In raising my children, I have said this phrase thousands of times reminding myself that if I expect them to be great citizens, they will be.
You Get What You Expect
If I expect them to be kind and courteous, they will be. If I expect them to respect others and themselves, they will. I’m happy to report—so far, so good. And not without a few bumps in the road.
This same theory can be applied to our communities in that if we expect our community members to behave with kindness and respect toward one another, they will.
“We are what we tolerate.”
Applying “you get what you expect” is work for all of us. If we tolerate bad behaviors between members of our community such as domestic violence, neglect, child abuse, bullying, then we are condoning the behaviors. We’re avoiding engaging and holding our neighbors accountable. This is not a time in our society where turning a blind eye is acceptable. We each have a responsibility to expect more from one another and from ourselves. It’s time to rise up! It’s time to EXPECT the BEST of everyone and be accountable.
As we wind down Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, I challenge you to consider how you can expect the best.
Make a donation toward our prevention activities focused on teens. Breaking the cycle of violence means modeling for our youth the healthy behaviors needed to have fulfilling relationships.
Make a donation to our Flannery Keal Home. $100 provides a safe night’s sleep for someone in danger. Do you know that we provided 1104 nights of safe sleep in the last three months of 2014 alone? Let’s put ourselves out of business.
Expect more. Stretch. Give more. Your BEST transforms the lives of families and children in crisis.
