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DAD'S FAMOUS ONE-LINERS
(or at least the ones I can print!) | |
"Fine as frog hair"
"Slow as molasses"
"Moving like a herd of turtles"
"Jak se mas.."
(There was more, but my Uncle Frank, whose parents really were from Prague and spoke fluent Czech, told me never to repeat it again...)
"Don't throw good money after bad"
"Never gamble with scared money"
"So hungry I could eat a horse"
and now for my personal favorite...
"So ugly... make a stick horse pitch in the dark"
and saving the best for last: the one that has served my sister and me the most...
"All they can tell you is 'No'" | |
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Greetings!
As Father's Day approaches, I'm reflecting on the many things that my Father shared with me during his lifetime. I'm certain at the time, he and I both knew I paid little attention to what he was telling me. If I did manage to hear something he said, my usual reaction was either, "Oh, Dad!" or "Oh my gosh, I cannot believe you just said that...."
Funny how time plays such tricks on you! Given the chance today, I'd stop whatever I was doing to to hear him tell one of his stupid jokes, silly stories or famous one-liners, or whistle some non-recognizable song....although I'm sure he knew what song it was! What makes me laugh most is to think just how surprised he'd be to know that I did listen to him then...enough so that I can actually apply the lessons to my own life and share them with you now. Wow - he'd be SHOCKED.
So, Dads everywhere, have faith, and be persistent in telling your kids all those things that you think that they're never listening to. Believe me. They are listening and when the time comes, your words will be just what they need to hear (or remember) at just the right time.
Happy Father's Day! |
| Lesson #1: The Game of Golf |
 Dad wouldn't take me to the golf course until I had practiced my grip, stance, and swing. Over and over, I practiced each technique, one at a time. Always the grip. Everything in order. Build skill upon skill. Then put it all together. It seemed so awkward and unnatural to practice each technique in isolation, but when we got to the actual course, I finally got to put it all together. When I hit that ball, and Dad's single word was "WOW!" I knew all the practice and preparation had paid off.
As I often share with the leadership participants in my training courses, it IS awkward and unnatural - even a bit uncomfortable at times - to learn skills in isolation. But with effective preparation (learning how with training), skillful practice (role plays) and a great coach to encourage and guide your behaviors, the pay off in real work and life situations is PRICELESS. |
| Lesson #2: Work Hard, Play Harder | | I grew up in a manufacturing town, full of hard working parents and kids. I learned that if you wanted to play, you had to get your work done first. School, household chores, then play. But play we did.
When Dad took time off from work, we headed across the country on the open road to see the deserts, Disneyland, and yes...Las Vegas...the OLD Las Vegas with the Rat Pack of Frank SInatra, Dean Martin where you dressed up BIG TIME to go see the shows, and kids didn't dare walk onto the casino floor or even loiter nearby. I didn't realize it, but Dad still had us "working" on the trips, calculating distances on the road maps, converting mileage to time...probably just to stop the incessant drone of "Are we there yet?" and "Does the motel have a swimming pool?" and "MOVE OVER, JUDY!" from the back seat.
If there wasn't enough time for the cross-country road trip, we'd hop on the boat and salt-water fish in the Gulf, flying fast across the water without a speck of land in sight, heading from one oil rig to another, chasing the birds who fed on the shrimp, catching Speckled Trout and Redfish, two at time with double hooks. During these trips, Dad and I would play the game of History Quiz. He'd give me a date or person, and I'd have to tell the story of what happened. If I didn't know or made a story up - which is what I got really good at - he'd tell the RIGHT story... or at least I thought it was at the time!
I learned that no matter how much work you have to do, there's always going to be more work than you can ever do in one day, AND nobody's going to tell you to quit working so hard. You have to learn to manage that yourself. Dad saw how hard I was working on my corporate jobs, bringing work home, staying up way too late, and kept telling me that if I was going to work THAT hard, I better be working for myself. He was right. I still work HARD, but I've learned that PLAY is just as important. In fact, it's often in the PLAY time, that I have some of my biggest, creative breakthroughs. (And, yes, I did start my own business 12 years ago when he was alive and well to celebrate that with me!)
I also learned that it's not about BALANCING work and play. It's about BLENDING the areas of your life. When I travel for business, I try to take a day or two in advance or after the trip to actually see more than the airport and hotel of the towns that I'm working in. It's even better if my daughter or husband can coordinate their schedules to come along with me. If not, I'm content to take a book and read on the plane or listen to my iPod.
The point is how can you blend the areas of your life each day? Quit trying to find time to BALANCE! Instead, find ways to BLEND. This lesson of blending is one of the most difficult to learn. It's not about multi-tasking. It's about prioritizing and creatively and purposefully planning ways to bring areas of your life together.
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Jill Hickman Companies
800-757-7965
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