7 Lessons I learnt from my Father.

Tomorrow will be Father's day and I thought to myself what better way to celebrate my Dad but writing this post. For some few months now I have really seen how I am blessed to have a Father who has always been there though sometimes he has been too much present in my life. My Dad is a very friendly guy(except to my guy visitors), ambitious,generous,disciplined and spiritual. I still remember when I was a kid that my Dad used to seize the oppurtunity of everyone's absence to prepare strange but tasteful dishes. But, no one could never tell the ingredients used. One day I ate something that tasted like chicken but later found it was one of the cute rabbits we had in the house that was grilled. I was so disgusted!!  I had a lot of stomach upsets when I was a kid, used to wake up from my sleep and puke endlessly because of something I ate late or something I ate out. They were really serious, there was even one I feel was a near death event. It was frequently my Dad who would stay with me all night and give me medicine or fluids( his concoctions).  Dad you really deserve this post and although you can  be a 'party popper' at times I still love you.
Before I went to Uni my Dad sat me down and had a lengthy chat with me. I thought he was being over protective or too rigid in his thinking, but now with just one year to go I realize he was pretty much saying the hard truth.  The list below are the lessons he told me that fateful day and others I heard almost every single day as I was growing up.
 1) "Life is a choice, you can choose to be happy, rich,poor, sucessful anything you want to be". But, its your choice". This is one phrase he LOVES saying, he made us understand that every decision you take makes what you are in the future. You want to be healthier? Eat good food. You want to be a Public Figure? Get Public Figures as mentors. If you decide to not do anything, it will be your 'choice'. Whatever happens will be the result of your choices.
2) My Dad made me understand that no other guy will ever love me like he does. I remember when I was in high schoool and the 'it thing' was to have a boyfriend/girlfriend my Dad kept telling me at random times " I love you, and if it's money you want I will give it to you, don't let any guy tell you that and get giddy with excitement cos' I tell you everytime".
3)" Walk like you have somewhere to go". LOL. It sounds silly but it is actually really true, whenever I am out somewhere and I switch on my busy walk  the message that people receive is that I am a confident and busy woman. Try it out someday, it works!
4)  We can always do better at what you are doing.  If any of you have read my previous posts you will know by now that I dont enjoy washing tons of dishes. During my kiddy years, I would wash everything and leave the biggest pot unwashed and blame it on the hugeness or the fact that the stains on it seemed to not vanish despite my efforts. To those grumblings my Dad would say " You did well but I'll give you a B+ since you could have done better. I hated hearing that from him especially after all the work I had done. Conclusion is, I still could have done better eventhough I didn't feel like it.
5) Any college boy who says he wants to marry you is a big fat liar or is just plain naive. This was one of the things he told me before I went to University. He said from a male perspective it would not be possible because at that age a guy's mind is focused on how he is going to finish school, get a good job and buy a car. LATER .. comes the idea of settling down probably because his mom is forcing him to or all his pals are settling down.
6) Do what you are passionate about and you will never see time passing. My Dad used to work in one of the best banks in Africa and our family used to enjoy the perks until that fateful day when my Pops decided to go to retirement early. I think he was in his late forties and fifties, until now he never regretted his decision. He keeps on telling us there is nothing like being you own boss and getting money from what you love doing.
7)  Self-esteem and Confidence will get you places. Whenever my sister, brother or I walk around with our backs bent and head sagging. My dad would lecture on the importance of standing straight and looking confident. He says no one is attracted to anyone who walks around looking like he/she has a burden on the shoulder.

To all the wonderful guys in my life I hope you will be great fathers and one day have a sweet little daughter write a post about you.