Philosophy of raising children to be both successful and happy

Dr. Le Nguyen Phuong believes that raising children to be successful but not making them happy is meaningless. Dr. Le Nguyen Phuong's assertion shows that only when success and happiness go together, will life have meaning.

Looking out into life, it is not difficult to find examples of many people who are extremely successful in their careers and businesses, who have a large amount of money to ensure a rich life, but they are still not happy. And many times they seek joy in endless entertainment, activities to "shake up" their mood such as eating, shopping recklessly...

So you see, to be both successful and happy is very difficult.

Every parent wants to raise children who are both successful and happy. Illustration photo

So how can parents, right from when their children are young, have a "strategy" to raise children who are both successful and happy when they grow up?

I think the reason we get “lost” in the process of finding success is because we have defined success incorrectly. We consider success to mean chasing after the achievements of others, we apply other people’s standards to ourselves. Meanwhile, each person has different strengths.

Therefore, when pursuing the success of others, we easily run out of breath and lose strength. Even if we reach the same level of success as others, we have lost joy and happiness in the process of pursuing it, especially when we are determined to achieve our goals regardless, even doing unethical things.

That kind of success is not called success because its price is too high, and that kind of success certainly cannot bring happiness.

So, how do we teach our children to move towards success to ensure that they remain happy in the process and when they reach their goals?

Up to now, many educational experts have defined what successful parenting is, and I find this definition by Dr. Laura Markham, a clinical psychologist (USA), very comprehensive: Raising successful children does not necessarily mean that they will reap many achievements recognized by society, but in the sense that they always know how to discover, appreciate and share their own values ​​throughout their lives.

Sharing the same view, Dr. Shimi Kang (Canada) asserts that true success in the 21st century is the ability to become healthy, happy and successful based on contributing to the community through what we do, helping the world become a better place. And contributing to the world through our unique talents also brings another benefit, which is that it creates a strong motivation for us.

Success is based on giving back to the community through what you do, making the world a better place. Illustration: Classroom in Finland

Raising your child with the perspective of contributing to the community with their unique talents will also help achieve their goals of success and happiness.

Author, speaker, physician Deepak Chopra (born 1946, named by magazineTimeVoted one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by Time, he once shared that he raised his two children from a young age with the mindset that each person has a unique special talent and a unique way to express it.

When you were young, Indian-American physician Deepak Chopra told you many times that you are here for a reason, and you have to find that reason for yourself. He told you to ask yourself how you can serve others, and to ask yourself what your special talent is. Because you have a unique special talent that no one else has, and you have a unique way of expressing that talent, unlike anyone else.

Dr. Deepak Chopra said that being taught this way of thinking from a young age, when his children grew up, they went to the most prestigious schools and achieved the highest scores, because they focused on what they were here to give.

Dr. Deepak Chopra raised his two children from a young age with the mindset that each person has a unique talent and a unique way to express it. Pictured: Dr. Deepak Chopra (center) with his son Gotham Chopra (now an author, filmmaker, entrepreneur) and his daughter Mallika Chopra (now an author, entrepreneur).