I discovered an intriguing quote this evening as I was skimming a favorite magazine – “It is our choices, Harry, that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

Dumbledore to Harry Potter (J K Rowling – author)

Isn’t that an amazing thought to present to a child or preteen? Rather than telling our children “don’t do this”, or “don’t say things like that” encourage them to think, make wise (or at least educated) choices, and then allow them to evaluate the consequences of those choices. Yes – your children will make mistakes at times. But without mistakes and missteps, how better do we learn?

Oh I have made mistakes – some of them have been real doozies – but I learned from them and moved on with that precious knowledge. Those that refuse to take responsibility for, or even acknowledge, their mistakes are losing precious insight that could keep them from finding what “could be” in their lives.

Take chances – make choices – live life to it’s fullest!