CAN PEOPLE BECOME MORE THAN WHO & WHAT THEY WERE & ARE?

The answer is ABSOLUTELY, with my usual “but.” Emotional growth is impossible without relationships, particularly those that nurture. So here I speak of parents, family, friends, teachers, people we work with, and those who lead us.

The most effective of these is usually a parent or an older sibling who is close to us and takes us under their wing. For sure, those who lead us also teach us, whether deliberate or unconscious, “to be or not to be.”

Parents and siblings are probably the most important because they are there from our beginning. Being impacted and shaped by them is at our roots. To a great extent, we are a result of our family, but not wholly. And here is where change is not only possible but likely.

The mystery is in how we take in our experiences, whether physical, emotional, or intellectual, and the magic they do inside us. An example is our cat, Mia. About 7 years ago, we rescued her from the Animal Shelter. They told us she was about 4. At home, she scratched, bit, and generally remained aloof from us and very protective of herself.

Slowly and carefully, we built a “caring” relationship with her. In time, there were no bites or scratches. Today what she gives both of us is nothing but love and affection. She is completely family. Also, at first, she never showed herself to others. Now, she introduces herself to most as part of whatever is taking place. “I belong” is her message.

We are animals, and the same growth that occurs with our animals can and will happen with us. Give love and caring—listen, understand, and the people we live and work with can and likely will change and grow. Nothing and no one is unchangeable. Love is that powerful a curative.
Sy

Author: Sy Ogulnick

Sy Ogulnick received a BA from UCLA, Teacher’s Credential from Los Angeles Board of Education and completed phase I (Master’s portion) in a Doctor of Behavioral Science program at California Coast University. Sy leased and operated a summer day camp in LA. He and his wife then purchased virgin wilderness land in Northern CA, where they built and operated a coed summer camp. They moved to Las Vegas, NV, and purchased, built and operated a community children’s program for families staying in a major resort casino in Las Vegas. They have created programs for children nationwide that employed many people and in the process developed successful training programs for personnel. This led Sy to lecture on how to train staff and the creating of community within the workplace. Sy was then invited to speak at professional conferences on how best to hire and train employees, which led to his becoming a consultant in the art of improving relationships in a work environment and eventually to his epiphany that “Leaders are the primary problem and the answer to the personnel issues that arise in the workplace.” Sy has written numerous papers on the subject of interpersonal relationships, leadership and power. He has lectured throughout the United States, has been interviewed by the media and has appeared on many radio and TV talk shows

One thought on “CAN PEOPLE BECOME MORE THAN WHO & WHAT THEY WERE & ARE?”

  1. Certainly our parents get the first crack at teaching us about life and how to live. My mom followed the old Roman Catholic rules as she knew. She couldn’t think for herself. My dad was constantly questioning and thinking for himself. He’d pull out a volume of our Encyclopedia Britannica after dinner, sit in his easy chair and read different parts of that volume. I recall after an hour or two of such reading, he looked up and said that he never realized how complex men were sexually. He had studied at Boston University for so long that the school gave him four degrees – BA, MBA, LLB, LLM – just to get him to make room for another student. I was surprised to discover his name on a couple of books on insurance law. He never did mention that he wrote those. However, his idea of a mystery novel wasn’t very good; it needed more of his time which he wasn’t ready to give to fiction writing. He was a terrific example and I was saddened to see him go at the young age of 65. Mom? 92.

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