Top 3 Life Lessons I Learned from my Dad

By Mike Cooper

As I relaxed on Father’s Day, I started thinking about all the things my dad taught me over the years. There were many lessons; some may have gone on deaf ears at the time. But as I got older and had children of my own, I saw the wisdom in all of those lessons.

Here are the top 3 lessons I learned from my dad:

1. You Can Do It Yourself. He showed me, by example, that you CAN fix many things on your own. I learned how to diagnose a problem, understand what was involved to fix it, how to fix it, and, most importantly, when it was necessary to ask for assistance. It helped me to think through problems logically and strategically, not only with home improvement projects, but in business too.
2. Honesty. When my dad taught me how to golf, he made it clear that it was a gentleman’s game. Cheating was not allowed. You can learn a lot about people by playing a round of golf with them. No matter how bad of a round you are having, you should not take it out on someone else, and there is nothing to be gained from beating yourself up over it. Understand what you did wrong and learn from it so you will be better the next time.
3. Perseverance. My dad told me to keep going after my dreams. At times those dreams were put off because of other priorities, but they were not forgotten. Pam and I didn’t give up; we kept working to reach our goal. After 26 years, we fulfilled our longstanding dream by opening Naperville Senior Center last year and we love every minute of it! That, in part, is what dad instilled in me all those years ago.

I have my dad to thank for teaching me the lessons that have molded me into the man I am today. I hope my children learn half as much from me as I have from my dad.

At NSC, we have several dads, grandpas and great-grandpas as Members. We know they worked hard to instill good life lessons into their children and we wish them a Happy Father’s Day.

Call to action: contact us to schedule a FREE 3-hour trial at our facility so you can see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience. It’s like “Home Away From Home,” but with a nurse and therapists in your living room.