Whenever I start something new, I take their blessings. Whether it’s taking the first selfie on a new smartphone, sharing the first bite of a meal, or sharing some happy news with them, this first post is dedicated to my Dad: a Thinker, a Doer, a firm believer in God, a follower of truth, a problem solver, a sarcastic, calm, and composed individual. One of his most noteworthy qualities is that he is a leader who leads from the front.
On that note, let me tell you ten valuable life lessons My Father taught me.
Never compromise your principles and morals.
A person’s life is filled with learning, some from experience and some from learning from others. As you learn, you better understand the world and develop your opinions.
As a result, you form your perspective of seeing things. You define what is right and wrong, and these things lead to ideas, which become your beliefs, from which you make every critical decision in life.
My Father says a simple thing: never compromise your principles, no matter the case. It might seem complicated to deal with situations where you have to compromise and act against your principles, but staying true to yourself and your principles becomes easier.
And as the famous quote goes, “If your backs are against the wall, break the goddam thing down.”
Patience is the Key
People became restless and impatient with instant gratification everywhere, from social media reels to e-commerce one-day delivery services. Technology has made our lives easier but also made us impatient.
Everyone wants six-pack abs today, but no one wants to put in the effort consistently; everyone wants better pay, but no one wants to learn a new skill; everyone wants to get rich, but no one wants to invest or save. As a result, everyone is looking for shortcuts and falls prey to promises such as “Get abs in 12 weeks”, “Lose 10 kg in 10 days”, “Get your money doubled in 21 days,” etc.,
As my Father always reminds me, good things take time. So, to see great results, you must be patient enough to work consistently.
Honesty is the best policy.
You may have heard this quote many times in your life; this is one of the things they teach in school during our childhood. But are you following it with diligence?
According to my Father, anything earned by hard work and honesty always thrives, and anything else that isn’t honest goes to waste. But there is another aspect of honesty: honesty with yourself. Do you need that extra hour at night to browse social media and compromise your sleep? Do you want to spend your free time binge-watching Netflix shows while compromising your opportunity to upskill?
Well, the answer lies in introspection. As Jordon Peterson said in one of his interviews, “If you want to know something about yourself, sit on your bed one night and say, What’s the one thing that I am doing wrong that I could fix and that I would fix? You meditate on that, and you will get an answer, and it won’t be the one you want, but it will be a necessary one. “
Be Punctual
As you might already know, time is precious, so being on time is very important. Just because you don’t want to wait or get lazy often, you leave things until the 11th hour.
My Father says that starting half an hour early or, let’s say, keeping an additional half an hour in your hand always helps avoid panic situations. This could be getting up early for a meeting, a competitive exam, booking an Uber, or getting to the airport early.
Starting early has many advantages, such as creating a positive impression, remaining calm, and many more, whereas leaving things for the last minute has many disadvantages, such as unnecessary worry and chaos. In a panic situation, a few things can go wrong. On the other hand, if you start early, you might have to wait for half an hour at worst.
Well, that’s far better than missing your flight, losing valuable time in an exam, walking into a conference room a few minutes late, and giving the impression that you aren’t reliable. Don’t you think?
What goes around comes around.
Karma is real, as many of you may have heard. Unfortunately, many people believe that whatever good deeds they perform or whatever sins they commit will come back to haunt them in the next life. But this isn’t true. No matter how good or bad your actions may be, you will experience the consequences in the same life.
According to my Father, you should treat people the way you would like to be treated. If you help someone today, you will receive help when you need it. But, if you do something terrible to someone, be ready to face the consequences.
Also, there is a very famous saying in Hindi, which I translate into English, so pardon me if it doesn’t sound perfect. It says, “When God wields his stick, there won’t be any sound.”
Forgive, but never forget.
There are times in life when you get hurt, and most of the time, it is because of your expectations. However, there are times when you get hurt because of someone else.
At that moment, my Father says that you will be outraged and may also feel like hurting the person back who hurt you. But take a deep breath, step back, and consider the big picture. You will understand that anger or hurting them will only result in more stress, chaos, anger, and anxiety. The loop will never end.
Instead, view this as a valuable lesson life has taught you. Then, forgive the person and move on. But that’s not all. Never forget either the lesson or the person who taught it to you. Otherwise, you will repeat the same mistakes and be hurt again. Life will try to teach you the same lesson until you learn.
As my Father likes to say, “A mistake committed once is a mistake, but the same mistake committed twice is foolishness.”
Never Back down
Growing up, you start sharing responsibilities with your Father. It is said that the weight of duties on the Father’s shoulders becomes half when the son’s height matches that of his Father.
My Father says that although you can delegate responsibilities, do as much as possible. There are three things you should never back down from your commitments, your word, and your promises.
Do not make a promise you cannot keep; if you cannot keep them, you should not make them because that defines your character in the eyes of the outside world.
Know where to invest.
We all have resources that are both finite and infinite. But two of them are the most important ones. They are Time and Money.
My Father says, Don’t think short-term when investing your time and money. Play the long game instead. For example, invest money and time into learning a subject you enjoy. Investing time and money in improving your skills will pay off in the long run.
Binge-watching a show for which you pay subscription fees and the time can be a bad investment. Remember to calculate the monetary value of your time as well.
Be prepared
In the armed forces, they say that “No plan survives the first contact.” However, it is always good to have a plan of action.
As my Father says, it is always good to be prepared for contingencies, such as starting half an hour early to avoid traffic or considering traffic time. It is also good to keep a copy of your assignment if your computer crashes or your presentation is corrupted.
Always stay ahead of your competition, and being prepared will get you halfway there. Stay on top of the latest trends and technologies and what your competition is doing. Don’t imitate them, but come up with your ideas to beat them.
Be an early riser
Lastly, be an early riser or a morning person. It’s not that being an early riser makes you successful, but it sure does make you more productive.
My Father says being an early riser gives you an advantage over your peers and competition. You get an extra hour or two to work on your dreams outside your daily tasks. People say I don’t have time to pursue my passions; I don’t have time to read; I don’t have time to work out. What if you woke up just an hour earlier than usual? Try waking up before 8 AM to avoid the chaos that starts after that time and see the magic happen.
You have to keep in mind that discipline and consistency are necessary to achieve positive results.