4 Life Lessons You Can Thank Your Parents For

When I was little, I would wake up at the crack of dawn (old habits die hard) and walk out in the living room to see my dad, already clad in office attire, on the couch watching the news and reading the paper. He would make himself coffee, get me my chocolate milk, and he would always let me change the channel to watch the Rugrats or the Road Runner.

As I got a little older (but still young enough to drink chocolate milk out of a no-spill sippy cup) I actually enjoyed talking to my dad about what he was reading in the paper that morning or what business project he was going to be presenting at work. I remember he would get home from work just as my sister and I were getting out of the bath and rather than going straight to reading us bedtime stories, he would talk to me about his day at work. I knew everything that was going down in the business of computers and PDAs before I was even old enough to have one.

Now that I’m older and have a blog, we can talk about these “business-y” things in depth. As he works and I blog, we are constantly chatting on the phone about the best way to market on social media and frequently sending each other helpful articles on advertising and other promotional business tactics.

It may sound a little dry, but he’s also the person that listens to my every little problem (personal or business related), took me to IKEA several times to buy furniture for my apartment, and is always up for a walk around the block or some Chinese food.

Today is his birthday and seeing as he has been my #1 cheerleader for this blog and has always worked hard to give me everything I need to be successful, I thought it would be fun to round-up some life lessons that he has taught me.

Never say “yes” right away

My dad considers every little decision. We once shopped for an office chair for him for about 3 years. Every time we happened to be in the vicinity of a furniture store or an Office Max, we had to go in and sit on every chair. If you think an office chair is a minor purchase decision, then you are right. (Haha.) Just think about what he’s like with bigger purchases. I swear he test drove cars to replace his ’96 Civic for about six years!

Now, I’m not this patient. I tend to jump at every opportunity that comes my way, and this can lead to me feeling overwhelmed. I’ve learned from my dad that you never have to say “yes” right away, and giving yourself time to weigh your options (whether it be for a job opportunity, a new car, or a purse) can actually pay off in the long run.

Good opportunities are worth every penny 

My dad has been my biggest supporter when it comes to blogging. He reads every single post, watches every episode of #askCWH, and sends me a text whenever he notices a typo on a post. He’s also my main (and only) financial backer for this little site. (I have promised to have a sweet guest house for him in my future mansion when I make it big…haha.)

When I heard about Thrive Blog Conference from my blogging gal pal Tiffani, my dad encouraged me to go and learn from and meet other bloggers. Not only did he pay for my ticket, but he also paid for my plane ticket from Arkansas to Houston so that I didn’t have to waste 9 hours driving there and back. He knew that the conference would be an incredible opportunity for me, and he was so right.

I’ll pay him back someday. Maybe I’ll hook up that guest house with a huge flat screen, surround sound, and a music room for him to play his guitar in. Just throwing around ideas, Dad, don’t get too excited.

Quality over quantity

If you’ve ever seen an improvement made to my website, it was probably encouraged by my dad. I usually ignore him for a few weeks until I finally realize he’s right. (Haha, isn’t that what daughters are supposed to do?) He’s the one who encouraged me to make videos to connect with my audience better, he’s the one who urged me to install Google Analytics, and he’s the one who always tells me to “mine my content” instead of just trying to throw a few posts out each week.

I love my Monday and Thursday blogging schedule. I don’t blog two times a week just because I’m busy with school, but more so because my dad has taught me to value quality over quantity. I’ve learned it’s much more productive to spend my time figuring out how to promote my posts better and getting to know other bloggers than just posting every day of the week.

So, thanks dad. Even though I don’t always listen to you at first, your ideas aren’t so bad 🙂

Every problem has a solution

Anyone ever go off to college and realize that you’re more like your parents than you thought? Sometimes I’ll say something or cook a certain meal for dinner and feel exactly like my mom. We both keep a bag of Twizzlers in our drawer at all times and are very organized.

My dad used to repeat his favorite mantra “every problem has a solution” to me allllllll the time. Junior year I got mono and missed a few days of school. I was already horribly confused when it came to physics, and I remember him grabbing a pen and explaining circuits to me while writing on the paper they put on your seat in the doctor’s office. “Every problem has a solution.” When I would worry about a fight I had with a friend, he would listen to me cry and vent and tell me for the millionth time that “every problem has a solution”.

I say this to myself in my head now at least 10 times a day. College has proven to be stressful at times and blogging can certainly give me a run for my money some weeks, so I always find peace in those words and remembering that no bad day can last forever and everything will always (eventually) fall into place.

I’m incredibly thankful for my Dad and what he has taught me. Without him and his stubborn pursuit to make sure I’m always doing things to the best of my ability (including vacuuming….did you know there’s a wrong way to vacuum?) I wouldn’t be who I am today, and this blog wouldn’t be what it is!

Happy birthday, Daddy and thanks for always being the best! I hope your day is great!

X,

Cristina