Twelve Lessons I Learned from My Uncle

My uncle, Jerry, died of Covid. He was one of my favorite people and this is a terrible loss for my family.

Uncle Jerry was one of the most generous people I have met. In the spirit of his generosity, I want to share some of the things I learned from him on this episode of The Jody Maberry Show.

The Mask Isn’t About You. Wearing a mask shows you care about other people.

Where you begin is not as important as where you finish. If you have a rough start you can still have an amazing finish. Don’t let your beginning hold you back.

Money makes you more of what you already are. Money doesn’t make someone selfish or a jerk. Money does not make someone generous and helpful. They were that way before they had money.

If you are not doing it for other people, why are you doing it?

Some problems are not worth fixing. When you know where you are going and why you are doing it. Some problems aren’t worth the time or money to worry about.

A story can make anything personal. If you take the time to tell stories, it connects you to other people.

Living a big story is worth the risk. Sure, things may not work out the way you hope. But if it gives you a story to tell, it is worth it.

You become larger than life by living each day. It’s not the big things people remember you for, it is what you do with each day you have.

Legacy is not built on big accomplishments. You build a legacy by what you do every day. How you treat people, and you help people, how you make people feel on a daily basis is where your legacy comes from.

People remember unexpected answers to expected questions. Rather than answer the simple, usual answers to questions, can you say something people will remember after the conversation?

The most important person in the world is the person right in front of you. 

No matter what happens, it’s going to be ok. These were Uncle Jerry’s last words. And he is right. It will be ok.