5 Life Lessons My Dad Taught Me

Happy Monday!

In honor of Father's Day yesterday, I thought it'd be fun to do a post about life lessons my dad has taught me! I've learned a lot of things from my dad, but here are some of the main things that have stuck with me through the years.

Daddy and Me c. 1991

"Family is Everything"

From an early age I can remember my dad bringing the whole family to my soccer games, my orchestra concerts...I could pretty much always count on having my own fan section. And I loved it! I loved feeling supported and knowing that my family cared about the things that were important to me. 

I also remember having a close relationship with my dad in my teenage years. I knew that I could talk to him about anything, which is still true today. If I was having problems with a friend or feeling ignored by all the boys (man my dad had a lot of patience to raise four girls haha!), I knew he would be that listening ear and person I could turn to. He was always telling me, "friends will come and go Lexi, but your family is forever". It may seem obvious, but that lesson has stuck with me through my whole life. I've learned to prioritize and always put my family first. 

Me, Dad and His Dad c. 2000

"Take Care of Your Things and They'll Last Forever"

Growing up, my dad always taught us that if you respect and take care of your things, they'll last a really long time. It sounds a little silly as I sit here typing it, but it has come to mind several times over the years. I think of all the Saturday mornings we spent growing up washing our cars side by side with dad. Or all the times we'd build and rebuild Lego sets together. Washing a car and building Legos together may seem like small tasks, but those moments taught me to care for things and respect what I had...a lesson I'm grateful for today as Shawn and I have had to make some possessions and things last longer than they may have been meant to or otherwise done had we not taken good care of them.

Summer Shenanigans c. 2008

"You Can't Control Others, Just Yourself"

This lesson may seem obvious too, but for some reason as a little girl (and if I'm being honest, still as an adult), I often needed to hear these words from my dad. I can't count the number of times I clearly remember my dad sitting me down (most likely after I'd been fighting with one of my sisters) and telling me one specific piece of advice. A golden nugget of insight that I'd carry with me from that time on. He told me that I can only choose how I will act...I cannot choose how my sisters or those around me will act. I am responsible for my actions and how I react to the situations in my life. Again, a simple lesson, but it had a profound impact on me. 

Dancing with Dad at My Wedding c. 2011

"Work Hard, Life Doesn't Owe You Anything"

Growing up my family lived in a charming house, we had fun toys and we went on some pretty cool vacations...I had a comfortable upbringing and really fun childhood. But I'm not telling you all this to brag, not by any means. I'm saying this so that you know how serious I am when I say THANK GOODNESS that even though we didn't "need" it at the time, my dad still saw the importance of his children learning to work and to work hard! Too often today I see kids and even young adults who are spoiled, entitled and haven't worked a day in their life and honestly...I feel sorry for them. 

Learning to work from a young age teaches you discipline, increases your self esteem and instills a work ethic in you that is 100% necessary someday down the road. Learning the value of hard work is so important and the younger the better! I was 14 years old when my sister and I started our own yard business and first felt what it was like to be an entrepreneur...and I've never looked back! My dad did me the biggest service by teaching me to work hard because I've come to see that life isn't fair and doesn't owe me a darn thing...you get what you work hard for!

Dad and Me at my Baptism c. 1999

"Doubt Your Doubts Before You Doubt Your Faith"

I grew up in a religious house and my parents always encouraged my sisters and I to find faith and seek answers to our questions through prayer. By doing that, I gained my own testimony of gospel principles and found them to be true. If I ever wavered or let doubt creep into my mind, my dad would say to me, "Lexi, doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith". He told me that I had asked God, received an answer and gained a testimony...I should not be so quick to turn my back on that, but should instead question why doubts may be coming into my mind and why the world or Satan would want me to doubt good things that I knew were true...he taught me to be skeptical of those doubts. Like all of the lessons I talked about above, I hold this one near to my heart and have reflected on it several times throughout my adult life.

High School Graduation Night with Dad c. 2009

I really lucked out and got a great dad who has taught me so many things and I wish I could share all of them, but they'd fill an entire book! It's important for us to remember that people are always watching...the way we act, what we say and what we do. We all have an impact on someone's life...let's try to make it a positive one!