Exact Science

It is not an exact science.

In your formative years your parents instill in you the value of sticking things out.  And early on it is easy.  You learn first to stick with those things that are necessary that can be a pain in the ass but required of you.  They are the fundamentals like going to school and learning to navigate people and things outside of home while applying the work hard, play nice, play fair, and all the other things that are posted on the wall in your first classroom.

It is during this time where you start to recognize your strengths and skills.  And if it works like its supposed to (and in both of your cases it REALLY worked like it was supposed to) as you exercise these strengths and skills you begin to excel among your peers.  You are hardwired like you are at a much earlier age that you would guess or your parents would every admit to.  A lot of what parents do is provide logistics for the journeys you take.  When times are tough, we help you find the answers to the questions that you already know and in many cases have already answered yourselves.  That sincere belief that we have in you has been there for many years before there was a Dad Blog.  We got that way by watching you grow up.  You cannot yet fully appreciate the strength of character, heart, and conviction that you already have.  . 

In the later years we try to help you understand the basic principle of risk mitigation.  It is the opposite of sticking with it, it is learning when to step away when something has run its course.  It is one of those things that is so basic that most people unknowingly make if the most complex thing in their lives.  You just need to ask yourself what the risk you are taking is going to net our for you.  Make sure the risk is worth the resources you are investing in it.  People lose years and months to things that just do not deserve their resources because that first lesson you learn is not to quit and that is the one that sticks with you the most.   My only regret with the shit jobs and people I have known is that I stayed with them far longer than was needed.  When you are holding dog shit in your hand it does not change properties because of the length of time you hold it.  When you toss it back on the ground it will still be dog shit.

A Firefighter learns the basic rule that if you are risking your life it should be to save a life.  Risking your life to put out a fire in a building that is going to be torn down and rebuilt because of the fire damage is a poor return for your life.   Treat your life that same way.  Take risk in direct proportion to the return you will get. There are some fires that require you to go into a burning building.   Be careful that you are not finding a lot of fires that you believe need to be put out.  Some of them are supposed to burn, and some are just for sticks and marshmallows

Never forget how simple things can be.

Love Dad