Father’s Day: The Role Fathers Play

Happy Father’s Day! I know it’s a tad early, but by the time Poppa’s
Day rolls around I’ll be recovering from a 22 hour nonstop flight to
Bangkok and dodging raindrops in Phuket. So Happy Father’s Day with a shout out to the role that fathers play; for there’s no doubt
that fathers play a major role in the development of their daughters
and I’d say hands-down my dad had the most influence on me regarding
motivation, ethics, and leadership.

Some dads are great. Some
dads aren’t. Some just do the best they can with what they’ve been
dealt. Hey dads are human; and positive or otherwise, all of them have
had some influence on us… and I am so grateful for the positive
influence my father had on me.

A former rock-band guitarist
turned jet-engine mechanic my dad served his country in the Air Force
during the Viet Nam war. Later in life he held the number one sales
position (for 11 years) with a major retailer and was acknowledged for
his expertise with both intrinsic and external rewards.

My dad taught
me everything I know about motivation, sacrifice, excellence, and
ethics. And this is no slight to my mother who taught me everything I
need to know about asserting my rights, standing up for myself, and
getting my voice heard (did I mention she earned a black belt in karate
at the fabulous age of 56? I digress…) Dad also taught me if
I want something badly enough and have some capacity to do it- then I
better work my arse off to get it.

I grew up overhearing the Jack
Canfield success tapes (cassettes! ahaha love those 80s!) that dad
would bring home from the conventions his company would send him to.
After dinner we’d listen to them together and discuss how the same
principles applied not only to his endeavors but also to my 13-year-old
world of angst.

Phrases like “Oh what the heck, go for it
anyway” and “Fear is fake experiences appearing real” and “I am enough”
were the mantras of my childhood. He would stick post-it notes on my
mirror that said things like: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence
therefore is not an act but a HABIT.” and “Focus on PROGRESS not
Perfection.”

Now imagine spouting THAT stuff off to your friends
when you’re in ninth grade. Hilarious. But it worked. I, like many
adolescents, had a rough go at it during those teenage years. I found a
lot of strength in the words my father gave me to reflect upon…

Dad
also taught me about love and sacrifice by the way he cared for my mom,
my brother, and me. My dad is the one who set the bar for the kind of
person I wanted to be… and for the kind of person I would eventually
share my life with.

My dad, (like most of your dads I’m sure) is an
extraordinary man. He’s not perfect but he continuously strives
to do better. To be better. And isn’t that what life really is about?
It’s not about power, money, the accumulation of things, and keeping up
with the Jones’s. It’s about evolution. It’s about becoming.
It’s about transcending the shallow needs and wants that we are
brainwashed to believe will fulfill us and make us whole. Life is about
who you become, it’s not about what you have, or what you do. Or to eloquently quote the author Matthew Kelly, “Who you become, is infinitely more important than what you do or what you have.”

My
dad is a man of faith. He’s a man of his word. He taught me there is no
alternative but to be hopeful in hopeless situations and he taught me
to follow through on what I say I’m going to do.

It’s hard to sum
up in a short article why and how my dad had so much influence on me
regarding leadership, motivation and ethics – but suffice it to say- he
did… in a major way. So yes, for better or worse, love em or leave
em… there’s no getting away from the influence fathers have on their
daughters.

Here’s to my amazing dad and here’s to my wonderfully
loving dad-in-law. And here’s to my stalwart brother and my brilliant
husband- no, they’re not dads (yet) but both have the great potential
to be.

Here’s to our troops and our servicemen and our
President. Here’s to men of integrity, men of faith, men with hearts of
courage who honor their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters
everywhere- because even on the days when nobody is looking, these men
are protectors, nurturers, and providers of so many things to so many
people.

Do you know a man like this? A brother, a father, a friend? Let
him know today how much you value him… because Father’s day isn’t just
about being a father…

It’s about what being a father stands for.

Happy Father’s Day to you!