Bad Habits Gone in an Instant

All parents know the frustration of telling young children the same thing over and over, only to have them keep forgetting. Greetings Everyday Spy, All parents know the frustration of telling young children the same thing over and over, only to have them keep forgetting. Despite being CIA-trained in human persuasion and cognitive manipulation, Jihi and I had the same struggle when our kids were young. And we were more than a little concerned that our teachings would never get through... But everything changed the week my son turned 8 years old. The Bustamante clan went to snow-covered Pennsylvania to celebrate Sina’s 8th birthday. It was the first time Sina was fully aware that his birthday was coming, and he got truly excited. He was counting down weeks in advance, telling all his friends, and even started planning his own party. As a family that travels the world, we do not carry a lot of excess ‘things’ with us. Which was a difficult lesson for our young kids to understand. They had a lot fewer toys, books, and clothes than other children they met. They never had a big blow-out birthday or saw a Christmas tree overflowing with gifts. From the day he was born, we had been teaching Sina to value experiences over possessions. Many CIA operatives share the same mindset. We call ourselves ‘collectors of experience,’ recognizing the operational value of experiences over possessions. It is always easier to connect with a target, colleague, love interest, or supervisor over a shared experience rather than a common possession. Think about it -- do you get more excited meeting someone who owns the same t-shirt as you or someone who loves the same 1990s horror movie? One is a simple possession; the other a common experience. So imagine our surprise when Sina said to us, “I want my birthday present this year to be a family trip to Pennsylvania to visit my Yaya [aka: Grandma], my cousins, and play in the snow.” 8 years of repetition; countless tears spilt over gifts that he never got; and heartbreaking sadness and confusion about why his friends ‘had more stuff’ than him. And then, in a moment, it was over. As if his gift request wasn’t impressive enough, he spent every day of the trip turning down TV shows, mobile devices, and video games to have ‘new experiences,’ like sledding, building snowmen, and learning to play darts. My son felt like I gave him a great gift for his birthday that year, but the gift he gave me was so much greater. Because he gave me a friend and fellow traveler who appreciates life the way I do. By collecting unforgettable experiences, instead of silly play things... And he showed me that he would carry-on our family values long after I return to dust. Godspeed, #EverydaySpy P.S. - [Everything starts somewhere, and the best place to start learning spy skills is with my first eBook]( Espionage: Winning the Workplace! Grab your copy TODAY and get ready to see the world through the eyes of a spy...]( Follow @EverydaySpy on Social Media! [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Andrew Bustamante, Founder of EverydaySpy.com, is a former covert CIA Intelligence officer, decorated US Air Force Combat Veteran, and respected Fortune 500 senior advisor. Learn more from Andrew on his Podcast (The Everyday Espionage Podcast) and by following @EverydaySpy on your favorite social media platform. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe]( EverydaySpy, 411 Walnut St. #20309, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043