Every parent should read this.
Mine involved a pistol-carrying thief running directly in front of my car.
And the advice I got after changed how I’ve run my business ever since.
2019: A man’s phone gets snatched on the street. The thief pulls out a pistol mid-run. The victim stops dead. Too scared to move.
And this thief is now running directly in front of my car.
I froze.
When I told my father what happened, I expected “beta stay safe.”
He said: “You should have hit him with the car.”
2020: I’m looking for my first office.
Everything I find is 35-40k rent. I wanted 20-25k. I went home and told him.
He didn’t say “beta that’s too much risk.” He didn’t say “start small, be careful.”
He said: “Go for 40k. More pressure, more hardwork. You have to learn to take risks in business.”
I felt excitement sitting there. No argument. Just trust.
Till today, I am taking risks every single day. That moment is why.
Growing up, he used to get angry with me. Scold me. Beizati sometimes.
I remember thinking about running away from home when I was child 😂
Then I started my business in 2020. And slowly, the anger stopped.
Now it’s just occasional taunting. Mostly when I’m driving and using my phone.
You know what’s strange? When he does it now, I feel happy. Not annoyed. I am like “Oh it’s a perfect day 🫣”
I actually miss the old version of it.
Here’s what I want to say to every parent reading this:
My father never sat me down and said “I’m teaching you confidence today.”
He just didn’t protect me from pressure.
He pushed me toward the 40k when I wanted 20k.
He told me to face the thief when I froze.
His anger taught me to handle difficulty. His trust taught me to take risks.
Your child doesn’t need you to remove every obstacle.
They need your permission to face one.
That permission is what builds an entrepreneur.
My father gave it to me without ever calling it that.
Umar H.
P.S. If your father couldn’t do these things, it doesn’t mean he didn’t want to. It might simply mean he couldn’t afford to. That’s a different story and it deserves the same understanding.
Originally posted on Facebook on 6 May 2026.
