I hope you have been having a great week!
Last week’s thought was; “Human Intellect vs AI – How Human Imagination is Shaping New Realities”. You can see this and all of my previous blogs below.
I mentioned how we learn and I’d like to share something my Dad taught me that I’m eternally grateful for …
My Dad is a great storyteller and told me the most wonderful stories when I was small – my favourite was about a flying carpet and we went all over the place … in our imaginations!
But the most profound story for me is the story of his life …
He was an orphan and never knew what it was like to grow up as part of a family as many of us have. Living in Guernsey, at the age of 8-years-old, he was evacuated to Scotland as the German invasion of the Channel Islands was imminent. When he reached Glasgow, while a lot of his fellow evacuees (not all) had positive experiences with the families who took them in, sadly he didn’t. (I always feel emotional when I tell people about this).
He was taken in by people who lived on a farm, he had to stand up for one meal a day, eating alone and having to carry out tasks on the farm. My Dad is not tall and as a smaller boy who was seen as ‘a foreigner’ he was expected to fight with the other boys at school to prove himself.
As if his life hadn’t been hard enough up to that point, he had to learn to fend for himself while trying to get an education. At the end of the war, the people who took him in wanted to adopt him, but he could not wait to get out of there and back to Guernsey, as you can imagine!
While he had been away, his children’s home had been closed by the Germans and nobody was expecting him. So, sadly, when he arrived back on the boat at the age of 13, he was the last boy standing. (Despite all his experiences, he never lost faith). So, he went to the police station and asked for help and they found him lodgings and a job. He was selling newspapers on the streets of St Peter Port, and with the broad Glaswegian accent he had picked up, he was given the nickname “Scotty”!
Now, my Dad has this fighting spirit (which has probably saved him many times) and when he puts his mind to anything, he does brilliantly well. He was earning more money selling papers than the guys who were printing them! But he wanted a career and took the opportunity to train as a printer. He hadn’t had a proper education and pretty much had to teach himself how to put the printing block letters together, and he succeeded.
He did well and the Company sent him to Trade Fairs. One day, he came back inspired by a new printing technology called “Lithoprint” (the latest thing at the time) and tried to persuade his employer to look into this. They didn’t take this seriously, so what did my Dad do?
He started his own printing Company called “Paramount Lithoprint” and became a very successful and respected businessman and publisher!
So, my Dad’s story never fails to blow me away. He is now almost 92 years old and happily still with us. He has taught me this …
“Never underestimate what you’re capable of and where there’s a will there’s a way”
-George Raymond Le Page-
And here I am, proudly following in his footsteps and legacy.
I’ll be in touch again soon with more thoughts and tips!
With best wishes for your success,
Thrive Coaching & Training – Empowering you to Thrive!
P.S. If you, or someone you know, would like to explore this with me, why not book a Complimentary Communication Mastery Call with me? ? I can confidently guarantee that you will leave this call with more clarity and insight.
P.P.S: Also, the next available Communication Code Group Coaching Programme starts on the 19th October! Check it out.