Remember who you are!
“Remember who you are! Knowing who you are changes what you do.”
This phrase means more to me than most will ever know. You see, the phrase “remember who you are” was very frequently used by a very special person in my life — Grandpa Loy F. Blake. My grandpa is my hero for many reasons, but mostly because he understood who he was and the principles that he stood by. His example has left a huge impact on me and I hope to be like my Grandpa Blake. Let me explain…
1. My grandpa believed in hard work. When my father was a young child (7-8 years old), the neighbor farmer hired my dad and his twin brother to work on his farm. My father and uncle worked on the farm for many years until they could get a job elsewhere. It wasn’t until a few years ago that we found out (through the neighbor) that my grandpa was really paying the wages of my father & uncle through the neighbor so that my father could learn how to work.
2. When I was in high school, I was invited to travel and play with a regional soccer team in Europe for a month. I really wanted to go, but didn’t have the few thousand dollars that it would require to pay my way. I knew that my Grandpa was a wealthy man (though he didn’t show it by any means) so I went to him for money. He was very kind and asked that I go with him to the bank. I was very excited that he would agree so quickly and take me to the bank to withdraw the money. We arrived at the bank, sat down, and began to chat with the banker. This wasn’t unusual to me because my Grandpa chatted with everyone (after all…he was the town mayor). Before giving me the money, the banker and my grandpa handed me some papers to sign and I started to realize what was happening. Instead of withdrawing a few thousand dollars for my trip, my grandpa was setting up a loan! Obviously, I didn’t appreciate it at the time — I had to pay $265.17/month for the next year!
Looking back on it now, it was one of the best things that my grandpa ever taught me.
So why do I bring up all of this now? Well, these principles of integrity and hard work are shaping the decisions that I am making today. Recently, I’ve been dealing with a difficult experience that has affected my partners, my family and me. While it is still not completely resolved, I realize that decisions I make today will not only be representative of me, but also my partners and my family down the road. There are many things lost that you are able to regain, but once you have lost your reputation of integrity, you may never get it back.
In regards to this issure, Warren Buffet said:
A lot of people in business these days trap themselves by putting on a facade. I remember my father telling me when I was 11, ‘It takes you 30 years to build a reputation, but you can ruin it in 30 seconds.’
Thank you Grandpa Loy Blake for leaving a legacy for me and the rest of the Blake family to live up to!
