Two Dollar Thought

Sometime ago I was walking to my office on the Brigham Young University (BYU) campus. As I was walking, I started thinking about my Grandma Cazier and an experience I had with her in November of 1966. In May of that year, I graduated from high school and was preparing to go to Italy for 2½ years. The day before I was to leave, she called me over and gave me a $2.00 bill and a bit of advice.

​
She said, “Calvert, keep this $2.00 bill in your wallet and as long as you keep it there you will never be broke.” It was an honest statement, but I was  never exactly sure what she was trying to tell me, but that $2.00 bill was in my wallet for more than 50 years.

​
She was right! No matter how poor I was, I was never broke. As I thought about this experience on that particular day on BYU campus I wondered if there was a symbolic message that would apply today. As I pondered this, a thought came into my mind that I would like to share and that is as long as I keep a $2.00 thought in my mind, I would never be intellectually broke. 

​
My success in completing my PhD (as an old man of 64) depended on what I put in my mind and used and as well as what I kept out of my mental bank account (discouragement, wanting to quit, etc.). I worked hard to earn my degree. It may sound trite, but the reality is that without making regular deposits into my mental bank account I would have never earned my degree. 

​
Strengthening our mental bank is as important as keeping money in our wallet so we can feed, clothe, and provide for our family.

​
As parents it is important to help our children understand that the resiliency skills of commitment, perseverance, and hard work must be deposited regularly into their mental bank account. This deposit begins with a $2.00 deposit called desire and from this skill we can help them develop other skills they need to succeed. 

Happy failing forward,

Calvert Cazier  


PS Want to help your kids have less stress and more success at home and school? CLICK HERE to get a copy of our book, The Resiliency Toolkit: A Busy Parent’s Guide to Raising Happy, Confident, Successful Children.