With Father’s Day this past Sunday, my dad’s been on my mind even more than usual.
Check out my dad as a young lad in this smiling photo. (thanks to our cousin Liz for sending this to me over the weekend).
My dad was a “prolific commentator on the insurance and risk management fields, speaking at more than 500 conferences and seminars, writing articles and developing risk management educational material,“ according to Business Insurance magazine. More importantly he was MANY other things too. He was a great dad who taught me to strive for excellence, seek adventure, be curious and that family and faith are your foundation.
I mention his career though because one of his most widely read articles, “Take Time to Smell the Flowers,” dealt with his recovery from open heart surgery in 1978 (at age 37).
Watching my dad go through that experience at a young age reinforced the precious and irreplaceable gift of health.
Though he survived the triple bypass performed by the world famous surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley of the Texas Heart Institute, he ultimately died 15 years later from a heart attack.
I share this for two reasons.
First, it’s WHY I do what I do. Even while working in the corporate world, I pursued fitness as a side hustle (I highly recommend always having a side gig).
Health has always been my passion. I’ll be sharing more about how it’s important to have your values reflected in your work on Thursday night (scroll down for the details). If you’re interested in making an impact, making money, or love health (or any combination of those), I invite you to join me.
It’s a good question to ask yourself… WHY do you do what you do?
Second, do NOT take your health for granted. Protect, nourish and cherish it.
And as my dad would say….”Take time to smell the flowers.”