70 for 70 – 70 Lessons I’ve Learned from My Dad as We Celebrate His 70th Birthday
In honor of my dad’s 70th Birthday, here are 70 lessons – some big, others small; some I’ve learned from watching him, others I’ve learned from listening to him, and many are direct lessons he’s taught our family, me, and others over the course of all our lives.
Happy Birthday, Dad.
We love you, appreciate you, and look forward to many more lessons, laughs, and making more memories in the years to come.
1 – Keep your head down: Whether taking swings or fielding in baseball or in life, keep your head down and focus on the work in front of you, keeping your “eye on the ball”.
2 – Keep your passers pass’n and your shooters shoot’n: Via his high school basketball coach, Doc Murphy; also transferable to leadership in life, on any level.
3 – Even when or if you miss, have a “the next shot is going in” mentality. That was in basketball growing up but has been transferable in life – personally and professionally.
4 – Run cold water over your wrists to cool down when playing basketball or working out to cool down your body and nervous system.
5 – Work harder than everyone else in every possible situation.
6 – Shoot it! Take the shot: Just like in basketball, in life – personally and professionally – put yourself out there, take the chance. The shot might go in, and you might win. But if you don’t “take the shot” you’ll never know.
7 – Apologize and own it when you make mistakes.
8 – Shine your shoes.
9 – Wash your car.
10 – Play hard.
11 – Take the trip, book the flight, go on the cruise, and do it right. Order the good drinks, upgrade seats, room types, and cabins when you can. Book The Retreat when cruising on Celebrity.
12 – Order the nice meal.
13 – Drink top shelf.
14 – Use good ice. Lots of ice.
15 – At a nice restaurant, order a “middle-of-the-road” priced bottle of wine, because at nice places, they won’t serve bad wine.
16 – Cut a few pieces of steak at a time, eat a few bites, and then cut a few more pieces, so you don’t have a whole steak cut up into a bunch of pieces on your plate at once. (I have no idea if this is actually the proper etiquette, but he told me that when I was like 6 years old and I’m now 46 and still do the same thing. It’s one of those things I always think about when eating steak at restaurants.)
17 – Put money into 401k.
18 – When vacationing at Walt Disney World, stay on property.
19 – Crew’s Cup Lounge at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort is “the best Tanqueray and Tonic on property” (because they have great limes.)
20 – Watch the news.
21 – Follow up. And then follow up again, and again, and again.
22 – Don’t borrow trouble.
23 – Enjoy the “now”. Today. Tomorrow will be there waiting with of its issues and circumstances, and you can’t control any of that today. So, today, lean in and enjoy each moment for what it is, what you can learn, who you can serve, and how you can make a positive impact. Today is the day.
24 – Learn to be content with what you have rather than dwell on what you don’t.
25 – At the Craps tables – Play the Pass Line, increase your odds bets on the 6 and 8, and have three come bets.
26 – In business dealings, get all the terms and commitments from both sides in writing.
27 – Play it close to the vest.
28 – Show respect to your elders.
29 – Don’t stoop to the level of classless individuals who use snark and sarcasm to knock you off your game.
30 – Shoot for the stars with your feet planted firmly on the ground.
31 – GIVE your best effort and have a “leave it all out on the floor” mentality.
32 – Spend quality time with your wife, early and often.
33 – Get there early and stay late when you need to but get out of there when you can.
34 – Buy season tickets if you can.
35 – Look sharp.
36 – Be generous with your time, talent, and resources.
37 – Believe in “a place called Hope.”
38 – When you’ve put in a long, hard day’s work, remember that it will all be there waiting on you tomorrow; so, don’t think you need to stay all night at work. What you don’t get finished today can be tackled tomorrow. Don’t try to do it all on your own.
39 – Watch the games and go in-person when possible. Sports = Joy, Lessons, Inspiration.
40 – Support small businesses and workers every chance you get.
41 – Go to the pool.
42 – Make sure you have good limes for gin and tonics. There are times for Tanqueray and in certain situations Bombay Saphire is the move.
43 – Buy Blantons when you can get it.
44 – Take pride in the work you do, products and services you provide, and the value you’re able to add to others.
45 – Shave.
46 – Have faith.
47 – Believe in yourself even when others don’t.
48 – Tip generously.
49 – Write and send handwritten Thank You cards.
50 – Take care of your teeth.
51 – GIVE holiday bonuses and extra compensation to your team when you can.
52 – Listen and observe.
53 – Sometimes not commenting or responding is the appropriate response.
54 – Take the garbage out frequently.
55 – Get up and go to work even when you’re tired and over it.
56 – Visit family and friends as early and as often as possible.
57 – Go to church.
58 – Pray. Let go and put your faith in God.
59 – Root for the Cats, Reds, and Bengals, and under no circumstances root for Indiana (even though I still love the Indiana Fever but I’m a Las Vegas Aces fan for life – All In).
60 – Tithe.
61 – Keep the garage organized.
62 – Experience new things, new places, new people, and new challenges because all of the above keep you learning, growing, and becoming.
63 – Acceptance is a skill. Develop it and embrace it.
64 – Serve your communities and serve people.
65 – Tell the truth even when it’s unpopular.
66 – “Right’s right if nobody does it, and wrong’s wrong if everybody does it.”
67 – Use Cruise Control so you don’t get a speeding ticket. Again.
68 – Be careful.
69 – Travel.
70 – Love God and love people. Repeat.
Happy 70th, Dad! We love you! See you soon!
