Celebrating Father’s Day this past weekend with the rest of America inspired me to write about personal traits that make people successful—not only in real estate, but in life. The person who taught me life’s most important skills and lessons was my father, Donny Anderson. He grew up in a humble household in West Texas, and went on to achieve greatness in sports, winning Super Bowl I and II with the Green Bay Packers.
My dad’s professional sports tenure inspired me become a professional athlete as well. At an early age he told me, “If you truly want to be a professional athlete, I can show you. I’ve been there.”
The following traits that he instilled in me are the reasons behind me being able to play professional baseball for the Colorado Rockies—and have been incredibly useful in building my real estate career and competing in the dynamic Dallas-Fort Worth market:
Discipline: From an early age, I learned about discipline from my father. He not only explained what it meant, but showed me what it looked like. He used to say, “You meet a successful person, and I promise they are disciplined and have a great work ethic.”
Perseverance: Adversity comes in all shapes and sizes, and no one is exempt from dealing with it. The way your life turns out doesn’t depend on how much adversity you face, but on how you react. We all choose whether challenges will be burdens or life lessons that lead to success.
An Ability to Listen: To this day, my dad continues to encourage me to be a better listener, in other words, “Be quiet and listen, son.” Truly listening can solve many problems. Rather than offering up solutions without fully understanding the root of the obstacles, listen.
Compassion: My father has a huge heart. Even spending so much of his life on the football field trying to be tougher and stronger than the opponent, he always tried to exercise compassion.
All of the time my father spent with his son paid off—and will continue for generations. As my five sons grow up, I want them to learn to tackle life’s obstacles the same way my dad taught me.
Thank you, Dad, for being my “Pop” and an incredible example!
