7 Valuable Lessons My Father taught me.

You cannot forgo the wisdom of you father and do well in life. Your success in life is rooted in the wisdom that you carry. These are seven lessons I learnt from my father. He is a man of great wisdom, disciplined and selfless. I have been built up by these principles and I know it will help someone shape their life well. Enjoy!

1. You are sufficient. Do it yourself.

One of the dominant voices of my father in me is the voice that tells me that I am enough. Growing up I saw the many times where my father would step up to any challenge that came his way.

I observed several times the dislike my father held for incompetence and sluggishness in many ways. He wanted things to go according to plan he would take the initiative and make it happen. He made several plans for several things. He took into account everyone and every step that needed even the slightest consideration. He is a thorough kind of person. He single-handedly defined “Discipline” in KNUST Primary school for Decades.

The core part of this lesson was that He knew and accepted he had enough in Him to do what we needed to do. His lack of total trust in people kept Him ahead. It is dangerous to disappoint such a man. My father taught me how to be “one for many”. He taught me sacrifice by selflessness. If you are called to perform, step up, give your best, let God be the judge. It has taken me a while to really absorb this one, and I have seen it tangibly evident in my own life. You are sufficient. You have enough. You are ENOUGH!!

2. Value time. There’s no such thing as arriving too early.

My father hated being late to any appointment of any kind. Especially appointments set by other people. He used to say many times “If you will go, go early, else don’t go at all” a rather contrary statement to “better late than never”. What is the point of getting to the place late? Especially when you already know the time and purpose of the appointment. No!!

I remember one instance, walking to school with Him (Living with my father was like living in a Barracks by the way, lol), I literally had to run ahead, stop, and wear bits and pieces of my uniform, one stride at a time. It wasn’t easy. My Father hated being late so much he would layer his clothes, polish His shoes when he can,, pack His books, before going to bed. His principle was simple. Why should you be late, when you know you have to be there, early?! There were no excuses. It’s a powerful principle for me, one I have seen in a lot of great people I am privileged to walk with.

My Father taught me how to value other people’s time and how to keep the respect people must have for my own time.

3. Leaders don’t make excuses. If you are responsible for it, it’s your fault.

My Father is a Leader, amongst many things. I have grown to see how He carried that spirit in Him greatly. I saw and now recognize the signs. My Father is not the oldest of all His siblings but he stood out and still does. He was the lawyer, judge, and executioner of the Family.

People who went to KNUST Primary between the 1900s and late 2010s will attest to the fact that, if they say your matter was to end with MR NSIAH, that was the end for you. Ei!! Even though I was young, I saw how, even when people failed to meet their end in an agreement, he came through. When there was an issue that needed solving and everyone backed away, he stepped forward. He was the voice, he was the brain and he was the muscle. He never complained, he never spoke even when plans didn’t fall in place, he hated it for sure, but he still desired to see it happen, by one means or another.

One great quality of My Father is that “He keeps his cool”. Disturbingly so much so that until he speaks you assume he has nothing to say. He taught me, “if you are responsible, it is your fault if anything goes wrong”. You are the originator of everything you are and do — LESSON 1 — if so, then you are responsible. This is a principle I have come to live with, fostered by the Wisdom of my Spiritual Mentor, Prophet Ohene Bekoe. If you are the leader you cannot make excuses. You cannot complain, step up and get it done!!

4. Do everything you can, for everyone who needs it. Give, every bit of yourself, God will reward you

Above everything else, my father was selfless. I feel great pain with this particular lesson. PEOPLE ARE UNGRATEFUL. People. Are. Very. Ungrateful. My Father lives the entirety of this principle day in, day out. Something I admire but wary of. He understands sacrifice. I can count many of His students and their parents and their children and children’s children, if they are truthful, who can l attest to not just the commitment he had towards teaching them, but also concerning himself with their progress and development even outside of His class.

I have seen entire families, literally from Father to Grandson, come through for private classes and personal care and training in their academic journey, some of whom never came back to say thank you. I saw them. But most importantly I saw the joy with which he taught them, the patience, and the desire to see them pass and get somewhere in life. Wow! Even though he didn’t speak a lot about this. He lived it joyfully. I saw how he would pick several means of transport to far places to teach people (With a slight limp, he occasionally complained about). This is a powerful lesson for me. He gave himself whole heartedly. If no one will remember this, I will!! Thank you, Dad.

