Written by: Vickie Sullivan | February 16, 2016
The Gift of Grit
Bad news on the personal front: my dad passed away last month. He died just like he lived: on his terms.
As I look back on my life, I realize that his biggest gift was grit. Here are three lessons from a bad a*s about getting it done:
1. Make the call. Dad didn’t wait around for someone else to make a decision. If something needed to be done, he just did it. And most of the time, everyone else would follow his lead. As he would say, “Somebody had to make the call.”
2. Appeal to their self-preservation. Like his father and grandfather, Dad worked for the railroad. According to his younger brother, Dad quickly got the nickname MasterCard because he “took care of business.” While I do not advocate his methods, I do admire his “what’s in it for you” approach. People quickly understood what was going to happen next if they didn’t do what he said. Simple yet effective.
3. It’s not as bad as you think. Before making any big decision, I would always worry about all the things that could go wrong. As I regaled him with all the possible catastrophes, Dad would tell me, “Honey, they can kill ya, but they can’t eat ya.” He gave me permission to go for it—and what happened to me next was often a pleasant surprise.
Because of Gary L. Sullivan, I am respectful but don’t take crap. I am humble but know my worth. I am determined but know when to walk away. Because of him, I am unstoppable. Thanks, Dad!
Author : Paul Kingsman
Published: 2016-02-23 07:20:45
Vickie...sorry for your loss. Your dad certainly sounded like someone unshakable and resolute once his mind was made up. Thanks for sharing these details. Enjoy your material and thanks for your quality content, advice, and opinion. Best, Paul