Career Tips from Dad
I grew up in a home with a father who was a Physical Fitness professor and speaker, basketball official, marathon runner, outdoorsman and landowner who capitalized on every inch of his terrain to support his family. My dad instilled in me at a very young age the ultimate value of healthy living, taking care of what you own, and not being afraid to get dirty and work hard for your income. As he so eloquently would put it, "Don't drag your a - -. The light ain't gonna get any greener." Meaning, no one is going to do it for you, so put your head down and go! Underneath that all, though was the foundational lesson that being disciplined is one of the best values I could ever have. Not surprisingly, the renowned words of Coach Mike Krzyzewski could have just as easily come direct from my Pop: "Discipline is doing what you are supposed to do in the best possible manner the time you are supposed to do it. And that's not such a bad thing." Trust me, it is ingrained in my noggin. Just ask me how 3000 hand-planted Christmas tree samplings can yield 4 years of college tuition!
That said, being a headstrong, curious Aries, just like my pop, he and I used to brunt heads all the time while I was growing up. And a little mantra was born: I don't know enough to not ask or not try. Because of this early-born drive, I would create friction and make a mess everywhere I went, trying to figure things out, getting into situations where "a talking to" was inevitable. Alas, the proverbial "wait til your father gets home" was a familiar tough-love statement in the Dykeman household, always aimed at Kimmie. But as I grew up, and eventually became "my own boss" after college, I earned the freedom to travel anywhere in the world and courageously explore any avenues of work, play, and adventure. My Dad's "parenting" certainly diminished, but his guidance, priceless values and support for my independent nature have remained timeless and timely impressions in my life.
No, I didn't become a teacher - and I still have no spouse, no house, no dog to call my own. But my love affairs with entrepreneurialism, Mother Nature and the great outdoors most certainly bloomed from his influence to create a life full of passion, joy, wild successes, and unpredictable experiences. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and just like Pop, my mission to motivate, entertain and educate folks to live life to its fullest is the one love that gets me out of bed each day.
© 2009
