Our 690th Dad in the Limelight is Jens Trumpa. I want to thank Jens Trumpa for being a part of this series. It has been great getting connected with him and now sharing Jens Trumpa with all of you.
1) Tell me about yourself, (as well as how you are in the limelight for my readers knowledge)
I am a man full of dreams, know that opportunities never cease to open up, I am bursting with energy and creativity, yet also know that we need to seek opportunites in life if we want to experience them. I still work to understand and overcome one massive bottleneck obstacle in it all, confidence. It’s as much as a mystery to me as I have lack of it. It taints my judgment of my abilities and keeps me at bay. But I am determined to tear down that wall and shine with the same energy I shine as a father. And then pass that on to all the children I can reach to grow true facade free confidence.
I grew up in Germany but dedicated my life to my family when our son was born. I had to decide between a very fun certain career or the unknown saga of fatherhood. Of course I picked the latter with the mission to have my wife fulfill her dreams in life as well as give the kids a chance to thrive, with the assurance the my personal time will come. This is still my guiding star. I am a firm believer in constant personal improvement and the never ending ability to learn and change. Positivity is definitely at the forefront . I am full of energy and like to spread it. And being part of a family is priceless.
2) Tell me about your family
I am a Dad of 2 plus 1 kiddos. My life was enlightened 12 years ago with the birth of my son, my now 10 year old girl complemented the new journey even more. With the birth of our human puppy, a lively two year old girl, the happiness factor in the mix, our family with the three kiddos and my energetic wife is now complete to fully experience life.
We have lived in amazing places like Honolulu, Hawaii, a pearl in the South Pacific, Bend, Oregon, a true gem in the high desert of the Pacific Northwest and now in amazing COOLoRADo, in a small town Lafayette. We are always thriving to make life better for us and people around us. To improve means in life to be able to give more. This doesn’t come without struggle, which is an important part of growth and life. We are a vivacious family full of energy, laughter and joy.
3) What has been the largest challenge you have had in being a father?
Being a father is always a challenge, life in general is, if you really live, always a challenge, a good challenge. Sitting at the top of my list being a father is figuring out the right balance between being a husband, a dad and an individual. The desire to have my wife fulfill her many dreams mixed with the desire to work myself, to learn, have fun and to be there for my kids to have the perfect growing field to prosper is quite a maze. It’s a learning process that is exciting as well as daunting.
The transition of realizing that your kids are their own “human beings” with their own agenda is interesting. It is as nerve racking as it is a relief. We are guides in the upbringing of our children, but mainly there to make sure they have the right environment to unfold themselves. Yet I never cease to worry or think about it them, forgetting to take care of myself.
One last challenge is, and I assume we all have it, is how to earn money the family needs with limited timely resources.
4) What advice would you give to other fathers?
Relax and let go. It’s never what we say but what we do that influences our children the most. So instead of focusing on them I more and more focus on my personal improvement. If I can live mindful full of zest and joy, my children will take that with them on their journey through life.
And don’t get worked up over opinions how things should be. Most likely Mom and Dad have different views on many things and once you get outside there are gazillion judgmental ideas. Stick to what you believe in, but also let your partner do the same. And be open for change. We are creatures of habits. Belief systems are nothing but gathered information put into habitual thinking. Challenge that from time to time. And don’t hesitate to make mistakes and admit mistakes.
Realize that your child is his or her own being. They will do things and believe in things that won’t match with your world completely, yet you are the one that needs to support and understand them like a rock and sometimes like a bamboo swaying in the wind. Be mindful and they will be mindful.
5) How have you come to balance parenthood and outside life?
I don’t and through that I do. I am thriving to have a balanced life and realize I will never have it unless I see it as a balance. It’s the constant imbalance that balances things out, yet I needed to learn to take time for myself.
I do make sure to here and there go skiing, hiking or play soccer with my friends. I do make sure that I have at least a job, even if it is something in some way I thought I left behind after graduating from university. I give my wife the freedom to live her visions, which brings balance to my life as well. But the key thing for me to find balance is gratitude for it all.
6) What have you learned from the fathers that you have interacted with?
To relax more and see things as they are. And to know that we make plenty of mistakes but can move on and improve. Other Dads inspire me, especially the ones that manage to create a world of a strong bond with their children while achieving great things personally.
7) What else would you share regarding your experiences as a father thus far?
Definitely look at your children with the question, what is in it for me? And with that I mean, what can I learn, what can they teach me. Realize early on that they are their own human beings with the right to be themselves. We are merely walking along for a while really closely and then further and further apart, yet with a strong bond of love. In the end it’s better to be loving and kind than right.
And they teach us a lot more than we realize.
8.) What have been the most memorable experiences that you have had thus far as a parent?
There are so many memorable moments as a parent. The birth of the children is always a magical corner stone. The pureness of life is a memory that is branded in me.
In overall many experiences pop into my mind. It’s the amazing ones, the troublesome ones, and tiny ones that seem insignificant. Going to the playground will be something I miss. Seeing my kids making great friends felt so uplifting and then seeing them cry when they had to leave them behind because of moving heavy on the heart. The diagnosis of our son with Type 1 Diabetes probably was one of the hardest moments lately. To see his strength in it inspiring. From being on a field trip with them to working hard to make school events happen, simply being involved in their lives makes me happy.
In a way every day is full of experiences that I try to fully enjoy. I need to hold myself back and remember that all we ever have is the magic moment and being completely present in it will make it memorable.
If you have any questions for Jens Trumpa, please leave a comment here and I will make sure that he gets them so that he may be able to respond!
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The post Dads in the Limelight – Jens Trumpa appeared first on Dad of Divas.