My Inspiration

It’s the 1st of January and as I sit here doing my 2014 business planning, on what should be another gorgeous sunny Sorrento day. I’m instead listening to the rain on the roof and reflecting back over what has been one of the most amazing years of my life for many reasons!

In 2013 I turned 50, won the prestigious AFA Adviser of the Year and was named FSSmileys Scholar of the Year.

Each event had their own significance and I’ve written about both the AFA Adviser of the Year and also FSSmileys in separate posts.

However the year didn’t start out so well and like so many of my friends who are around my age I lost my father just short of his 90th birthday.

I do however have him to thank for his guidance and inspiration and remember him as the strong, successful businessman and devoted husband and father he was when I was growing up.

He gave me and my brother both a fabulous education and gave me my first job as he didn’t think I really wanted to be an accountant (he was right!).

He taught me many lessons in life amongst them include the following, in no particular order:

–  Always do your best, no matter how hard it is
–  Be proud of your achievements, no matter how small they are
–  Never ever give up
–  Save first to purchase anything, don’t use credit if you can help it
–  Check and double check what you do before you say it’s right (pay attention to the detail)
–  Hard work never killed anyone!
–  Always believe in yourself
–  Family comes first (he was devoted to my mother, brother and me)
–  Money doesn’t grow on apple trees, respect it (I grew up on an orchard, so wished it did)
–  Good education and travel are irreplaceable

Thank you Dad for teaching me that “Tall Oaks from Small Acorns Grow”

Check out my videos of 2013….

My 50th Birthday video balloon surprise from my amazing JBS Team (it’s hilarious)

AFA Adviser of the Year announcement and acceptance speech

Flipagram – Highlights from 2013