Tolerance: Be the example

The best way always to teach a characteristic is to be the example daily.  When your child is looking and listening to you what do they hear and see?  You can ask yourself,  If my child only had my behavior and speech to copy, am I setting the example I would like to see them grow up to be?   Yes it is a big job.  But that is what parenting is all about.  It is like a big test everyday.  Building tolerance is one of the things we can do to have an effect on creating peace in our family, community and ultimately the world.

Tolerance: Be involved in diversified groups

Encourage your child and provide opportunities for your child to have contact and get to know individuals of different races, religions, cultures, genders, abilities, and beliefs.  This may be in school, after school, or even in programs like summer camps.  As you display an openness to a range of diversity, your child can imitate your respect for differences.

woman on fire….

I did a search for inspirational stories one time on ESPN to look for great athletes with amazing stories.  I found many.  Some were truly inspirational, others were great but were of overcoming obstacles created by themselves, or situation around themselves (alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.)  One day I saw this amazing video of this woman on tv.  I won’t tell you what she deals with (you can watch for yourself) but what I saw and what she does to deal with it is truly inspirational.
Everyone has problems.  Many of those problems are manageable for the majority of us.  Often it is within our power to change our behavior or change the things in our life that are causing us pain.  But there are others.  There are others who have chronic pain.  Pain, that while manageable to an extent, will never go away.  Imagine waking up in the morning and the first feeling you have, the first thought that goes into your head is that of pain.  Kate Conklin in one of these people.  What she deals with is not her fault.  It is not a result of any activity she participated in or some tragedy that befell upon her one day.  She has no one to blame.  What she has, has no explanation as to why she has to suffer every waking moment.  She lost almost everything in her life, and more importantly, almost lost her will to live.
In spite of all of this, she perseveres, quite possibly more then any of us will ever understand.  She continues to participate in the very activities that further increase her chronic pain.  She does this because it is what she loves and she refuses to sit idly and let her condition dictate her life.  She is a true master.  Please watch her story.
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3569726

Tolerance: Provide positive images of all groups

We want to expose our children to positive images – in toys, music, literature, videos, public officials and role models, and examples from TV and the newspapers that represent a wide variety of ethnic groups.  The more they see that you embrace diversity, the more likely it is that they will follow that example.
We do not have to necessarily have to call out look here is a nice ?????? person that did something good.  It is the exposure to a variety without calling attention to the stereotype that does the job.  Our own comfort with complementing others of all races, religious, ethnic backgrounds will rub off on our children.

Never quit!

This is a must see video!  It will inspire you in that whatever your circumstances, in whatever the goal you are trying to reach you must not quit, if you are going to accomplish your goal.