Despite having a lukewarm relationship with my father, due to what I feel are "irreconcilable differences", there are plenty of lessons he has bestowed upon me over the years, both knowingly and not.

I owe the man I am today in great part to him, both the things I dislike about myself and the core strengths and morals that made me a better person.

This is an attempt to list them in no particular order from the top of my head. I might be coming back to edit this article in the event of having some of them pop into my mind in the future.

• Never say anything bad about another person's significant other. Even if they ask you to be "brutally honest" with them. Measure your words very carefully because you have no idea what the future for that couple will be.

• How you see yourself now, I've seen myself. How you see me now, you will see yourself. Don't be overly confident about being young and strong. You will be old and frail one day and that's if you're lucky.

• Always give small presents to the people you love and care about. Birthday presents are fine, but nothing beats some small gift like bringing a local dish or delicacy if you travel out somewhere.

• The majority of disappointments in friendships and people letting you down come from a deep place of selfishness. My dad is an extremely selfless person that always put others before himself, to the extent of sometimes not taking a good investment opportunity in case other people in our family that couldn't participate would take offense. He is the best person I know, sometimes too good for his own sake.

• You have no idea what person will you be in the future and where will you be. So don't make definitive claims, nothing is set in stone. "I will do this", or even worse, "I will NEVER do this" are dangerous declarations to make. Obviously, this depends on the nature of what you say.

• Shut up, be humble. Work, thrive, and progress, but don't wave your success in front of people. Nobody cares if you're clever or successful, or if you have a lot of money. If anything, they will quietly enjoy your struggles. I remember a family dinner where everyone was waving around their knowledge about a specific topic and my dad was just chilling, smiling, enjoying his meal, and answering questions if he was asked. He was the person at the table with a Ph.D. in that topic.

• Choose your significant other not based on love, but based on their kindness, and whether they fit your idea of a future together. When I asked my dad why he fell in love with my mom, he sat back and said in a very calm voice. "Simple, your mother is a good person". Clearly, this can mean a number of things but I knew what he meant by that.

• Sometimes you're just unlucky. Regardless of what you do, or how much you work, there are some things that you can't avoid because they are purely random. Death, disease, and another number of miseries.

• Agree to everything your in-laws say, then do whatever you want. They won't agree with you and having a stubborn father or mother-in-law is almost a stereotype. I learnt this one purely based on observation 😄.

• Let people talk. You will learn a great deal about them and oftentimes they will give out valuable information about themselves and where they stand.

• Do not gossip. It often backfires.

• Embrace boredom. Being able to be comfortable with yourself having nothing to do is a form of therapy and teaches you patience.

• Read, study, learn. Read books about any topic that interests you, doesn't matter if they have an immediate application. You may discover down the road some new paths where all the things you know cross paths and prove useful. If not, it's pleasant to acquire knowledge. I realize this now when he taught me how to play chess as a kid. He didn't frame it as an obligation, he managed to make it look like a silly game. Taught me how to move the pieces and we would be having games every day for fun. Neither of us was particularly good at it, we just enjoyed the thrill of moving the pieces and trying to anticipate the other. I do however recall the guilty pleasure of winning my obnoxious cousin every single time during family holidays because he was all the time this "I am very intelligent" kid when we were young.

• Appreciate good food. Food is not only fuel for your body but an amazing pleasure. Going out of your way during a road trip because there is a great restaurant off-road with the best steaks in the region is definitely a good time and money investment.

• Be kind. There is no way of knowing what the other person in front of you is going through.

• Be angry and stand your ground if they are trying to fool you. My dad has great disdain for swindlers and tricksters, no matter where. If the electricity bill doesn't make sense, call them out on their bullshit. If they're trying to trick you into upping up the price of some housework, challenge their crap and tell them you're not paying a dime above and threaten with taking action.

• Put money on quality things. Boots, furniture, tools, a good car. Reject flashy items and status symbols, but don't be afraid at throwing money at stuff you will be using a lot.

• Be wary, but trust people. Try to assume the person you're putting your trust in has the best intentions in mind.

That's it, hopefully, some of them resonate with you. These are great life lessons that are worth their weight in gold.