Stop Telling Kids ‘You Can Do Anything You Put Your Mind To’
We Have an Inflation Problem, and It’s Not Just the Economy
When I was a kid (and a little older than a kid) I believed that I could do anything I put my mind to. This was the greatest lie I was ever told. And unlike Santa Claus, who keeps bringing me presents at Christmas despite my expired belief in his existence, trusting this mantra into early adulthood has not served me well.
I had a great childhood. I was financially, geographically and culturally privileged and, most importantly, I had parents who were generous with their love. If anyone could grow up to achieve “anything they put their mind to,” it was me. What I lacked was a realistic awareness of the world and the hardships adults must endure to survive, let alone pursue their dreams. Throughout my education in the California school system, I was praised and rewarded for every success, no matter how small. Every task that I completed at or above an average level was lauded as if I were a young Mozart touring Europe. When I wrote and performed a song about eggplants in the 1st grade, I was told I would be a pop star one day. When I starred in high school musicals, I was assured I would go straight to Broadway after graduation. When I wrote the best fiction in my 3rd-grade class, my teacher wrote me a letter saying I…
