One of the things I can tell you about life is that a good foundation matters.
When we look at a building, we admire the architecture, the windows, the design, and the height. We rarely think about the foundation hidden beneath the ground. Yet that foundation determines whether the building will stand strong through storms, shifting seasons, and the passage of time.
The same is true for people.
As I look back over more than seventy years of life, I realize that many of the successes I've enjoyed can be traced back to the foundation my parents gave me.
My father believed in sports. To him, sports were about much more than winning games. They were a training ground for life. Through wrestling, football, and other athletic pursuits, he taught me the values of competition, teamwork, discipline, hustle, and perseverance. He believed that when you started something, you finished it. When things got difficult, you didn't quit. You dug a little deeper, worked a little harder, and found a way forward.
Those lessons stayed with me long after the games were over.
I also had two mothers in my life who helped shape the person I would become. They stressed the importance of education, reading, learning, faith, kindness, and character. They expected me to do well in school. They encouraged curiosity and reminded me that knowledge was something no one could ever take away from me.
One of the greatest gifts they gave me was a love of learning.
They taught me to read widely, think deeply, and keep growing. They taught me to be respectful of others, to be thoughtful in my actions, and to treat people with dignity. Church was important in our family, and through faith I learned values that would guide me throughout my life.
At the time, I didn't fully appreciate what they were doing.
Like many young people, I thought I was simply growing up.
What I now understand is that they were pouring concrete into the foundation of my life.
Years later, when I left home for college, that foundation went with me.
When I entered the workforce as a young computer programmer, that foundation went with me.
When I became a committed spouse, father, grandfather, business leader, speaker, storyteller, and community volunteer, that foundation went with me.
The world around me changed. Technology changed. Jobs changed. Circumstances changed. But the values my parents taught me remained remarkably constant.
Work hard.
Keep learning.
Treat people well.
Have faith.
Honor your commitments.
Never quit.
Those lessons carried me through challenges and opportunities that my parents could never have imagined when they first taught them to me.
Today, I see many people searching for shortcuts to success. They want the latest technique, the newest technology, or the fastest path to achievement. Yet I've found that lasting success is usually built on timeless principles rather than trendy ideas.
The basics still matter.
Character still matters.
Discipline still matters.
Kindness still matters.
Learning still matters.
Faith still matters.
The older I get, the more grateful I become for the foundation my parents gave me. They may not have been famous. They may not have been wealthy. But they were my heroes.
They prepared me for college.
They prepared me for work.
They prepared me for life away from home.
Most importantly, they prepared me for life itself.
And now, after all these years, I can tell you this:
If you want to build a successful life, don't start with the roof. Don't start with the decorations. Don't start with what people can see.
Start with the foundation.
Because when the storms come—and they will—a strong foundation will carry you farther than talent, luck, or circumstance ever could.
A Question to Consider
What foundation are you building your life on?