You went to school. You worked hard. You sacrificed. You got really good at what you do. That’s what they pay you for right? That’s why they recruited you? That’s why you’re a boss?
It is. But even with this success, this track record, this leverage you have, your life is so backwards. In one of his letters, Seneca tells a story about Alexander the Great who was on the verge of conquering another distant land. The rulers of that country came to him and offered him some of their territory if he ceased his attack. Alexander, Seneca tells us, quietly corrected them, saying that “he hadn’t come to Asia with the intention of accepting whatever they cared to give him, but of letting them keep whatever he chose to leave them.”
We were actually talking about this recently in the Daily Dad Society (our members group for parents looking for a little extra community and support) on one of our calls. How crazy is it that our work decides where the bulk of our time goes and our family has to settle for whatever is leftover? Shouldn’t it be exactly the opposite?
We are in control of our lives. We say our kids are our priority. Let’s demonstrate it. Let’s act like we have the leverage we worked so very hard to earn.
Parenting, as we often say, is our most important job. As Seneca said of philosophy, it “tells all other occupations: ‘It’s not my intention to accept whatever time is left over from you; you shall have, instead, what I reject.’”
We must say (and mean it when we say):
My kids come first. You shall have what’s left over.
But you don’t have to learn how to do this on your own. When we discussed this very topic on our monthly Daily Dad Society call, the conversation was eye-opening—parents from all walks of life shared their struggles and breakthroughs with prioritizing family time.
What inspired today’s email was hearing how many members had actually flipped the script—they now deliberately schedule family time FIRST, then fit work around those immovable commitments.
This isn’t just theory. Our community members are seeing real changes in their relationships with their children and partners. Their families aren’t just getting whatever energy is leftover at day’s end anymore—they’re getting the absolute best from these dads.
If you’re ready to join a group of parents committed to this same transformation, we’d love to welcome you.
As a Daily Dad Society member, you’ll receive:
- Monthly group calls where we tackle challenges like this together
- Access to our members-only forum for daily support and idea-sharing
- Quarterly book club focused on becoming better parents and partners
- Practical parenting intentions and exercises to implement right away
Because when we say our children are our priority, we need both the tools AND the community to actually live that truth every day.
Stop giving away control over your life. Start giving your best to those who deserve it most.
Head to dailydad.com/society to become a Daily Dad Society Member today!
