The last thing your kid wants to hear after coming home from his first semester away at college is, “Hey! I signed you up for a leadership workshop tomorrow … Saturday … from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.” You can only imagine the look I received from Ric, right? “But, Mami … I just finished finals!!! I need a break!” Well, I exercised my parental power and made him go to this thing my office called Quantum Leap. It was free and I knew he would get something out of it, so he went.
Saturday morning came and I woke him up, fed him breakfast, and sent him on his not-so-merry way, still rolling eyes at me and giving me the silent treatment. It was evident that he was not happy. Little did we both know that his life was going to literally change, and so was mine.
As parents, we, willingly or unwillingly, program our kids. What’s right, what’s wrong, what they should aspire to in life, how much money they should be making at a certain age, when to get married and have kids, just to name a few. I did that to Ric, all of it. I am a planner, so I have been giving him a certain set of expectations to follow according to what I thought was right. Not really asking him what he REALLY wanted because I would get answers like, “I want to play in the NBA” or “I want to write music and perform” to which I would reply with all MY limiting beliefs … “You are not tall enough to play in the NBA,” or “You shy away every time I put you in music class, so that definitely is not going to happen.”
I was making dinner that Saturday when Ric storms into the house, yelling at the top of his lungs, “I HAVE BEEN WOKE!” To which I replied … in English or Spanish, not teenager lingo. He proceeded to sit down at the counter while I cooked and told me everything that had happened. He was saying things like “Mami, my mission in life is to help people through music. I am going to do it. I have a plan. I know what I need to do now. I am WOKE! I know MY value, MY mission, and MY vision for it.” I proceeded to open a bottle of wine. This was a LOT of information coming at me from my 19-year-old … and a lot of “MY” thrown into pretty serious statements.
It was that Saturday after hearing Ric speak so openly about his past, present and future that I realized who the heck am I to tell him he can’t do this? It made me look at myself really hard, too. Was I imposing limitations on my child based on MY view of the world?
What is Quantum Leap (QL)? I am a realtor with Keller Williams, and Keller Williams has a charity side called Keller Williams Kids Can (KWKC). I PROMISE YOU this is NOT about real estate! When I joined the company, I was immediately drawn to this because of my passion for giving back. Naturally, when my partner offered the course, I enrolled Ric. He said to me that QL strives to be the bridge between school and life, and that was good enough for me.
QL was founded to engage the next generation of entrepreneurs and world leaders in conversations that matter. KWKC believes that the cultivation of a growth mindset needs to begin as early in life as possible and recognizes all the possibilities that lay ahead when a young person takes control of their life and starts living with intention. It brings the company’s strengths in education and training to the next generation of world leaders. It teaches young adults, ages 18-24 (sometimes even as young as 16, depending on their maturity level), how to gain their edge in an increasingly competitive world. Students walk away with concrete tools that help them pursue the life they desire. It is about bringing clarity to one’s purpose in order to maximize productivity and reach your full potential.
The key concepts discussed in the workshop include:
- Shifting Your Mindset
- Developing Powerful Habits
- Fostering Supportive Relationships
- Increasing Productivity With Proven Tools
- Building Wealth
I have become an instructor for QL. When I saw the shift in mindset Ric had, I had to throw myself into the program and attempt to help other young adults in giving them that same moment of “I AM WOKE!” As a mother, I have to say that moment ranks very high in the list of epic moments with my kids. What parent doesn’t want to see their kid happy? Furthermore, what parent doesn’t want to see their kid living a life of purpose with serious intent?
Our next FREE session will be held on March 30 at our Keller Williams Lake Nona office (9101 Narcoossee Rd., Orlando, second floor). Lunch and snacks are included. We are inviting all of your young adults in the Nonahood to sign up at www.qlcbteam.org. We have taken things one step further, and all young adults who come to the event will become eligible for a $1,000 educational scholarship!
It took me a whole semester to understand what Ric meant when he came in and said he had “been woke.” I saw him implementing systems in school, his grades got even better than they already were, he made the Dean’s list, he was focused, and he started making music. Ric goes to FSU and is studying entrepreneurship (yes, that’s a thing) and is also laser-focused on making music. He has been able to apply the tools that were given to him that one Saturday into both his studies and his music. He just released his first EP, not too long ago, and people can download it on iTunes and other similar platforms.
I guess I was imposing my limiting beliefs on him. The moment I stopped doing that, I saw him flourish and grow into the purposeful young adult he is today.
