Happy Father’s Day! Gratitude; Love & Responsibility

I woke up this morning and read a message from a great friend of mine wishing me Happy Father’s Day and I remembered what an excellent Father and Dad he is as well to his lovely girls. From that moment, I took some time to sit down and reflect on a couple of things; what today really means, on the need to inspire and encourage us to continue to strive to become better dads and finally remember some of the excellent fathers I know of from my Dad, Elder Brother; Brother in-law and Great Friends out there who have been a model for me and a great torch on this journey of fatherhood. I am loving the joys, challenges and responsibilities of this journey and you can’t help but strive to be better and encourage others to do the same as well.

To all of you, I say HAPPY FATHERS DAY and may you consistently continue to live, lead and love as HUMAN BEINGS and as great fathers should and may your families thrive and become great examples of our larger society.

I believe strongly that if we have a lot more great fathers taking responsibility, setting fine examples for their children, we will solve the leadership challenge we see in our organisations, politics, our nation and our world.

Now, I could end this article here but I feel inspired to share some thoughts and reminders to those of us on this journey and to those men who will get on this journey soon or in a couple of years to come. You have to understand that being a father comes with great responsibility, patience and genuine love. If you’re not ready, please take your time to get ready before you venture.

Being a father is ‘a calling’ to be a couple of things:

Lead With Compassion

Fatherhood is not about being forceful or taking it all. Its about leading with compassion all those who have been placed in your care. Treat everyone with love and empathy. Remember true leadership in all ramifications is about service and not entitlement. Leadership is about inspiring hope and possibilities and not about instilling fear. True fathers are champions of the heart!

Be Present

The COVID-19 pandemic may have compelled a lot of men to now be present in their homes and in the lives of their families. I am hopeful that you move away from the compulsion of ‘being present’ to thriving in the joy of being really present as fathers. I know that the need to go out and provide for the family sometimes hinders this, but this period must have taught you how possible it is to create this time. So BE Present; because when you do, you understand more and give yourself a lot more reasons to fight for the heart and soul of your family.

Let Gratitude Be Your Bedrock

You know, I love to wake up early in the morning before everyone to take sometime to watch for a few moments my family and take in this beauty and be grateful to God for these precious gifts. I believe Gratitude is the birth place of a lot of things we are missing out of in this life. It’s the birthplace of true joy; peace and blessings you sometimes do not see. Its also the birth place of understanding who you truly are and the value you bring into this world.

A Deeper Sense Of Responsibility

Is being a father easy? Definitely not! It’s a responsibility call to upholding the values that can either make or break societies. Great fathers will tell you there is nothing sexy or ‘manly’, about taking advantage of women or people in vulnerable situations. It doesn’t make you a better man; it brings down the value of the man in you and if you’re a father even worse. The world we live in now, yearns for great men who are willing to take responsibility for their fellow human beings; to genuinely care and to protect women and children and give them the opportunity to thrive in this world. Let’s help develop more fathers who understand this and seek to live these values! 

Don’t Forget We Are Human Beings Not Perfect Beings

Being a Dad, does not mean you will get it right all the time. It does not mean you’re above human errors that occur once in a while. So, don’t be too hard on yourself. Great fathers know that they must strive to uphold great values of respect, discipline, understanding and patience. They consistently strive to be great examples to their children, but understand they are not perfect, but are committed to pick themselves up quickly anytime they fall or miss out on a responsibility.

As we celebrate and our families celebrate us as fathers today, let’s build lives that cause our loved ones to celebrate us every day because of the value we consistently bring into their lives and let’s strive to build one another up. We gain nothing when we tear ourselves down; but we gain everything when we lift each other up.

Have an excellent and memorable Father’s Day Guys!