5 Things My Dad Taught Me
In the journey called life, the most valuable lessons you are summarized as your upbringing. The way you live is a reflection of teachings and conditioning in your formative years. In the epics, the story of Abhimanyu reflects that the learning process starts as early as a fetus in the womb of their mother. For others, it starts from the time when we start understanding gestures and language.
There is no second thought about the fact that if I follow everything my dad told me, I will be the most successful person in the world. Yet it is the most difficult thing to do. It is impossible for any of us to follow everything that our beloved parents say. Yet, don’t ignore the most significant teachings — they are the ones told repeatedly. I started applying them and in the long run, you realized how right they are!
These are a few of the many learnings that changed my life.
Don’t take personal loans
When I was young and started getting pocket money, I always felt I am getting lesser then what I deserve. After growing up I realized that is how money works. You always have less than what you want. Since I was always scarce of funds, I was tempted to borrow money from friends and family. This is when my dad gave me his first lesson in life: never borrow money to spend it on yourself.
However simple credit looks and feels, it isn’t easy. After having seen people in horrible conditions because of debt, I realized how repayment of your debt is the most difficult part while surviving. Instead of working for yourself, you end up working for your lender.
Don’t ever use a credit card
Credit card schemes are just another form of a loan on your head, albeit with more luring schemes. My dad always said the American ecosystem will go down because of excessive reliance credit. Today, he has already been partially true. The habit of living on future income is dangerous. The more you go in, the more it is difficult to come out.
Live a simple life, it is beautiful
He never believed in complicating things in life. He liked the way a select number of people who believed in the mantra and rightfully put it: the KISS approach (Keep it simple, stupid!) This learning he shared by setting an example. He told me the most difficult part of living a good life is to keep it simple. In this, you don’t have to fight with others but with yourself. And if you are a warrior, you will win, and winning a battle to yourself is the most beautiful feeling. Minimalism is a difficult thing to achieve, but once achieved it is indeed beautiful.
Read books, collect books and then read some more
When your house has over a thousand books, this point is implicitly emphasized upon every day. Books are our best friends. Yet it is difficult to pick your best-friends from the shelf. If somebody has the courage to write it down, and publish it, it usually has something good. And you can always review and read on recommendations.
Use papers to write what you want to do
I was reading a blog the other day about how to create a right kind of checklist, or how good it is to have a calendar or other To-Do apps on the phone. My dad always writes on paper or a small diary. The idea behind it is very simple: while writing, you remind your brain to store it, every time you see the paper, you remind the brain to work on the to-do list. Not to forget the thrilling sense of achievement when you strike off tasks as you complete them. It is one of the best life hacks ever.
There are a hundred more things my dad told me, but these are some which I have tried following and whenever I follow I know the results will be good. Try following these or what your dad told you to do.