5. Pursue knowledge above everything. You have to read it!!

My Father’s love for reading is nothing that should surprise anyone who lived through his teaching. My Father (Now retired for many years) taught for more than 35yrs+ from Konongo Odumasi Secondary through to KNUST holding several capacities in many other institutions and still teaches. His library was distinct, full to capacity almost all the time, and diverse in knowledge.

His Students knew very well what they were going in for. He nurtured systems in people. He taught people out of mediocrity. He loves reading, to date. He had a special love for students you read in His class and distinct praise left His lips for great English speakers in all His classes. His colleagues in KNUST Primary school relied on this very much, I heard and saw him fill in many times in the absence of some colleague teachers and how he taught their classes for them in various topics and subject matters.

My Father taught me the value of reading and pursuing knowledge. If it meant being hungry so that knowledge would enter your head, then so be it. If it meant walking to school with your books in your bag, he would buy your books and have you walk 10km to school. He loved knowledge so much, he would buy my books and pay my fees before I get my weekly allowance. He birthed a certain thirst in me, that has kept me on top wherever I go.

Read, study, read!! He hated mediocrity and all kinds and forms of laziness to the core. I have scars on my body to prove how much he hated seeing his son fall to averageness, mediocrity laziness, so amazing, lol! His favorite quote was, “I have no cocoa farm I am leaving to you, this (points to books) is my cocoa farm to you”.

My Father believes knowledge is wealth and the more you have the better life will be for you. He instilled an unbreakable principle in me. I pray for grace!!

6. Use only what is needed. You have more than enough, even if it seems less.

There is nothing worse about a man than His inability to control himself. If you lack the discretion to be moderate in your dealings and considerate of others, it would be difficult to live with the King of the Nsiah Household. My Father hates wasting resources of any kind. It didn’t make sense to him in any way and it still doesn’t and I understand perfectly now. It does not take my father long to correct your destiny if you are spotted misusing anything in the house. It shaped my mind a certain way.

On the list of crimes, is “throwing food away” How?. Any well-meaning, deep-thinking adult, knows this to be a terrible, despicable thing to do. And if it doesn’t make sense to you, wait till you start to pay the bills, lol.

I watched how my father would use wise means to conserve His energy and resources around him. He would not move where he wasn’t needed and he would not eat what volume he could not. He would oftentimes share his food with us when we were young (instinctively to us as, dad’s love and rightly so) but also that we would not have a bowl to ourselves and waste the food. He had a plan a strategy for everything. Lights went out immediately you left the place and you drink only the amount you need. Nothing wasted and nothing overused.

By this principle, I have come to learn to be accommodating, considerate, direct, and truthful with people and what I do. I learned how to give what is required and more to the wise and how to restrain excess energy from going to waste on folly. The bare necessities were always enough. You can get more as you grow, move and progress.

7. God is above all, knows all. God sees all, He will be your guide.

Perhaps the most important lesson of all. My Father is a Man of Faith. Aside from his incredible dedication to the catholic church, as a recognized member and catechist at some point in his service, His devotion to the church and to God is on another level. My Father, as I have known him, did not play with the “things” of God, especially His Sunday Morning meetings. He was consistent and regular, he was known to be on time — LESSON 2 — and selfless — LESSON 4 — but to us, he was the Gate Keeper for God’s Church. Eiii, it wasn’t easy oo!!.

Even though I experienced a little bit of this, my Father would not let you eat the whole of Sunday if you missed church. If you do, then fasting is your meal. The importance he attached to the discipline and commitment and comportment in the church has been admirable. As I have grown, I have come to appreciate the best of this. Young and foolish we all are. The most important part of this lesson was his assurance that God is above all and takes care of all who seek him.

Any time he prayed, during a devotion or He had personally prayed for me, he would say “I pray that God will open your eyes to see his ways and your ears to hear him and that He would lead you”, every single time. It is His overall prayer and I thank God for this. Lesson 7 is ultimate for me.

He built the consciousness in me. God is there, God is watching, God is faithful, God is capable and God is listening. My Priest taught me an important lesson. “Total Reliance on God”. If nothing at all, know that God sees all and he will be your guide.