10 Marty Robinson quotes that the world ought to hear.

If you’ve ever met my dad, chances are you either have a joke or saying of his that will be ingrained in your mind forever. Throughout my life, he has been nothing but the best dad in the world, the best friend anyone could have, and the strongest leader I know. Because of all of these things, I didn’t feel it was fair to keep his wisdom to myself, so I thought I would share with you all just a few quotes of his that I thought everyone needs to hear. Some are serious, some are funny, but each one of them has molded my life, and I believe the world would truly be a better place if we all followed his sayings, so I present to you: 10 Marty Robinson quotes that the world ought to hear.

1. “If I was any better, I’d have to sit on my hands to keep from waving at everybody.”
   • When asked how he’s doing or how his day is going, this is one of his many positive responses you may get. I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s very easy to get caught up in the negativity that some days bring. I can’t tell you how many long days that man has had, but he calls every single one a great one, and that positivity is so heavily needed and underappreciated in the world around us.
2. “It ain’t nothing but a thing.”
   • Life sucks sometimes, it’s no secret. The most unfair and undeserved things happen to everyone. From a house fire to the wreck, I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard this statement come out of my dad’s mouth. Although simple, there’s something so calming in hearing someone not in sheer panic when something goes wrong. He always keeps his cool, and never lets anything overwhelm him.
3. “If I let it consume me, it wins.”
   • This one came specifically from the wreck. In the months following the accident, I was a mess. Quite frankly I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off for at least a couple weeks freaking out about the car and what to do next. After seeing me struggling with everything, I remember my dad stopping me to explain that life must go on and telling me that I shouldn’t let the situation consume me and my happiness, because if I did, it won. In college, this piece of advice has become particularly helpful. As I get stressed and overwhelmed, I remember that sometimes we just have to be aware of what we are feeling and mindful enough to keep it from ruling our lives and emotions.
4. “Get ‘er done.”
   • This one might come from Larry the Cable Guy, but hey, Marty Robinson has made it his own. From grade school to college, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this one at least 1,000 times. Whenever I tell my dad that I’m stressed about something or that there’s something I have to do that I’m dreading, I always get a simple “get ‘er done.” Although it sounds so basic, and probably not too profound, there’s something about my dad’s drive that’s so inspiring through its simplicity. It’s the type of drive that never stops, and stares adversity in the eyes fearlessly. I can say this saying really hit me when I got diagnosed with POTS. Instead of backing down and giving up, I demanded answers, and I think all the while I was hearing “get ‘er done” in the back of my mind.
5. “The gap between ordinary and extraordinary is small, but few will go the extra distance.”
   • Let that one sink in. Although I think this one could be used in literally every area of life, I personally find it the most relevant in how I see my relationships with other people. It is so easy to go the extra distance in how we love those around us. It takes so little time/effort/energy to go out of your way for those around you. This is one of many concepts that I see exemplified through my parents. If there is any way they can help someone else, it’s done, no questions asked. In my dad’s profession, I also see this exemplified. Rather than simply running a business, he takes the extra steps of not only making sure that every single job is done correctly, but also taking the time and effort to be an exceptional leader by truly caring for the people who work for him. This isn’t something you see a lot in today’s world, and growing up in a household where I was taught to cross oceans for people who don’t always deserve it has molded me into the person that I am today and made me so much more capable of loving the people around me.
6. “Never place permanence on a situation.”
   • It is so easy to feel stuck, to feel like you can’t move past something, to feel helpless. In the face of a completely destroyed home, I watched my dad shovel through rubble of what he used to call a home, where he watched his kids grow up, where he has built a life, yet he never stopped to panic or ask why this was happening. For the longest time, I never understood why, but after hearing him say this quote over the past (almost) 20 years, it became apparent. He knew that this too would pass, and eventually be a memory that built character and defined who we were as a family. Again, with the wreck and finding out I had a serious disorder, I was reminded that nothing is permanent and there is so much room to grow in the waiting for the next chapter in your life.
7. “There is nothing more important than good character.”
   • Something that a lot of people don’t know about my dad is that not only is he in charge of a large corporation, but he is also the Chairman of the board at the high school that I graduated from. He would never tell you that, but I’m here to tell you that he is an impressive guy; however, what makes him impressive is not a college degree, it’s not money, it’s not what he’s done, but rather it’s who he is. It’s easy for someone to say that they have good character, but it’s not easy for someone to demonstrate it constantly. Although he’d probably tell you that he’s made his fair share of mistakes, one area where I can promise that my dad is truly perfect is when it comes to character. Even after being severely wronged, I have watched him simply shake his head, say nothing but positive things, and move on. I was raised to be honest and authentic, even when it is truly the hardest thing to do. Character is at the forefront of truly every lesson that my dad has taught me, and if you meet him or talk to anyone that knows him, I can 100% guarantee you that they would say the same.
8. “Make rest a priority, not an option.”
   • This quote used to make me angrier than you could ever imagine. As a high schooler, I wanted to go, I wanted to do, and sometimes my parents would tell me no simply because they thought I needed rest. In college, I have come to appreciate this advice more than you can imagine. When my friends ask me to do something and I am honestly exhausted, I am comfortable saying no, and that’s not something that everyone I know can say. I am comfortable making rest a priority, and taking mental breaks when they are necessary. One battle I have been facing recently is sickness and managing being a college student. When I expressed this struggle to my parents, without hesitation my dad said, “well maybe it’s time to just step back and take a break.” I cannot explain the overwhelming feelings of comfort, love, and support I felt when he acknowledged that I was sick, and I was tired, and I was struggling. Rather than telling me to push on, he gave me the comfort of knowing I could step back and take that break if it was what I needed to do.
9. “Your attitude is the only thing you can be fully in control of sometimes.”
   • Until I moved to college, I was an extremely negative person. I can honestly say that the 2 reasons I changed my mindset were the fact that college hit me real hard, and life got real hard for a little bit and I realized that I had to do something for my own sake, and the phone calls, love, and support that I got from home. When I was down and unfortunate things happened to me, I would immediately sink down in my hole of asking why me. When my dad heard that attitude out of me, he was quick to tell me that I can’t control what happens to me, and that life is hard and unfair sometimes, but the one thing that we can always control is our attitude about the world around us. This has made all the difference in the world to me because I can catch myself being negative and remember that I am in full control of my own emotions.
10. “We all go through life, and sometimes we get a little bit on us.”
    • I saved this one for last because it’s my favorite. This quote describes when you mess up, and it embraces the fact that we all in fact mess up… bad. I can’t exactly explain why it’s my favorite, but I think there’s something about the idea of getting “life” on us like it’s dirt makes things a little more simple to understand. It makes it a little easier to accept the fact that we aren’t perfect, and life wasn’t meant to be perfect. At the end of the day, I think my dad knows that having “life” on you is about the same as having experience and wisdom on you, both of which he has more than I could ever explain.

Dad, Happy Birthday. I love you so dearly and I am so blessed to come from a family that not only encourages me when I’m on a mountain, but also when I am in the valleys. You are a rock, a friend, and the perfect image of what the most imperfect perfect human ought to look like. I could never thank-you enough for the support, love, and life that you have provided me. I love you endlessly.