I was on the fence about attending today’s UJA Parenting Series because I had so much on my plate this week and a daughter who is only on the cusp of her teenage years, but I am so happy I made the decision to attend.
I must shamefully admit that prior to hearing you begin today, I thought to myself, “How can this guy who doesn’t have children possibly tell us about teenagers?” And then, the little voice in my head said, “If he does this for a living and writes books and is passionate about teenagers, I’m sure I will take away one thing.” I took away not only one thing but dozens of things. And perhaps more importantly, I shifted my mindset about how to approach and respond to my daughter. I feel fortunate that I can use this new “thinking” and approach at the onset of what is sure to become some challenging years ahead. So for all of that I thank you. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us today. Thank you for dedicating your life to helping teens and parents. Because the more people you touch the easier the support system will be – I want to surround myself with like-minded people and hope for the same for my daughters.
I also want to thank you for captivating us with your presentation – as I am sure you could see, we all hung on every word you said. I have fortunate to see many speakers throughout my career, many of whom are famous and/or earn thousands, (even hundreds of thousands of dollars for speaking engagements), like Tony Robbins. You rank in my top three (along with Erik Weihenmayer and Ben Zander). And what perhaps makes you number one is your topic – it’s something I can relate to and can have a profound impact on my life. Raising confident, happy, well-rounded, adaptable children is perhaps the most important task I will ever be given.
