Lessons From My Father's Life

My father died yesterday. He was 94.

He worked 33 years as a telephone company lineman and repair person. He was retired 41.

He taught me the world doesn't owe you anything. But it gives you everything if you work for it.

What I learned from him:

·      Success isn't what you accumulate. It's who you help along the way.

·      Freedom isn't avoiding work. It's loving what you do so much you'd do it without pay.

·      You don't need all the answers. You need better questions.

·      The goal isn't another achievement, another title, another milestone.

·      The goal is a legacy. Something that outlasts you. Something that matters beyond yourself.

He spent much of his life teaching me in fields, streams, woods, forests, offshore in rough water, and in quiet moments watching the years pass.

I'm 68. Maybe I’ve got 26 more years of lessons if I'm lucky. 

Thanks Dad. Miss you.