THAT’S WHAT HE SAID: A FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL.

Be it saving us from troubles or just being the 2am best-friends, our fathers have been it all. They have played different roles in different stages of our lives—and don’t we learn from them every single day? We do.

So, this Father’s Day, we asked Team Project FUEL to recollect their lessons from their fathers. And here’s what they had to say about what “he (i.e. the father) says”:

“I don’t remember the last time I saw my father angry. Not even in a causal way. May be, it was 11 or 12 years ago. But that’s an assumption. With my father around we never have to convince him too much for anything. Just a genuine smile and a valid reason is good enough (A trick we have been trying on my Mother for eternity and that one that never works for her). My father with his patience has taught me that we really do have control over how we respond to any situation. A calm-balanced approach helps one see through the clutter and save oneself a considerable amount of energy. I have experienced it work too. When everyone in an argument or crisis is on a super-active panic mode, my father usually is the soothing energy in the room. He has learnt to smile despite the challenges and has taught us by living that it is possible.”
—Deepak.

I learnt from my father to—
“Always try to build and maintain relationships. It always helps if you have good relationships with people.” and
“Never take any decisions in Anger. Anger forces you to take wrong decisions.”
—Kshitij.

“My lesson from my father is to not to give up until all your options or resources are exhausted. My father has never preached the lesson to me. Rather I have seen him tackling his health issues, that way. He has been a fighter forever and he knew, to never give up easily.”
—Mehak.

“My father followed his heart even when he was tagged as the ‘odd one’. He has supported me in everything that I’ve ever wanted to do and have always asked me one simple question ‘are you happy doing what you do?’ if not, then find something you’ll be happy doing. Also, he believed that we should never do something that our heart doesn’t allow us to”
—Richa.

My father taught me that—
“A senior can always forget that he is a senior but a junior should never forget that he is a junior” and
“You cannot control the outcome of situation, what you can control is your response to it”
—Apoorva.

“Construct yourself as a capable personality without dependence”— my father believed in and taught me so.
—Abhishikha.

“Ever since I was young, my father had instilled the importance of education in me. He would often tell me stories about how he would skip school and go out with his friends to watch movies. And that is what he regrets the most, that he was never serious about his education. He knows that it was the biggest mistake of his life. He’s been an entrepreneur since the past thirty years and there have been ups and downs. There was a time when the business was failing but he couldn’t quit as there wasn’t any option. It was a difficult time for us and he still laments the fact that if he had a good degree, he could have started another venture back then, which would have been more profitable maybe. And maybe that’s the reason why he still wants me to continue studying and get higher degrees. He still encourages me to keep learning, to keep reading. And it is a habit that I plan to practice and keep my whole life.”
—Ayushi.

“My mother wanted to marry me off at a young age (after my basic education was done). But my father always insisted that I should be qualified enough and have a job before I get married. He wanted me to be self-reliant and independent. And it has shaped me to be the person that I am today.”
—Neha.

And last but not the least, the most profound lesson I’ve learnt from my father is— “it is very easy to be complicated, but very tough to be simple” and somehow, we both live by the same.

P.S: A Very Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing amazing fathers out there. Don’t forget to give them the tightest hug today. And do share your stories-your lessons with us, below. We’d love to hear!