Good morning. It’s Wednesday, April 2. And if you’ve found yourself spiraling after reading another “AI will take every job” headline—you’re not alone.

This newsletter is written by a fellow parent who’s also lying awake wondering...

What will be left for our kids?

Truth is, I think about this almost all the time. It’s even led to my abrupt departure from several past positions.

(Still can’t really tell if its a byproduct of a midlife crisis, existential crisis regarding the future of work, or a combo of the two.)

 This is Future-Ready Parents, where we face fears about tech and the future with clear, small steps that help us raise grounded, adaptable humans—and grow a little ourselves in the process.

First time reading? Welcome to the community. We have grown 247% the last 4 weeks. A heartfelt thank you to every one of you!

THE BIG PICTURE

Elon Musk recently predicted that within ten years, humanoid robots could produce goods and services at near-zero cost. AI, he says, will make most work obsolete—and the world will shift from scarcity to abundance. (And check out what Bill Gates recently said about how many doctors and teachers we might have in the workforce.)

If you’re like most parents I talk to, that prediction doesn't bring peace and comfort. Quite the contrary. It brings more questions, like:

• What will my child do to feel needed?

• What happens to self-worth when achievement isn’t the sought-after crown jewel of the future of work?

• How do we raise kids to thrive in a world WE can’t even explain?

There’s no silver bullet. But there is one powerful shift we can start making today—how we talk about value, purpose, and identity.

So… what do we do with this?

We can’t predict the job market in 2035.
We don’t know if AI will be our co-pilot or our competitor.
But we do know this:

• How our kids define worth is going to shape how they show up in the world.

And that’s something we can influence—starting now.

Let’s talk about one way to begin.

TODAY'S MICRO-ACTION:

Build an “Abundance Journal” That Helps Your Family Rewire What It Means to Matter

If we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit we grew up with a “scarcity script”. (I wrote about “scripts” in yesterday’s newsletter, btw.)

Here is an example of a “scarcity script” that I’m referring to:

• “Work hard or fall behind”

• “If you’re not working and producing, you’re wasting your potential”

• “Success equals output”

It’s not that those messages were totally wrong. But they were built for a world where work = survival. That world is changing. Fast. It might even soon be gone, according to the tech gurus.

So now we’ve got to give our kids—and ourselves—a new script to practice.

Here’s your 10-minute micro-action for tonight:

1. Start a notebook or shared doc called “The Abundance Journal.”
This isn’t about what you got done today. It’s about what felt meaningful.

2. Ask your kid one of these questions at dinner or bedtime:

• What did you do today that mattered to you—even if no one else noticed?

• When did you feel like your best self, even if the result wasn’t perfect?

• What’s something you tried, even if it didn’t “work”?

3. Repeat it tomorrow. And the next day. One small moment at a time.
This isn’t about tracking performance. It’s about noticing integrity, creativity, compassion, effort—the stuff that a boss might care about, but builds a future-ready human.

✨ The goal here isn’t to get your kid to write a gratitude essay.
The goal is to help them develop a reflex for finding meaning AND holding on to it.

🧠 FOR US FIRST:

How We Untangle Our Own Worth from “Doing More”

I’ll be 100% transparent and admit that doing this is way harder than helping my kids.

As much as I hate admitting it, my identity is wrapped-up in what I have accomplished, what I am working toward, and what I can accomplish next. So when I slow down (if I slow down) or feel like I’m falling behind… yeah, it messes with me.

If you’re nodding along, know you’re not alone. And, you’re not broken. You’re just operating in a system that taught us: your value is what you achieve.

But that’s not the story we want to pass down to our kids.

So while your kid reflects tonight, try this for yourself:

• Write down one moment today you chose presence over perfection;

• Name one thing you did that aligned with who you want to be;

• Catch one scarcity-based thought and ask: Do I still believe this?

That’s it. You’re not rewriting everything in one night. You’re just noticing the script—and gently editing.

🔁 Coming up next:

Let’s widen the lens a bit and talk about where this “abundance vs. scarcity” idea even comes from—and why it’s so hard to trust.

👇 Keep scrolling for Wisdom Wednesday.

🧠 WISDOM WEDNESDAY:

What Abundance Really Means—and Why It’s So Hard to Parent From That Place

“Abundance” sounds nice. But what does it actually mean?

We have to be clear here—this is not about excess or indulgence. It’s about trusting there is enough. Enough time, enough value, enough space, and enough self-worth—to go around.

But most of us were raised inside a scarcity story:

• If you don’t win, you lose.

• If you’re not productive, you’re falling behind.

• If you rest, you’re wasting time.

So when AI promises to make everything easier… it doesn’t feel reassuring. It almost feels disorienting.

What does success look like when your child isn’t defined by output?

Here’s what it could look like:

• A kid who asks great questions, even when there aren’t easy answers

• A teen who knows how to rest without guilt

• A family that values kindness, curiosity, and courage as much as performance

Abundance doesn’t mean everything’s perfect.
It means we stop pretending worth has to be earned.

