A few weekends ago was Fathers Day, and during that day I was thinking back on things that my dad has taught me over the past 29 years. There are three major attributes that I have learned from him. Without these learned qualities, I know for a fact I would not be where I am today in my personal life or my business life. So here are 3 lessons I learned from my dad that I think we can all grow from.
Patience
Patience is a very rare trait in today’s world. We all want everything right now. I know for a fact that you have clicked on a YouTube video, waited 2 seconds for it to load and closed it down because it was “too slow”. 2 seconds! Think about that. When computers first came out, we would sit there for 15 minutes while our favorite song downloaded on Napster. Now we can’t wait 2 seconds to let a video load!
My dad is one of the most easygoing, patient people I know. I will admit I haven’t mastered the skill just yet. However in many of the big things in my life I have learned to be extremely patient.
If you are a business owner success typically doesn’t happen overnight. Being patient is a key skill to learn because building a business is a long term process. All of the time, effort and money that you put in now are to help guarantee your success in the days to come. Wherever you are at in your business, you need to have the patience to play the long term game.
Put others first
I am a Christian and a follower of Jesus. Jesus was the epitome of putting others first. He laid down his life for the entire world so that we could spend eternity with Him. The person in my life that I have seen put others ahead of themselves is my dad. Anyone that has met him for even 5 minutes I am sure would agree.
Because of these two examples I have sought this value in my personal life and also in my business life. Since day one I can say with absolute confidence that we have put all of our clients ahead of our own interests. We have also built a team that is willing to do anything for each other. Both of these situations are a huge deal for me/us. Putting others first will always be a priority in my life and in my business.
Working Hard
My dad has always worked hard to provide for our family. This is a trait that he instilled in me early on in my academic career but also via sports. Getting pushed hard while growing up wasn’t always fun but I now see why it was so important. I know I have talked about this before but I am a firm believer that hard work trumps everything else. Having someone teach me that at an early age has been an invaluable lesson for me over the years.
Conclusion
I am so grateful for all the things my dad has taught me and continues to teach me. I would not be the man I am today without him in my life. I hope someday I can be half the dad he is and teach my kids the lessons he has taught me. Love you dad. Happy Fathers Day.
