92 and counting!!
Why would I share this little slice of my life? Because this is where success began for me. I had the greatest teacher and mentor one could ever hope to have. He was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He has lived a full life, in good Health. We will observe his condition daily and let him live as he is, in the mainstream of life, as long as possible. But for now we celebrate him! :)
Meet my Dad… this photo was taken last night as we celebrated 92 years of life! And what a life it has been! He has been a successful entrepreneur since he was 12 years old. Through his life of struggles and success he taught me so much about life's Journey.
He still drives himself to his office a couple of hours a day where, on the computer, he looks at sales figures, sales per sales person, inventory levels, purchase orders, deliveries, inventory turns, expenditures, and so on. My brothers now run the business he ultimately built… "one day, one step at a time" He used to tell me daily.(and still does)
At 5 years old, he began taking me to work with him. I loved going! I now see, in retrospect, this is where my most important lessons about life and career began. Without his lessons of success and failure, I would likely not be here with you today.
1- Follow your dreams, then live them…
2- Treasure each day and live it to the fullest...
3- On your way to success, you will make some mistakes… own them and learn from them...
4- If something isn't working, change it… don't keep making the same mistake...
5- Treat your customers as you would like to be treated… then, exceed their expectations, always…
6- Don't forget to stop and help others along the way…
7- Do not go into debt… work with the resources you have
8- All work and no play is not a full life
9- Don't forget to stop and sniff the daisies.
We all have dreams… the question is, what are you going to do about them?
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That's awesome Julie, thank you for sharing. And tell your Dad he is an inspiration to us all! :-)
I will share these comments with him tomorrow. We meet every morning for breakfast… will take my ipad and share with him. :) It will make him smile. He is so fascinated with the possibilities with the web.
That's absolutely lovely, Julie. Your father is a true visionary when it comes to business and getting the most out of life. Thanks for sharing such an inspirational story.
Thank You so much Sharon. We get a kick out of him most days. He can be quite a character. I was looking for you earlier in G+. Did not see you. :(
What a beautifull story of a great man's life and his achievments. Reminds me of my dad who was a dedicated/hard working farmer in Africa.......they just dont make them like that anymore, they are a special breed tough, hardworking, honest and yet very gentle and human in there own unique way. You have the best teacher life can offer , please tell him happy birthday from us all here at WA, take care and stay gold , Johan.
Thank you Johan. You are absolutely right, they do not make them like that anymore. They just did what they did what had to be done to make it in this world. If that meant 3 jobs, then, so be it. They just did what they had to for their family. He survived WWII, was in the Air Force. I think that generation world-wide had a work ethic and determination than is disappearing from the population today. Just thinking of what they built and the innovations that have brought us to this point in time… simply amazing. :)
What an awesome post and how wonderfully Blessed you are to have such a wonderful Father! The picture is beautiful! Tell him I send belated Happy Birthday wishes!
I will show him online. He is amazed how smartphones and computers have changed the world so quickly and how people socialize online. He does not like the virtual world. He thinks people should interact face to face. I don't see him changing his opinions at this point in his life. He's funny.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I agree, he is a truly amazing man and defies the laws of nature. His Grandmother lived to be 104. So he's still got some time to make a difference, he says. :)
Some really good lessons to follow. He sounds amazing. I hope I can function that well at 92. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, I hope I can function like that too at 92. He has set a very high bar for me to step over. :)
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Aww such a sweet photo, I'm impressed at your dads work ethic. He's still at it, I can see where you get it from Julie. Bless the both of you:)
I am very lucky and truly blessed to have father like him.
Yes you are Julie:)