Posted by
Rich "Ace" Akullian on
Nov 25, 2020
Our team’s most valued lessons that we are continuously grateful for.
Posted by
Rich "Ace" Akullian on
Nov 25, 2020
Thanksgiving is about being grateful for the people in your life that surround you with love and contribute to your life in a positive way. Although we may not be with our loved ones this Thanksgiving, we want to honor the people of whom we are thankful for, and those who have taught us life lessons we will never forget. Here are some of our team’s most valued lessons that we are continuously grateful for.
One of my first bosses (Nick Huban) taught me that there was never an excuse not to “pick up the napkins you see on the ground”. I’ll never forget one of my first nights as a bus boy at his night club (Nick’s Sneaky Petes) as I watched him get down on the floor in a $1,000 suit to pick up napkins that had fallen. This has stuck with me as a business owner and always reminds we to never ask someone to do a job I wouldn’t do.
My Uncle John taught me “If you have to stop and think about if something is right or wrong, it is almost always wrong”. This means trust your instincts and listen to your gut feelings. Having strong morals and acting with care will guide you in life.
My shuttle bus driver at Saint Rose, Clayton Woods, taught me small acts of kindness go a long way. It doesn’t cost us anything to be kind to each other and it can really change someone’s day.
Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City taught me that you’ll only be truly happy when you’re living in the moment and not worried about the future. It taught me to stop killing myself over what may or may not happen in the future and to enjoy life as you go.
Video games taught me that we don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. It means to never stop being young, having fun, playing, and enjoying life no matter the age. Because when we do, we grow old.
Before she passed away in 2018, my mentor, Ann Marie Stonecypher, taught me, “Don’t live like you’re dying, live like you’re living”. You shouldn’t need the prospect of death to encourage you to do all the things you’ve wanted to do, when you can start today. Dress up. Take the vacation you’ve always wanted to. Only spend time with the people who make you happy. And most importantly, live a life that feels full.
A lesson I’ve learned is “you can run” from the song New Constellations by Ryan Weaver. It serves as a reminder that the choice to change your life around and escape any hardships ultimately lies within yourself.
My dad taught me, “Don’t be afraid of failure, it is better to fail than to not try at all”. Failing is necessary because it is what drives us to succeed and learn from our mistakes. The real failure is when you don’t try, because you’ll never know what you could be missing out on.
My mom always said to me, “Fall down 7 times, get up 8”. By telling me this, she reinforced to me the importance of perseverance. She always taught me to never give up and no matter how many times I might have failed, to stick with it until I succeeded.
“Let go and let God.” This was a life lesson I learned from my parents and my family that really just reiterates the need to let go and leave some things to God to take care of for us. We all just really need to enjoy life.
A life lesson taught to me was, “Never grow weary in doing good because eventually down the road you’ll reap the benefits of your good work so long as you don’t give up.” This means eventually down the road you’ll reap the benefits of your good work, so long as you don’t give up. This was a life lesson taught to me by my parents.
A lesson taught to me was to be “Be Patient.” It was taught to me by life, and it means what it says… You’ve got to be patient and seek out the right moments to pull the trigger if you want to reach the ultimate goals.