HOME FRONT FIRST initiative to rebuild broken families
Why the secret to your success is who you marry
Think morals, values and leadership. It all comes down to the family unit - and keeping that building block of society strong is getting difficult these days.
A couple seeking to change that has launched a family FIRST initiative called Family Integration Relief and Society Transformation, a non-profit organisation to help build “vibrant, morally strong and functional family ties”.
Emmanuel and Gloria Oricha’s FIRST initiative also hopes to return the family unit to its place-a “sphere of influence and building block of the society.” We’ve often heard this saying, ‘Behind every successful man is a good woman’. The expression also holds true for successful women - vice versa.
In fact, people with supportive spouses are “more likely to give themselves the chance to succeed,” according to a study published by Carnegie Mellon University.
Researchers studied 163 married couples and discovered that people with supportive spouses were more likely to take on potentially rewarding challenges. Those who accepted challenges experienced more personal growth, happiness and psychological well-being just a few months later.
“We found support for the idea that the choices people make at these specific decision points, such as pursuing a work opportunity...matter a lot for their longterm well-being,” Brooke Feeney, lead author of the study and professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon, says in a
“Unfortunately the family roles in grooming morally sound individuals, inculcating values and societal transformation have been derailed,” they said.
It calls for mobilizing efforts and galvanizing support to return “to those good old days, when values were sacred and families would do whatever it took to protect these values.”
“God’s purpose is to use the families as a channel to unite the world and bring mankind back to himself,” said Bishop Akpami, who chairs FIRST’s board of trustees.
A morally strong family is a precursor statement.
Many successful people have discussed the importance of having their spouse by their side. Former president Barack Obama attributes his political success to his wife.
“Obviously I couldn’t have done anything that I’ve done without Michelle,” Obama tells Oprah Winfrey in 2011.
“You were asking earlier what keeps me sane, what keeps me balanced, what allows me to deal with the pressure. It is this young lady right here... Not only has she been a great first lady, she is just my rock. I count on her in so many ways every single day,” Obama said.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted the vital role his wife Priscilla Chan plays in his life in a 2017 Harvard commencement speech. The tech guru said Chan inspired him to volunteer his time and take on social work.
“Priscilla’s the most important person in my life so you can say, it’s the most to having a morally strong society, said Shola Kolawale, on FIRST trustees’ board and a professor of medicine at University of Abuja.
An increased rate of divorce is leading to broken homes; societal pressure, peer pressure, modern technology-and social media in particular-are creating crisis between children and their families, said Kolawale.
“The children now become independent and adults overnight as parents are encumbered by the economic pressures and the children are left without proper guidance and mentorship,” he said. important thing I built in my time here,” he says in the speech.
Of course, it’s not just women supporting their husbands. In a 2013 interview with Winfrey, Beyoncé said her husband, rapper and mogul Jay-Z, is extremely supportive and helps her “on so many levels.”
“I would not be the woman I am if I did not go home to that man,” says the Grammy winning artist. “It just gives me such a foundation.”
So what can one do to push their spouse to embrace new work opportunities? Express enthusiasm about an opportunity, reassure your partner and discuss the benefits of taking on a new role or challenge, says the study.
“Significant others can help you thrive through embracing life opportunities,” says Feeney. “Or they can hinder your ability to thrive by making it less likely that you’ll pursue opportunities for growth.”
Source: CNBC.com