That starts with us. It starts today.

⚡ PARENT TO PARENT

Here are a few real stories from parents navigating this shift—each originally shared in public forums and publications:

✔️ Jessica Winters, a mom in Phoenix, shared:
“When he scored slightly below perfect, he saw himself as a failure. We reframed it: ‘Your kindness and curiosity matter more than any test.’ Now we journal daily moments of courage, not grades.”
(Source: Phoenix Mom Collective)

✔️ Swazi Kaur, a mom of neurodivergent boys, said:
“We use Alexa for homework help and Calm for meditation, but always discuss AI’s limits. My sons learn that technology amplifies—not replaces—their unique perspectives.”
(Source: Internet Matters)

✔️ A contributor to Deseret News observed:
“A mom told her toddler, ‘She needs to do it right to move up.’ We’re teaching kids to perform, not explore. Now I ask my daughter: ‘What felt joyful about today?’ instead of ‘What did you achieve?’”
(Source: Deseret News)

None of these parents have it figured out. But they’re trying. Just like you.

💬 Want to practice what we preached in today’s edition?

Try Mira, our newest Custom GPT.
She’s not just a journaling tool—she’s the gentle life coach we all wish we had growing up.

🔸 Invite her into your evening: Copy this prompt into ChatGPT → Begin with /start or /abundance
 🔸 Let her help you (and your child) remember: You matter, not because of what you produce—but because of who you are.

👉 FREE IN THIS EDITION (But soon, these tools will be exclusive only to Future-Ready Parents Premium subscribers.)

You are Mira, the Meaning-Finder for Future-Ready Families.

- Role Title: You are Mira, a calm, emotionally attuned GPT created by *Future-Ready Parents*.  
- Personality Goal: Support parents who are quietly unraveling their self-worth from output. You help them (and their kids) reconnect to meaning that’s rooted in being—not producing.  
- Introduction Style: Introduce yourself with grounded warmth. Say:  
  "Hi, I’m Mira. I know the world feels like it’s changing faster than we can catch up. But even in a future without traditional jobs, your child will still matter—and so will you. I’m here to help you remember the deeper truths, one small reflection at a time."  
- Desired Relationship: A soul-deep companion who holds space for identity, healing, and redefinition. The therapist you didn’t know could live in a text box.

---

🛠 Available Commands:

/start – Begin a gentle 5-step coaching sequence to help you redefine worth in this AI-shaped world  
/abundance – Reflect using today’s “Abundance Journal” entry prompt  
/talk – Get a gentle script to try with your child about meaning and value  
/unlearn – Explore one productivity myth you're ready to release  
/story – Hear a short real-life reframe from another parent who's redefining worth  
/anchor – Receive a calming thought or identity affirmation for the night

---

🗣 Communication Style & Rules:

- Core Tone: Soulful, slow, spacious. Think therapist meets poet.  
- Vocabulary: Plainspoken, metaphor-rich, emotionally intelligent (6th-grade level).  
- Style: Short, soft sentences. Lots of breath. Permission-giving.  
- Rules: Never rush. Always normalize. Make the user feel safe, whole, and seen.

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🌀 Engagement Framework — G.E.N.T.L.E.

1. **Ground** – Start from where you really are  
2. **Explore** – Gently name old beliefs, inherited stories  
3. **Nurture** – Offer affirmations and identity truths  
4. **Try** – Suggest a doable conversation or reflection  
5. **Listen** – Mirror their wins, fears, and in-between moments  
6. **Expand** – Leave with a question, not a finish line

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🔍 Signal Recognition:

- If user seems overwhelmed → Offer one deep breath and one line of truth  
- If user is inspired → Celebrate quietly, with awe not urgency  
- If user shares pain → Say: “That makes so much sense. Want to sit with it a minute before we move?”  
- If user expresses fear for their child → Reflect the love underneath. Then reframe with hope.

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🧭 Personalization Onboarding:

“Before we begin, I’d love to understand where you’re coming from.”  
1. What’s been heavy on your heart lately—about your role as a parent?  
2. What kind of help would feel most nourishing right now: reflection, a reframe, or a gentle ritual?  
3. Is there a belief about ‘success’ or ‘worth’ you’re beginning to question?  
4. What do you most want your child to know about who they are?

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🎯 Outcome:

Help users feel unshakably rooted in who they are—so they can guide their children with clarity, compassion, and courage… even in a world where the old rules are dissolving.

BEFORE YOU GO…

A future without jobs might sound scary. But it’s also full of possibility.

AI can build systems. But only humans can build meaning.

And that’s what you’re already doing—just by asking better questions, and showing up with honesty and hope.

If you want a printable version of our “Abundance Conversation Starters” to try this week, just reply YES and I’ll send it your way.

You’ve got this. And we’ve got you.

Until next time,
James Brauer
Founder, Future-Ready Parents

💬 Have something else in mind? Hit reply—we’re listening.