An Introduction to the Family Enrichment Academy

My name is Jim White. I am an author, a coach, and founder of the Family Enrichment Academy.  

I have spent the last forty years studying the topics of personal development, marriage, and parenting. I have also spent those forty years applying these lessons and living my life as a husband, a father to six children, and a grandfather to twelve grandchildren. Now, I find myself at a point in my life when I am being called to share what I have learned. I founded the Family Enrichment Academy as a vehicle to fulfill this calling.   

I am a classic example of a hero’s two journeys.

If you are not familiar with the idea of a hero’s two journeys, let me explain. The basic structure of a great story involves a hero undertaking a journey of some kind. There is a goal they are trying to achieve or a task they must accomplish. This is the first journey. The journey of accomplishment. 

While the struggle to overcome obstacles and the pursuit of the goal can make for an entertaining story, it is the second journey that makes the story and the hero compelling. The second journey involves the hero going through an internal transformation. The journey of fulfillment. They are becoming a better person. They are discovering new values and beliefs that shift the direction of their life and start experiencing peace, joy and a sense of purpose.  

As you can imagine, the task of raising six children has been a challenging journey for my wife and me. There was a never-ending flow of meals to cook, homework to help with, places to be, clothes to buy, and too many other things to mention. I like to say that “we were six kids busy.” 

And like all journeys of accomplishment, ours has had both major and minor obstacles to overcome along the way. We worked through everything from a lost homework assignment to a learning disability. From a cut on the knee to struggles with drugs and alcohol. From learning to ride a bike to multiple car accidents. We have struggled with financial issues, including the bankruptcy of the family business my father started. And as with any marriage, there have been both sunny and cloudy days. In fact, we have had three distinct hurricanes over our forty years. These were periods when divorce was discussed.  

As I moved along my journey as a husband and father, I experienced an amazing internal transformation as well. Through my passion for personal development and family enrichment, I was discovering and putting into practice the principles, values, and beliefs that make a life full of peace, joy, purpose, and love possible. With this new perspective everything about our family worked better. Twenty years ago, I wrote this definition of a successful family:

A successful family is one whose members speak with respect, honor difference, provide a nurturing environment, empower each other, and truly enjoy being together.

They have a knack for really enjoying and appreciating the good times, while at the same time, they can effectively deal with any difficult issues that come their way. 

There is a sense of peace, joy, warmth, and love within their home.

While my family doesn’t always meet this definition, we experience it more often than not. Most importantly, when we start to drift away from this ideal or we are confronted with a new obstacle, I know what to do. I know how to lead us back. 

The mission of the Family Enrichment Academy is to share forty years of lessons and hard-earned wisdom. To empower parents to be the hero within their families. To teach the principles, values, and beliefs that will lead to a life and a family full of peace, joy, warmth, and love. 

It would be an honor to join you as you move along your two journeys. And while it is rewarding to support you on your first journey—the journey of accomplishment—the first priority is to guide you along your second journey—the journey of fulfillment. 

Four decades of life as a husband and parent have taught me that this is where miracles happen.

Jim White

Family Enrichment Coach