A few years back, Philip Murphy was a busy & successful entrepreneur juggling two businesses in New York City on his own. It’s more than fair to say that his life revolved around work: clients, meetings, and securing that upscale Manhattan address. However, in 2012, Philip’s world turned upside-down when he became a single father. He was left to raise his daughter nearly entirely on his own, and managing the time with his job and his girl became a monumental effort. Sleep was nearly nonexistent and stress became his constant companion. But Philip loved his daughter more than anything, so despite the struggle, it was well-worth the time & the effort.
In January 2016, Philip published a powerful article on Medium.com that tells, in a brutally honest, funny & heartwarming way, how raising his little girl alone taught him six major life lessons that made him a better man. I’ll let Philip explain the lessons from here:
1. “Stuff” became unimportant to me.
Certainly “stuff” never should have been important to me, but through much of my adult life it was. I liked the latest and greatest gadgets, expensive clothes, pricey club memberships and dinners out. I had a fancy Manhattan address and split my time between working on my businesses and socializing.
All of this changed when I became a single dad. As an entrepreneur trying to run two businesses while also taking care of a little baby around the clock, my businesses suffered. While some people may be able to be a full-time parent and run their businesses at the same time, I was not blessed with that ability. In a year’s time, most of the “stuff” that I thought was important was gone (including the fancy address).
While most would find this devastating, I was surprised to find it oddly freeing. My daughter looked at me with the same love in Brooklyn as she did in Manhattan. My friends all remained friends and many became closer. I didn’t wear fancy clothes anymore, which was good because everything I owned was covered in baby spit anyway. I worked when I could and cousins and grandparents helped with hand-me-downs and toys. In short, we had nothing fancy but our basic needs were met. And we were (and are) happy.
