One of Lee’s core beliefs is that challenges, struggles and adversity are essential for our growth and development. While our instinct may be to avoid difficulty, Lee suggests we must actually embrace it to progress. As he writes, “Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” He believed that adversity leads us to examine ourselves properly and honestly: “Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.”

We can share this empowering reframe with our children, encouraging them to view obstacles not as barriers, but as opportunities to learn, adapt, and become stronger. When they struggle with a demanding subject or face interpersonal conflicts, we can remind them that working through these challenges is what enables them to grow. By developing a resilient, “challenge-seeking” mindset, they’ll be able to transform stumbling blocks into stepping stones throughout life. As Lee put it, “Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.”

Closely tied to this is the importance of perseverance. Lee elevated persistence as the key to skill development and success, the force that turns desire into reality through consistent effort over time. “Persistence, persistence, and persistence,” he wrote. “The Power can be created and maintained through daily practice – continuous effort.” He also cautioned against anticipating failure or focusing on worries and negativity, as this drains vital energy.

In our homeschooling, we can nurture persistence by encouraging a growth mindset, celebrating effort over innate talent, and guiding our kids to break big goals down into achievable daily steps. As they experience the power of sustained commitment to yield results, from mastering a new song on an instrument to saving up for a special purchase, they build the grit and patience to persevere in any endeavor. We can remind them, in Lee’s words: “We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities, but its own talents.”

Perhaps most importantly, Lee taught that an overarching sense of purpose and service to others is essential for a life well-lived. He believed that realizing our unique potential is inextricably tied to contributing to the world, declaring that “real living is living for others.” Actualizing ourselves in isolation is hollow – it is only in relationship to others and a greater good that we find true fulfillment.

We can awaken this sense of purpose in our children by encouraging them to reflect on their deepest values, the kind of impact they want to have, and the legacy they wish to leave. By engaging them in meaningful discussions about service, compassion, and making a positive difference, we help them develop a strong moral compass and a commitment to being a force for good. As they identify causes that resonate with them, we can support them in taking action, whether through volunteering, fundraising, or using their unique talents to contribute. Fostering this dedication to a purpose larger than themselves imbues their lives with profound meaning and direction.

Ultimately, the heart of Lee’s teachings is the importance of ongoing learning, growth and self-discovery. As he puts it, “Learning is discovering, uncovering what is there in us. When we discover, we are uncovering our own ability, our own eyes, in order to find our potential, to see what is going on, to discover how we can enlarge our lives, to find means at our disposal that will let us cope with a difficult situation.”

By sharing this wisdom with our children and encouraging them to be lifelong students of themselves and life, we give them the greatest gift of all – the capacity to continually evolve into their highest selves and create lives of meaning, mastery and love. So let us embrace Lee’s insights in our homeschooling, and empower our children to live as courageous philosophers, purposeful warriors, and self-realized human beings. As Lee reminds us, “Self-actualization is the important thing. And my personal message to people is that I hope they will go toward self-actualization rather than self-image actualization. I hope that they will search within themselves for honest self-expression.” This is the path of the sincere seeker – an ever-unfolding journey of growth fueled by curiosity, commitment, and the yearning to give our unique gifts to the world.