Twelve months ago, I sat down to begin writing a column for this magazine, a column about philosophy and how it relates to business. And at the time, my son had just been born and things were changing in my life. Up until that point, while running my business, I would get caught up with work and strove to do everything I could to become more successful. Success to me meant more students, more business and more money. My work was something that I did as an essential part of my existence, something that was arguably the most important thing in my life.
But things happen in life that put everything in perspective and things can change so quickly that nobody can be expected to be prepared to a proper degree. The birth of my daughter was one of those moments. It was at her birth that I realized that everything I do at work is done for the sole purpose of supporting my life and that my life was with my wife and daughter (and now also my son).
It’s easy for us as school owners to get so caught up in our work. After all, it does take quite a bit to run a school, and time is at a high premium, of course. But, at the end of the day, the things that wind up mattering more are the ones that aren’t measured in dollars.
My work is fulfilling, and that’s a huge part of why I do what I do. The success I’ve achieved in running my school has given me a satisfaction that nothing else in my life could do. But while it’s great that I’ve gotten to this point, I never forget what it really is that matters most to me.
The other day, as I pulled into my driveway after a long drive home, I stepped through the front door from the pale violet light outside and made my way into the kitchen. Before I opened the kitchen door, I heard the clanging of pots and clinking of glass. Bewildered, I entered the kitchen and saw my daughter, who’s now two years old, throwing out all the dishes from the dishwasher onto the floor. Pans, glass bowls, cups, mugs, silverware, all sprawled out as if a claymore mine had gone off inside the dishwasher and eviscerated the kitchenware innards.
My first impulse was to get upset and start yelling. But, as I kept a cool head and thought harder about it, I realized that there was probably some reason she did what she did, so I asked her. I said, “Sweetie, what are you doing?” She told me she was helping me. In her mind, she was. By taking all the dishes out of the dishwasher, she really thought she was doing something helpful.
It was that moment, one of many, that put in perspective my relationship with work and family. The most important thing is my family and work is there only to support the family, the greatest thing in my life. After seeing my children born, there’s nothing I would rather be than their father.
It seems that people who are inclined toward service of others either do it for mankind in general or for their family specifically, and never both. Some of the world’s greatest leaders were the worst fathers because the dedication to their cause didn’t leave time for family. And the people who are dedicated to their families don’t make headlines because they’re too busy.
I guess you’ll never see my name in the newspapers because all I want is to keep my family happy.
When we close up our shops every day, it’s important to keep in perspective those things that we really go to work for. It’s different for each person, but the important thing for us to remember is to keep our priorities straight and not leave out heart for dollars.
With these priorities in mind, I must bid my seven readers farewell in this, my final column. I hope my columns have sparked some philosophical thoughts on your part.
