Today's guest, Matt Purcell, currently works as an international lawyer for Simplot in Boise. After starting his career as a lawyer on the east coast he returned to his native Boise Idaho to work with Micron and eventually landed at Simplot. In today's discussion, we talk about the difficulties of traveling and working internationally while simultaneously trying to be a good father and husband. We discuss setbacks and triumphs as Matt tells about his journey. He gives advice to students and full-time workers alike. His advice is applicable to anyone trying to be a better father, husband, mother, wife, etc... We discuss how creating memories with our kids will cultivate a lifelong bond that won't easily be broken. We also discuss how much a small phone call in the middle of the day from your kids can mean to a parent. It was an honor to chat with Matt and I hope any listener can take this interview, find nuggets of wisdom, and become a little bit better because of it. Enjoy!
How much good does losing your patience and yelling at your kids do? In my experience, not a lot. In today's episode, I discuss the eighth point from dailydad.com's article on 9 ways to be a better father today. This episode discusses being patient with your kids, even though they will get on your nerves. Being a parent is difficult, but lacking patience will make everything harder. I promise. My advice to all parents today is to "fight like hell" to keep your cool. Your life will be better, and your kids' lives will be better.
Link to Article: https://dailydad.com/9-ways-to-be-a-better-father-right-now/
Have you ever been let down because someone didn't live up to your expectations? Did you voice that expectation? Was that expectation reasonable? We all have expectations for ourselves, our kids, etc... but we need to make sure those expectations are fair and not unreasonable. You would never expect a 5-year-old to act like a 16-year-old, and you would never expect a 16-year-old to act like a 21-year-old. These expectations would be unfair and unreasonable. Today I discuss how you should not set unreasonable expectations for your kids. Whether that is to be the star athlete you weren't or to play in Carnegie Hall like you couldn't, it doesn't matter. Setting those unfair expectations for your kids will only do more damage than good.
Link to Article: https://dailydad.com/9-ways-to-be-a-better-father-right-now/
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
How well do you know your kids? Do you know that your two-year-old loves tractors; or that your teenager loves sports? In today's discussion on tip number 6 from the article 9 ways to be a better father today from dailydad.com I discuss getting on your kid's level and how we can connect with them to teach them and help them grow into better people.
Link to Article: https://dailydad.com/9-ways-to-be-a-better-father-right-now/
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
I really like this piece of advice. I remember times in my life when an adult, whether my parent or another person, shared their problems with me and it only brought me down. I remember feeling worse for having had that interaction. I think this piece of advice today really hits home just how oversharing could harm our children. We need to find healthy ways to work out our problems, leave work at work, and find help in appropriate places.
Link to Article: https://dailydad.com/9-ways-to-be-a-better-father-right-now/
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
Have you ever been the recipient of someone else's bad day? When someone takes out their frustrations with their own life on you? Imagine that you are the one having a bad day, and you decide to take it out on your child. That isn't fair and it is something that a good father would try to avoid doing at all costs. In this episode, I discuss how we can be chain breakers in our own families with our children. We can break the trauma chain by not taking out our own trauma on our children. We can be the ones that save generations from addiction, trauma, and other issues if we are willing to recognize and work through our own difficult times. Enjoy!
Link to Article: https://dailydad.com/9-ways-to-be-a-better-father-right-now/
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
This tip is not so much about directly doing something for your kids, but rather doing something that will give them an example. Going out, one on one, with your spouse once a week. Committing to a date night can seem daunting, especially if you are low on funds, available babysitters, stressed, or in the middle of a global pandemic. While not easy, this is definitely worth doing. It will bless your marriage, which in turn, will bless your kids.
Link to Article: https://dailydad.com/9-ways-to-be-a-better-father-right-now/
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
In part 2 of the 9 ways to be a better father series, I discuss setting an example for your kids. It has been more applicable to me lately because my toddler has begun talking. He repeats every word we say. We realized that our example is his primary source of teaching. This has made me and my wife really take inventory of our own lives to see if we can be better examples to him.
Link to Article: https://dailydad.com/9-ways-to-be-a-better-father-right-now/
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
Today's episode and the next 8 will focus on an article written by Ryan Holliday on dailydad.com. He writes about 9 ways we can become better fathers. I will read excerpts from his article and discuss different stories from my own experience as a dad. Today I discuss putting our phones away when we are with our children and how we can all be better at this.
