Lessons my Father taught me
As we approach Father’s Day, I am preoccupied with thoughts about the memory of my father. While Dad passed away over more than 40 years ago, not a day goes by that I do not actively think about the lessons I learned from him.
Here are some of the lessons in no particular order – and if you knew my father you’d know it certainly is not a comprehensive list.
- Always leave it better than you found it - make a difference
- Treat others the way you want to be treated
- If you keep your mouth open long enough, something unfortunate will come out
- Do your best and, if you keep trying, you’ll be the best
- Do the important things first … and the less important will take care of themselves
- Do what you know is right
- Never ever give up
- The Lord helps those who help themselves
- Birds of a feather flock together
- You are judged by the company you keep
- There are no boring jobs, only boring people
- Always do more than is expected
- Never let a “wrong” go unaddressed
- Learn something new every day
- If you teach a person to fish, he’ll never be hungry
- And the most important lesson: Most people see things as only black and white. The most successful people are able to see the myriad shades of gray.
Happy Father's Day!