maintaining an entrepreneurial attitude allows us to take control of our life and not get carried away by social conditions and the circumstances of the moment.
An enterprising person is able to decide on what he wants to do with his life, looking for alternatives that allow him to overcome the limitations imposed by others or by himself, and adapting to circumstances, seeking opportunities and strengths, even in what at first glance it can be negative.
This is very important in the workplace, both for people starting their own business and for those looking to work for others. But it is no less important in personal life when deciding what direction we want to take in our life.
The entrepreneurial attitude of parents and teachers
Teachers and parents must be aware that children and young people learn more from what they see than from what they hear. We cannot hope to inspire in them something that is alien to our being or our doing.
And it is that children learn by imitating, both the good and the bad. And that is worth much more than anything we want to teach them verbally, both at home and at school.
Both parents and educators should set an example, overcome our fears and begin to decide for ourselves what kind of life we want to live in a critical and constructive way, taking action and showing that wanting is power. We must put aside expressions such as “I wish I had done” or “what a shame not to have dedicated more time to” and start thinking about doing what we did not do, or dedicating time to what we always wanted to do. There will be no better example than this to awaken in young people an interest in discovering their talents and in actively building their future.
How to inspire and empower the entrepreneurial spirit
Active dialogue
Dialogue with our children or students is essential to help them discover their talents and interests beyond ours and to teach them to observe and analyze the attitudes of the people around them.
Learn to decide and learn from mistakes
We should also let them decide on things that are important to them and be by their side in dealing with the consequences and implications of those decisions. Our whole life is organized, there is almost no room to decide freely. And when it comes time to decide on something, we have so little experience that fear paralyzes us and we need to ask for advice, to see if someone else decides for us (thus, if we are wrong, we will have someone to blame).
Learning to recognize errors and analyze them is essential to seek other alternatives and not lose either the illusion or the focus on our objectives.
Creative development and artistic expression
It may seem like a no-brainer, but it might not be so obvious. Artistic expression is directed from when children are almost babies. In fact, many children lose their taste for drawing when they start in kindergarten or school because they are not allowed to do it the way they want and are told what exactly to do. The same happens with music, dance or literary creation a little later.
Finding a time and space for free expression helps us all to get to know each other better, to free our ideas and to reflect on our motivations. Art allows us to give abstract solutions to real or imaginary problems and to pose different possibilities without risk.
Look for positive examples
In addition to setting a personal example, we must seek others who inspire both our children / students and ourselves.
Help to accept their own limitations and to seek the possibilities of each one
The phrase “don’t ask the elm for pears” is popular. But just because you are an elm tree and do not give pears, it does not mean that you do not have other useful and valuable values. Discovering that in ourselves will be a great inspiration to others.
Innovate, each one in his own way
From the table presentation at lunchtime to the groundbreaking approach to a music class, any excuse is good to do things differently. This not only arouses the interest and motivation of both parties, but inspires others to achieve the same effect when it comes to getting things done. We all like to be told how well we have done something or how fun and interesting our class has been.
First of all, good humor
Talking about optimism and positive thinking is fine, but it is a bit abstract concept to explain to the youngest. Taking things with humor is an excellent way to face life and the best way to make optimism palpable.
