Father's Day Edition: 3 Life Lessons My Father Taught Me - How Did Your Father Influence You?

Kawartha Lakes Mums - How Did Your Father Influence Your Work? 

Dar'shun Kendrick, Business Attorney in Georgia wrote a very thought provoking post on LinkedIn : 5 Business Lessons My Father Taught Me, Father's Day Edition. Her post about her father, who lays tile, inspired me to write about the Life Lessons I learned from my father that have made me the success I am today.
Here is my response.

3 Life Lessons My Father Taught Me 

In Memory of Leonard R. Sholer 1925 -2011
Top Right - In Deep Discussion at Roadside Diner
Bottom - With Sugar Shack Buddies

I too grew up with entrepreneurial parents. My father worked long hours with my mother in a series of businesses he started: the first taxi company in his home town, an aggregate distributor, a heating company, and a real estate firm. The life lessons my father taught me are a part of who I am and how I do business. My father taught me many things about business. Here are three life lessons he taught me that made me the success I am today.

LESSON 1 : LOOK BEYOND THE COVER 

 My father taught me to "look beyond the cover" of people, to see their potential, to listen to people and encourage them in the pursuing their goals. He taught me there are lessons to be learned from all people. How? My father frequently hired "unemployable" people who struggled with different challenges, and he delighted in passing incognito to hear what people thought of different issues. He passed his delight in people of all walks of life on to me - for which I am truly grateful.

LESSON 2 - USE YOUR MIND 

My father only ever gave me one piece of career advice: "Use your mind." When the TRS-80 first came on the market, my father took me to a computer exhibition in Toronto. At the time, I was debating between carpentry or programming. I remember him saying: "Look at me, I've worked all my life with my strength and my hands. A body wears out as you age. Choose a job where you can use your mind. " I am grateful I took his advice, for I've been able to work online despite severe injury.

LESSON 3 - SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY 

My father taught me the importance of shopping local, buying from your neighbours, and volunteering to make your community a better place. He was passionate about finding solutions to improve others' lives - whether as a member of town council, or donating time to help with LIONS community work. It is this last life lesson that gets me out of bed in the morning. It drives my passion in examining statistics to tweak and develop a publishing template for an integrated system of social media platforms to help family - friendly small businesses effectively connect online with their local communities, and establish global links in the most cost effective manner possible.

WHAT IS SUCCESS? 

My father taught me true success is not measured by a bank balance. True success comes from a deep inner-satisfaction at the end of the day. The kind of satisfaction from a small offline business gaining a new client through 4 Square, a new mum getting a baby photographer through Twitter, a charity gaining its first PayPal contributions, the police thanking me for aiding in a search through Facebook connections. I am grateful for my father's lessons in making me the success I am today. May you find success in each day too.

The beginning foundations of "Your Social Community - An Online Connections Template " can be found at KawarthaLakesMums.blogspot.com
Related Links

• 5 Business Lessons My Father Taught Me - This LinkedIn Post that inspired this article.
• Leonard R. Sholer Obituary
• Roadside Diner Memories

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