It has been a little more than a week from my last post. As the man I respect the most, my beloved dad just celebrated his birthday yesterday, I decided to dedicate a post for him (as a birthday gift LOL). This will be a short compilation of 10 principles my superhero has taught me, his little girl, in my 22 years of life.
1. Life is NEVER fair
I remember as a teenager, I use to grumble a lot to my dad as we were (back in those days) not allowed to have a mobile phone until we were 17 years old (after SPM - so almost 18). That is when my dad told me the truth about how the world is never fair and that everyone will have different circumstances. And for my case, it was not owning a phone till I was 17. This very simple principle guided me in a sense that I stop being envious of what others have, but instead focus on how I can make use of what I do have. The good thing is because I don't own a phone, we still wrote those silly letters instead of SMS.
2. You can always do better than you think
When I was in high school, I was a fairly brilliant student even without trying as hard as my peers (not boasting here). There was once that I scored 6th place in my class, and I told my dad happily about it. And of course I was hoping that he would praise me and and said I did well, instead he told me one thing : "If you could get 6th place without studying, imagine what you could get if you actually study". That really struck me to think the possibility of me getting a better grade, because I never really seriously thought about it. After that, I put more effort into my studies and I always give my best. Up till now, I can say that most of the outcome of my work turns out to be better than what I imagine.
3. You have a mouth, so ASK.
This principle is really simple, it just means to ask if you don't understand something. Therefore I do not shy away from asking questions during lectures or tutorials and in fact in my first year of university, a friend's friend said that her impression of me is that I am a very bold person. I also realise that by asking questions, information get absorb faster and thus more understanding follows.
4. If you have nothing good to say, then don't say anything.
Sometimes in life we really feel the urge to comment about something negatively. It could be a situation, a movie, food, place or even friends. But my Papa taught me the value of positive speaking and reminded me that words spoken can never be retracted.
5. Always speak with tenderness
I realise that some relationship problems occur not because of the issue itself, but rather by the way the two communicate with one another. Speaking rashly and harshly often makes the situation worse because emotions are running high and feelings are hurt. So Dad's advise is to always speak with tenderness even during confrontations.
6. Help someone whenever you can
Daddy is a principal at school. He greets his student at the school gate and sometimes brings them home so they don't have to walk so far. He goes for visits when the students "ponteng" and loans money to the security guards when they needed it. My dad is a living testimony of generosity and I have too learn to care for others just as Jesus care for us.
7. Always seek to improve
There is no such thing as to graduate from learning for dad. He is always telling us to upgrade ourselves - be it in our studies, cooking, changing a tyre. There is always room for improvement in life and we ought not to be idle least we lose out.
8. Spend time with family
Family is a gift from God. My dad, no matter how busy would never fail to tell me and my sisters a bedtime story when we were younger. I love those bedtime stories because it wasn't about a princess being saved by prince charming, but it was about my dad's childhood and his adventures. These family bonding time is what makes us closely knitted. We spent a lot as a family during the holidays.
9. Be a listener without judging
My daddy is a great listener. In fact, I am more comfortable talking to daddy about my problems because he also listens attentively and he doesn't judge. And he only gives advice when I ask for it.
10. Love and trust God
I am so glad that Daddy love God with all His might. Many times when I have doubts, he would tell me that our Heavenly Father has good plans for me and that I should submit my plans in prayer. He prays for me whenever I go back to university, or goes travelling abroad. There is nothing more important than to teach ones children to obey the Lord and walk in His ways.
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| Daddy and his little girl <3 |
