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Lasting Lessons from My Dad

Sadly, my father passed away this past year (2013). He was 84 and lived a full life. Many times, he commented to me that he couldn’t believe he had lived this long. When he was a child, he told me, living to 65 seemed like a reasonable expectation. I am glad he beat his expectations and gave us many more years to be with him. Dad came from a generation where you lived up to your responsibilities. He never complained about them. He also believed that teaching children to be independent adults was an important parental responsibility. He didn’t coddle us, but also did not judge us too harshly. He was always there if needed.

Happy Thanksgiving 2019!

The romantic interpretation of the first Thanksgiving always captivates me. I’m not sure the information is entirely accurate, but the story is inspiring nonetheless.

Leadership Thought #352 – What I Learned From My Mom

We only have one mother. Never forget that without her, we wouldn’t be here. She sacrificed and gave up many things to raise and support you. She was not perfect (no one is), but I am sure she tried her best. She brought you into this world, took care of you, and made sure you could find your way. She imparted the most significant gift of all—the ability to love and receive love.

Happy Thanksgiving 2015!

I’ve always looked forward to Thanksgiving Day. It is one of my favorite holidays of the year. The combination of the food, the parade, football, and, most importantly, family, makes it a special day. It marks the beginning of the countdown to Christmas and signals the start of celebrating the end of another year. I certainly have a lot to be thankful for and feel fortunate to be in this position.

Happy Holidays 2013!

Every year, I have fun reading holiday books, looking for excerpts from writings that reflect my feelings about the season. This is an especially poignant year for me, given my father’s recent passing. His birthday was Christmas Day, and it will be the first time we haven’t spoken on this day in my lifetime.

Leadership Thought #445 – How We Transition…

We never know what life will put in our path along the way. Occasionally, our transitions are predictable, such as moving on to the following year in school. At other times, a transition can occur without much warning, such as an unexpected layoff or a significant promotion at work. Our actions and those of those around us can significantly impact these situations. Some transitions, especially those that involve personal tragedy, will require some time for grieving and healing; however, even in these circumstances, there are a few universal lessons we can follow:

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

There are only a few days a years when we are all encouraged to step back and reflect on our life and its many blessings. I find this time of year to be especially important for this very reason. Of course it’s easy to get caught up in the commercialism and challenging logistics of the holidays, but I encourage you to avoid this temptation.

Leadership Thought #371 – What I Learned From My Dad

Since Father’s Day is right around the corner, I thought it would be fitting to share some of what I have learned from my dad. Every boy’s first role model is his father. You believe him to be a man of Olympian strength, Einstein-like intellect, and the quintessential self-reliant individual as portrayed by Ralph Waldo Emerson. There was nothing he couldn’t fix or a problem he couldn’t solve. I remember watching many cowboy movies as a kid and assuming my dad would have made a better protagonist.

As we get older we learn that our dad is human like everyone else and if you are smart you eventually relieve him of the pressures of sitting up on a pedestal. However, many of the lessons we learn from our parents end up lasting a lifetime. My dad taught me the following:

Leadership Thought #339 – Use Your Time Well

Time is limited. We all know this fact, yet many of us still manage our time poorly. Two of the biggest complaints I hear from people are that they are too busy or that there is not enough time. I can certainly empathize with this mindset, and at various points in my life, I have struggled with these challenges myself. However, I have learned that you manage your time, or it manages you.

Leadership Thought #272 – Family First, Everything Else Follows

We’ve all heard the saying that when someone is near the end of their life, they don’t look back and wish they had worked more, but instead focus on how they tended to their family and close personal relationships. Countless people have also asserted that you cannot take your money with you when you pass away. Moreover, after you’ve accumulated a certain amount of wealth, what’s the point of earning more? Is it merely to keep score or to satisfy an ego need for self-importance?