Understanding True Desires

When Cornelius Vanderbilt expressed his desire to run away and be a sailor, his mother, Phoebe Vanderbilt, instead of forbidding him, understood his true aspiration. She recognized that he actually wanted a boat to become a boatman on New York Harbor. Phoebe employed a softer approach, offering him a deal to plow a field on their property in exchange for a loan to buy his boat. This gesture led to the birth of a business empire. The lesson here is to not simply reject children's aspirations but to understand their underlying desires and support them in achieving their dreams.