7 Words You Should Know: A Dad's Advice for the Journey Ahead

By Ward Anthony Dean

Seven Words You Should Know: Dad’s Advice for the Journey Ahead was written to help teens, young adults, and adolescents grasp profound life principles in an easy-to-remember, uncomplicated way. It was also designed to give parents a starting point from which to share lifelong lessons and experiences with their own children as well as build a lasting legacy. The author’s hope is that the book will be a catalyst for parents and children to come together to create an exchange of wisdom from one generation to another.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499061147

Ward Anthony Dean

Ward Anthony Dean is a thought provoking author who has been inspired to share advice to others who desire helpful tools to navigate through life. As a loving father of three and husband of 19 years, his passion to pass on lasting wisdom and knowledge began with his desire to help his own children succeed in their life’s journey. From his own journey through financial and emotional struggles to, eventually, purchasing his dream home, receiving a Business degree and beginning a new career, Anthony kept a journal to remember his blessings and to pass them on to his children. He was later inspired to make his writing relevant to many and began developing a book for others to benefit. Being an average dad, he seeks to inspire other fathers and mothers to prepare their children for life and to leave a powerful legacy that will remain with them throughout their lives. His hope is that you will know the "7 Words" and will find words of your own to inspire yourself and others around you.

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Copyright © 2014 by Ward Anthony Dean.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 09/19/2020

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Yes

No

Create

Focus

Faith

Humility

Giving

What Now?

Journaling

Words From You

Resources

About the Author

About the Book

To my children, Shaylah, Judea, and Malachi—I have always wanted to give you the best. This book comes from the best places in my heart, and my hope is that you will carry my heart with you wherever life takes you. You will always have a father who loves you—one here and one above. You have inspired me to be a better man by requiring me to be a stronger father. Thank you.

Love always,

Dad

Preface

O ne of the promises I made myself when my children were young was to write a memoir or a personal journal to them before they grew up. Therefore, as I was writing this book, I set the 18 th birthday of my oldest daughter, Shaylah, as a deadline to complete this task. At the beginning of this project, which seemed to be quite lofty, I focused on how much my children mean to me and how important it was that I share my thoughts with them in a lasting way. I understand the power of writing from my years of studying the Bible and my appreciation for how those words have continually helped me through my life. In turn, I wanted to leave something that can perpetually help my children and others throughout the world.

The first idea for writing this book began when I was preparing for Shaylah’s sweet-sixteen celebration. She pressed me to prepare a speech for that day, so I came up with a list of five words of wisdom that she could remember and could take with her for her life’s journey. As it turned out, it wasn’t long after her party that I asked her if she could remember any of the words that I had given her, and she only remembered two! I then realized that I needed to write my thoughts down to help her remember. So here it is.

Other than for my children, another reason I wrote this book is because I wish I would have had more meaningful conversations with my own father. My dad, Wardlaw Dean, died when I was nineteen years old. He had a fluctuating mental condition—most likely a bipolar disorder, which began when I was around five years old. To treat the condition, he was prescribed heavy medications, which likely contributed to his wide swing of emotions. Because of this ongoing illness, I never saw my father get up on a normal workday and come back after laboring at the car manufacturing plant where he worked for several years before being on sick leave. I never really saw him function in a fatherly role, such as fixing things around the house or building things in the basement. My mother has often told me about how hard he had worked, for many years, to provide for our family and how proud he was of our home. And though he spent many hours on the sofa, he was a silent yet commanding presence. I remember fond moments I had with him though, especially when we went fishing. He was always so patient when he fished. He could just cast out the baited hook and let it sit there for what seemed like hours at a time. I enjoyed time with my father—playing cards, wrestling, or sitting on his shoulders and combing his gray hair. He would simply sit there with a smug grin that made me feel as though he was content in the moment. As I got older, his obnoxious episodes worsened. He would stay up all night yelling at the TV in the smoke-drenched family room downstairs. He would smoke constantly during these times and got little rest. Although my father was easily agitated, he always maintained a good heart. I remember, during one of his bouts of illness, how he held me once, as I was trying to push him away, and told me, Don’t pay me no mind, I just be talkin’. He passed away of a cardiac arrest when he was fifty-two.

For these reasons, I did not have the deep conversations with my father that I now long for and desire. I would have liked to hear his thoughts on his past experiences and to hear stories laden with nuggets of wisdom that came from his years of living. Many times, I think we as adults underestimate the value of the knowledge we have garnered through our experiences—no matter how trivial. These memories and lessons are some of the best treasures we can pass on to our children. They are something so personal and intimate that our children pay closer attention to them because it comes from us, and they can relate to us in a different way.

When my children think of me, I want them to know that I love them and that I did the best I could to provide for them. I want them to be able to know my thoughts when they can’t reach me and gain my insight when I am unavailable. I also think some things are best said when they are written down. You can’t argue with it. All you can do is read it and try to grasp its meaning. Sometimes when trying to verbally relay a message to our children, the gravity of the words tend to get lost by the brevity of the moment or by time’s constant wearing down of our memories. Written words last a lifetime and beyond.

I have a relationship with God through Christ Jesus. I guess the name Christian would have been easier to use, but because it has taken on so many different meanings nowadays, I decided to use something that better defines my relationship with the Creator. The reason I’m sharing this is so you will understand why there will be so many biblical references in the book. My life is one that has been founded on biblical principles, so it is inevitable that they would show up in a book that is so near to my heart. Please don’t let this stop you from reading ahead. I am confident that you will find thoughts that you can relate to in your life. I also intentionally wrote each thought with sound reasoning and sensible explanation.

The thoughts in this book are not only for young people. It is my sincerest hope that this book will supply any parent with the necessary words they have been meaning to share with their child or children. Sometimes it is difficult to convert the feelings in your heart into words,