Wisdom, straight up

My father and I have had a rocky relationship, especially in my adulthood. It was only this past June, we chose to let go of the past and commit to a loving and accepting future. Our relationship has been blossoming since then, into something I never thought was possible. I am so grateful to have him, not simply back in my life but, as one of my strongest support columns.

Over the weekend, we had a refreshingly honest and compassionate conversation that felt foreign but nostalgically comforting. We talked about life, careers, relationships, perspectives…I was reminded as to why I missed our relationship so much all these years.

A little synopsis of what he shared with me:

Time management:

Don’t be so rigid. Don’t pack your day so tightly. Be  f l e x i b l e. Have fun while doing everything. Don’t do anything you don’t enjoy. Don’t stress about not getting something done today. You always have tomorrow. Focus on the bigger picture.

Actions:

If it’s an improvement for the greater good, do it. Don’t complain about the amount of work that needs to get done. Just do it. We live for the greater good, not for the ease of individuals. Be committed to the greater cause and don’t be attached to how small, petty tasks should be done.

Life:

Good ol’ sayings never get old: It’s the journey, not the destination.

Success isn’t the ultimate goal, but rather all of the lovely people I meet along the way and the many experiences that contribute to my life and who I am. Being focused on the end goal and having a tunnel vision make me blind to all of the greatness happening around me in every moment. I need to learn to s.l.o.w.d.o.w.n., be mindful of and be grateful for every::little::step.

This is one concept I have struggled with the most. I am so goal oriented and until recently, had a strong belief that I am not of any value unless I accomplish everything I set out to. Life has been a huge to-do list for me and for those of you who’ve seen my Google calendar, you know I’m a bit of a nut

Money:

Money is a tools to expand your life to serve others and to live/share the life you want to live.

I have always had an issue with spending money. With all of the poor, starving, dying people in our world, I get overwhelmed with guilt when I make money or partake in frivolous expenditures.

But, especially after my conversation with my father, I am easing into the understanding that, 1) money, as with any good tool, should be utilized and not collecting dust in savings; 2) money, as with any other goodies in life, should be shared, and that 3) money is simply a concept.

I love this new realization. I now feel freedom around money. It’s quite liberating I’m now committed to utilizing my money to expand and enrich lives and cultivate joy.

Opinions and conversations:

Opinions are great to have. The ability to articulate opinions is even better. Even better is the ability to listen to others’ varying opinions with understanding and acceptance, without making them wrong and/or trying to get them to agree with you. Conversations and sharing of opinions are not about making people agree with you but rather to understand where they are coming from and allow those perspectives to broaden, improve and/or challenge yours.