While watching a CIA thriller on Netflix over the weekend a message was mentioned by one of the actors – “Be the hero of your own story” and it gave me a topic for this week’s article. It’s amazing sometimes where inspiration comes from. I am sure many of you have similar inspirations.
So what are you doing to ensure you are the hero of your own story and what does it mean to you? I don’t normally talk about my experiences in the articles I write but this seems like a good opportunity, and maybe you can relate to it.
I started in business in 1982, and one of my businesses that I set up in 1987 and sold in 2016 is what I will focus on. My wife was 3 months pregnant when I quit my job and started my Advertising Agency. My dad thought I had lost the plot and told me how irresponsible I was. There is never a right time to set a business up, right? Neither of my daughters has ever seen me work for anyone else. I have always been the creator of the story of my own life. I always wanted to be a hero to my kids and not some pop star or fictitious character from the TV. This is a testimonial on linked in from Lauren, my eldest daughter she wrote in 2011 – you can find it on my linked In profile.
“Being Richards daughter, I know exactly the type of person that he is! My dad has definitely influenced me in many ways. He is a positive person who always puts other people first. Having achieved so much in life, he is definitely someone that I look up to and I hope that one day I can be as successful as he is”.
My driving force over the last 40 years was and still is to be a hero to my kids, and if just a proportion of what I have learned through my life rubs off, then it will all have been worth it. They are both extraordinarily strong, successful, independent ladies, with strong morals and values and who always put others first. Those of you who know them will confirm this.
I believe we are all ordinary people but we do extraordinary things to succeed in whatever it is we succeed at in life. We are regularly overcoming obstacles along the way but at the same time, our ability to deal with these obstacles and deal with them in the right way with the right attitude will rub off on those who are close to us. Personally I think when – as parents – we leave this world, the values we have taught our children and the people they become is far more important than any amount of money we leave them.
I have met many people along my journey of life who use their kids as an excuse for not doing things, but for me they were the whole reason I did things. I hope for those of you reading this, they are the reason you do what you are doing. I am so proud to be my kids’ hero. Be a hero to your kids.
This article was first published on LinkedIn by Richard Knight on 19/10/2021