Lessons My Father Taught Me

• Responsibility in all ways
  • Self
  • Others
  • Surroundings
• Your choices matter and ‘own’ your choices
• Make the world a better place
• Respect
• Integrity
• Character
• Intention
• Your peer group helps define you; choose your friends carefully
• Work hard and have fun

His philosophy

There’s a simple formula for happiness … and for success in general: G+O+P+I+E.

G is Gratitude. O is for both Optimism and the Other. P is for Purpose. I is for Integrity. E is for both Effort, and a certain kind of Exercise.

Let’s recap. 

• Be grateful. Be optimistic, be focused on one another. 
• The purpose of life is a life with purpose. 
• Be true, speak true. That’s integrity. 
• As for effort: unless you put in the work, nothing grows but weeds. Grow a garden instead.

–From Lauren & John Burchill’s wedding

Some of his favorite quotes

Dum vivimus vivamus: “While we live, let us live.”

“No Whining”

“If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” –Carl Sagan

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