Today is a very special TGIF, it’s my dad’s birthday! With Father’s Day around the corner (Sunday June 15h) and his birthday today, I decided to share some of the best advice, lessons and words of wisdom I’ve heard and learned from my dad…even the ones that took a little while to sink in…what can I say I’m a slow learner 😉

My dad is my rock and my best friend, always has been and always will be. When I’m sad, upset or just need advice he is the man I go to. He keeps it real (sometimes too real) and tells it like it is, always with an underlying eternal love for me and the rest of my siblings. He is a hard worker, a family man and above all a saint to put up with me and my antics day after day…yea the faces he makes when I come home with shopping bags or a Starbucks cup are no joke 🙂

Jim (my dad) is all about speaking the truth. When I put on weight he tells me, when I am acting like a fool he tells me, when I need to stop shopping he tells me…the man is never shy when it comes to speaking his mind. He is the cool dad that is hip, fun and is a big kid at heart…one of his favorite toys being his 1972 Chevelle SS seen above…isn’t it gorgeous? He wouldn’t have it any other way…the man is a perfectionist…no scratch, scuff or speck of dust gets past him haha! He is also a huge supporter of my blog. He would help take photos, tell me what outfits I looked good in and even helped come up with the name <3

But enough of that, time to share the top 10 things I learned from my father…some of them I love, some not so much but either way they are lessons lived and learned that I will pass along to you, here it goes:

1. Take Care Of Yourself & Your Body.

This means, hit the gym, eat right and take care of your body and mind. Sometimes it’s hard to hear, but when I need to get my ass to gym and stop eating garbage my dad tells me…over and over again like a drill sargent. It always upsets me but I have learned it’s a lot easier to hear it from him than any other guy…trust me, been there done that.

2. The Right Guy Will Wait.

It means exactly what it says. My dad says all the time, I’m a guy I know how guys think, listen to your old man…any guy worth having will wait for you till your ready (we aren’t five here so I hope we all know what I’m referring to) I’ve had my fair share of disappointments complaining to my dad how chivalry is dead and guys are douche bags and I hate dating, but my dad reiterates that ‘You have to kiss a lot of frogs in order to find a prince…not that you actually have to kiss any of the losers though’ haha…oh how he cracks me up.

3. Don’t Worry About Others, Worry About Yourself.

When I was little and I came home with a 90 on a test instead of a 100 my dad would jokingly say what happened to the 100. I would always say the same thing…a 90 is good dad I did better than so and so. My dad wouldn’t hear that, his famous line ‘I don’t care about what anyone else got, I only care about what you got’. Lesson learned, comparing myself to others doesn’t do any good, focus on me and only me.

4. Be A Single Successful Independent Woman.

He says what he means and means what he says. Don’t rely on a guy to give you the things you want in life…do it yourself. Anytime I get down in the dumps about dating, he says forget the losers and focus on your blog and future career. Who cares about dumb guys…while for most girls it’s easier said than done, when you stop focusing on useless drama, your career flourishes and so does you happiness…so everyone should take note of this!

5. Push Yourself To Try New Things.

I am one that gets stuck in my ways and is usually someone who will make every excuse in the book not to try something, but since my dad has instilled this lesson I am expanding my horizons. With food, work out routines, my blog etc. Never in a million years did I think I would like spinning…I did it once and hated it (can you say sore butt for days) but once my dad kept pushing me to go I realized it’s kind of calming and fun!

6. If Someone Is Interested They Will Make An Effort.

Ok, this has been one of the toughest and hardest lessons to learn and accept. My dad gets vibes on people right away and when he met my ex he knew after just 2 or 3 weeks he wasn’t it. ‘When a guy stops making an effort and the attitude and behavior changes…time to move on’, yup dad you were right, and will always be right. He said he had to throw a brick at my head before it finally sunk in, if a guy is interested he will travel gods green earth to be with you…the second an excuse comes up 9 times out of 10 run for the hills. Take it from a guy he knows the tricks of the trade 😉

7. SAVE.

Ok, so clearly the advice on my shopping problem hasn’t sunk in. I feel buying something on sale or clearance is saving…oops, sorry dad but the whole saving money to move out and stop shopping thing isn’t appealing to me just yet…maybe in a year or two or five…haha

8. Man Up.

Alrighty, as a sensitive, emotional and gullible person, I am someone who rarely wants to defend myself (unless it’s within family arguments of course) and I almost never want to confront someone or be a bitch. As my dad always says, I can be a bitch to the people in the house (family is a lot easier to stand up to than a boss, friend, boyfriend etc), but when I need to fight battles with those who have hurt me I rarely do so. So as my dad said, sometimes you have to be a bitch in business and in life…stand up for yourself or others will walk all over you.

9. Have Fun.

Sometimes when you take life too seriously whether it’s your career, love life, drama etc…you forget what makes you happy. My dad is always telling us to enjoy life, be grateful for what we have (although he prays we win the lottery everyday) and to most importantly have fun. Try new things, meet people and get out of the house. He hates when he comes home on a gorgeous day and myself and my siblings are being hermits in the house…get moving!

10. Family Comes First.

Last but not least, a lesson I occasionally loose sight of, family always comes first. Anytime I’m upset or angry, I along with tons of others take our frustrations out on our family members. My dad always says don’t blame us for your issues, we are here for you, don’t be mad at us…we are here to help.

This pic is a ‘Flashback Friday’ moment from a few years ago…suiting for Flashback Friday!

Happy Birthday JT <3 & Stay Tuned For A Father’s Day Gift Guide!

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What Lessons Has Your Dad Taught You? Tweet me @MissyOnMadison or Comment & ‘Like’ the Facebook Page ‘Missy On Madison‘!