A Father’s Message to his Son, Meka Ganesh Sai―Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D

“It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.” —Friedrich Schiller

Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June each year. Here are some thoughts, roles and responsibilities of a father toward his children. All parents love their children unconditionally. They want to give their best for the happiness and prosperity of their children. Some parents are capable of sharing their wealth while some are capable of offering education. A few parents are capable of offering education and sharing their wealth with their children. In such case, the children are truly blessed because they have everything on platter. Some children don’t live up to the expectations of their parents due to wrong circle of friends and short-term temptations thus ending up as failures. The challenge lies with parents to keep their children in the right track and on the fast track. In fact, character and education are more important than sharing materialistic wealth with their children.

In my personal life, I could not create any wealth as I basically emphasized acquiring education since childhood. Hence, I emphasized providing education to my two sons despite being in a lower middle class family in India. I was not fortunate with regular education because my parents could not afford me regular education. I joined Indian Air Force when I was 19 years old and acquired various qualifications including DME, BSc, MA, PGDCLL, PGDBM, MBA and finally PhD in Soft Skills in the year of 2011.

I am blessed with two good sons who never complained the financial challenges they underwent since childhood due to some of my rogue relatives. I am happy that I provided overseas education to my younger son. Now my elder son is preparing for overseas education which is not certain. I have given the following message to my hardworking and obedient elder son, M. Ganesh Sai.

A Father’s Message to his Son

“The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them.” —Confucius

My beloved son,

Observe the following aspects to excel as an ethical and global leader, and above all, a fine human being.

• Make your life a masterpiece of service. 
• Set goals and stay focused on them. Don’t waste your precious time. The biggest gift you can give to anyone is your time.
• Be in the circle of good friends who have a positive, right and strong attitude.
• Network with people who are smarter than you to update yourself constantly and ignite your mind with ideas and insights.
• Be in a learning zone, not in a comfort zone. Be a continuous learner to excel as a leader.
• Avoid complaining, criticizing and condemning others.
• Be committed and dedicated to your roles and responsibilities.
• Emphasize excellence.
• Take risk. Remember, not to take a risk is also a risk in this rapidly changing technology world.
• Be flexible and adaptable. 
• Acquaint with technology. Be prepared mentally to encounter challenges arising from technology.
• Never surprise your superior or team leader. Update him/her regularly to ensure smooth communication and good relations.
• Emphasize work-life balance.
• Think before you speak and write. Maintain good relations with your family, friends and neighbors. Remember, what goes around comes around.
• Make your decisions after weighing the pros and cons with your head, heart and gut. Don’t rush to conclusions when you receive wrong information about others. Check facts and figures from multiple sources to build your own conclusions and opinions.
• Keep people before the profit.
• Knowledge is more important than wealth.
• Build a team of ten likeminded people to extend your support and seek their support.
• Stay clearly focused on your goals irrespective of the outcomes. Sometimes it takes a little longer time to accomplish your goals and achieve success.
• Achieve success with integrity.
• Be a giver, not a taker.
• Develop an attitude of gratitude. Thank the people who laid the ladder for your success and growth. Thank God everyday for the blessings.
• Never forget your family because your family is your source of inspiration throughout your life. Your family will stand by you through thick and thin. 

Conclusion

“A man's desire for a son is usually nothing but the wish to duplicate himself in order that such a remarkable pattern may not be lost to the world.” —Helen Rowland

Children must take their parents as an inspiration instead of taking others as their inspiration. If children have loving parents, they are truly blessed. Wealth comes and goes but the ideas and ideals remain intact. Hence, emphasize less on materialistic wealth but more on intellectual wealth to lead a happy and peaceful life.

Life is not a cakewalk because it throws several curveballs. Don’t compare with others because you don’t know their internal challenges and struggles. You must work hard, smart and wise to grow in your life. Remember, there is no free lunch in the world. To conclude, contribute your best without excessively worrying about the outcomes because outcomes will take their own time. Be a good citizen and bring good name to your parents and your nation.

We are fortunate to live in this world together along with your mother and younger brother. We will treasure each moment because we will not meet again in the next life. I am not fortunate to have an educated father to share these messages with me. Hence, I implore you to share these messages with your son when you have a son of your present age to build a better generation.

"By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong." ―Charles Wadsworth

Note: This message is not only to my son but also to all global youth to inculcate positive attitude to achieve success with integrity and make their parents and nations proud.

Here is the link to purchase my bestselling book ‘21 Success Sutras for CEOs: How Global CEOs Overcome Leadership Challenges in Turbulent Times to Build Good to Great Organizations’ https://www.amazon.com/21-Success-Sutras-Ceos-Rao/dp/162865290X

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Life is great!

Professor M.S. Rao

Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India

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