In honor of Father’s Day, we recently asked people to share the best tip, wisdom or advice they have received from their dads through the years. Fathers typically are not shy about sharing their wisdom, and we figured the best way to honor their special place in our lives and hearts would be to pass it along.

My dad (like most) taught by example. He definitely taught me to assert myself, and to this day I am known for being very direct and speaking my mind. Growing up, I also learned that quitting was not an option, to aim high and to give it my all. When I was little and apparently very argumentative, I wanted to be a lawyer. Many people told me, “There are already too many lawyers out there, Colleen”, but my Dad said, “There may be a lot of lawyers, Col, but there is ALWAYS room for a good one. You can be whatever you want to be.”

He encouraged me to write a letter to Sandra Day O’Connor, and her framed response hangs on my office wall today as a reminder of his lesson on greatness.

Lots of people responded to our request for their dad’s best advice:

• Never buy something you can’t afford. The only thing he ever financed was our home. It meant we never had the latest gadgets and coolest clothes. Our cars were never fancy, always used. But, it’s the best advice I could have ever received. (Katie Kelley Soeder)
  
• Keep your nose clean. (Bethanne Bowers Brown)
  
• Losers quit when they are tired! Winners quit when they are done! (Maureen Osborne Reynolds)
  
• ‎Enjoy the time with your family and travel the world…those memories no one will ever be able to take away from you. (Annika Duesberg)
  
• ‎People do not fundamentally change. (Nancy Tandon)
  
• Don’t talk back to your mother! (Jennifer Lynch)
  
• My dad always called it his convoluted logic: do as we say, not as we do! Little did he know that the best is actually a little of each! (Kristen Kelly Liebsch)
  
• You’ve got friends you’ve haven’t met yet! (Bobbi Tumelty Kelly)
  
• If you’re not in bed by 11, come home. (Sindy Heim Young)
  
• My dad always told me he could fix anything…but a broken heart. I always told him he could fix that too. (Lise Cassarella Leonard)
  
• Baby girl, always give a firm handshake and look them in the eye. (Kathie Mazzotta Reilly)
  
• Pay your bills on time. (Jane Franklin)
  
• Don’t tell your mother. (Frank X Osborne)
  
• There’s always room for improvement. And show me your friends, and I’ll tell you what kind of person you are. (Sally Ward)
  
• My Dad is a man who teaches by example: Work hard, make time for fun, love (& spend time with) your family & friends = a good life. (Eileen Voegele)
  
• Two wrongs don’t make a right! (Patty Freeman O’Neill)
  
• ‎A problem is only a problem until you solve it. (Kelley Osborne Faust)
  
• Never talk about anyone…especially in public…u never know who’s listening. (Nicole Horan Whalen)
  
• When all else fails, read the directions. (Christine Denuel Acchione)
  
• When approaching a situation, look at what could go wrong and prevent it from happening. (Amy Boris Cratin)
  
• Save early and save often. (Brad Mook)

Thank you to all of the great Dads out there doing their best for their children and family, and thank you everyone for sharing this great advice. Which one resonated with you the most? And did we miss anything? Please let us know if your Dad gave you some amazing advice that we didn’t touch on.