Link to Article: https://dailydad.com/9-ways-to-be-a-better-father-right-now/
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
Have you ever acted in a way that you wish you could take back? Do you wish that there was an undo feature in your life? I know I have and do wish at times I could have rewound 30 seconds and redone what I had done. In this episode, we discuss how anger can damage you and how you can combat it with some lessons from my life and the ancient Stoics. Enjoy!
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
Today I am excited to share with you my interview with Aaron Shields. As a former rocket scientist and software developer, Aaron found a passion for helping others and finding connections with people. Through this connection, he found that coaching was a way to achieve his goals of helping people on a more individualized scale. Aaron is a Ramsey-certified financial coach as well as a life coach. He and his wife recently started their own coaching business and are changing lives one at a time. In this episode, we discuss all things finance, relationships, boundaries, and coaching. We discuss how his definition of success has changed in recent years to focus on things he can control. Enjoy this chat with Aaron Shields.
If you are interested in connecting with Aaron, you can reach him at his website here: https://www.mountainsidementoring.com/
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
Today I discuss the work of Ryan Holiday from his book "Ego is the Enemy". It was an incredibly impactful book for me and I hope that some of the topics covered can be impactful to you as well. I talk about how we often have a passion for something and how that passion can't last, it is like a candle that burns out. We need a purpose to help us overcome some of the obstacles and challenges in our lives. This lesson has helped me in law school and as a father and husband. I hope that it can help you tooo. Enjoy.
Link to the book: https://amzn.to/3teLLfT
It's simple today, I tell a few funny stories from the book of my nieces and nephews. My Mother-in-law created a book of all the funniest things the kids have said over the years. I share a few of those stories with you.
Today I was talking with my cohost of the Law School Student Hour, Garrett Speak, and he said something that really struck a chord with me. Paraphrased he said, "fatherhood is the adventure." It got me thinking, of all the adventures that I want to go on, do I consider fatherhood as the most important? Do I view fatherhood as the greatest adventure on which I will ever embark? Today I discuss how fatherhood really is the greatest adventure you will ever encounter and how that adventure will last a lifetime.
Today was a tough day as a dad. Our little guy decided to fall and nearly bite through his tongue. There was a lot of blood and tears. It was rough. After visiting the doctor's office, we learned a valuable lesson. There is almost nothing I would not do for my child. The doctor asked if we were okay to drive 30 minutes to the nearest pediatric emergency room, and of course, we were. We would have driven way more than that to make sure our baby was okay. It wasn't even a question. We went to the emergency room and got him checked out, thankfully he was healing properly and it was determined that he wouldn't need stitches. We are so glad that he is okay. I am extremely grateful for the lesson that we learned.
Have you as a dad ever had the thought that you couldn't do it? That life was just too difficult as a dad? I know that there are a lot of dads that feel that way. They feel the crushing pressure to be a good father, provider, husband, etc... It can be hard. Today I discuss how we need to rise to the occasion and not shrink from our duties as fathers and husbands. You can do this, I promise.
Finals in law school are an interesting thing. They are often the only grade you get over the course of the semester. Your entire grade rests upon your ability to take one test. It's difficult. This semester we took our finals in person, which did not happen in 2020, and I noticed something. A lot of people showed up in sweats, looking like they didn't shower. It got me thinking, how do I show up in my life? Am I prepared for what is to come or am I showing up totally unprepared? How do I show up for my kids? How do I show up for my wife? I discuss all of this in today's episode.
If you have ever met Grayson Butler, you would know that he is a genuinely kind man. He exudes love for all those with whom he interacts. After a few years as an accountant, he decided that he wanted a change of scenery and went on to teach for 23 years as a seminary and institute teacher for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' Church Education System. Today we discuss what teaching taught him about being a better father and husband. We discuss how caring and loving for our children and students should be our first priority. Please enjoy this interview with Grayson Butler.
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
In today's episode, Garret and I discuss things we've learned this week as fathers and things we've learned as students. As we approach finals we discuss improving ourselves, because we can't force anyone else to change, and we talk about having open lines of communication with our wives. We also discuss things that have benefited us as students this week, about kindness and paying attention to the details. It was a great conversation. Enjoy!
If you want to skip ahead to each part here is the breakdown -
Lessons learned as a father: 2:35
Lessons learned as a student: 21:57
Q&A: 38:54
Music by <a href="/users/lesfm-22579021/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=5720">Lesfm</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/music/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=5720">Pixabay</a>
