In my childhood days whenever I confessed to my dad, of my latest blunder, invariably there was a long silence. Was he angry? His silence was more menacing than a scolding or a lecture. Even without him reprimanding, most of the time, his silence worked.
Perhaps most dads are like that — tough on the outside but emotional when nobody is watching. Besides providing emotional and financial security, Dads are also one of the best solutions providers that you will ever find; be it your career, finances, or even your love life, depending on how close you are to your dad.
Fathers teach their children many basic things in life: how to read a book, throw a ball, tie a necktie, ride a bike, or drive a car. More importantly, they also help instill time-honored values in their children, such as hard work, respect, honesty, and being a good citizen.
“Through their words, actions, and sacrifices, fathers play an important role in shaping the characters of their sons and daughters,” proclaimed former American President George Bush.
My dad taught me not to define myself by how much I had, but by what I did with what I had. I learned early on not to let money be the sole determining factor for the decisions I made in life, but I also learned that, although money couldn’t buy happiness, it was important and provides peace of mind, freedom, flexibility, and the ability to choose what you want to do.
He always says, “remain focused on the end goal which can lead to a better life and work for it by minding your own business.”
He emphasized that we shall have to face many failures before finding true success.
I remember the Snakes and ladder game he used to help illustrate, the many failures we may face and some very close to our goal, but still, we shall have to dust off the disappointment and start all over again without any loss of enthusiasm.
Very often, He used the example of his own family who migrated from Pakistan at the time of partition and had to start from scratch to rebuild their lives.
He taught me the importance of developing a skill set; “Work to learn.”
He said, “look ahead and see, what skill sets you to need to acquire before choosing a specific profession and keep constantly upgrading your skills because that is the only path to face the constant change and disruptions our society faces today. He said, train your mind to explore, to take on new tasks, to venture into unknown territories, as he believed that “a trained mind is a rich mind.” The more you train your mind to take bold steps, you will move ahead. The successful create their own luck from obstacles and so must you.”
Life skills, communication, management of systems and people, etc. are equally important for success and are not taught in school.
He emphasized early on, “You should acquire these life skills to help yourself on the path to a good life. Effective communication and people management skills shall make the tasks of achieving your goals easy.”
Finally, Dad taught me the love of sharing and giving, he taught me about “Tithing” in his own way. He shared the secret that tithing affects every aspect of our lives and not just our money. Tithing for him was not sharing a tenth of what he earned with a religious organization or donating, but sharing what he earned and the fruits of his labor with his extended family and friends. Our house was always open to welcome guests and anybody could approach my dad for any assistance that he may require, in cash or in kind.
Dad’s simple teachings can solve greater complexities but are often forgotten in our fast-changing lives. These childhood lessons from him may not have made much sense then, but they do now.
It’s worth following what he taught in his own way. So, let’s go ahead and make the most of it.
I am thankful for the values my father instilled in me about being a “Successful Human.”
Thank You, Dad!
Celebrate Fathers Day every day, I try and do.
Happy Father’s Day!
Stay Blessed Forever.