Fatherly Advice: where would we be without their wise, funny, practical guidance?

Their words have the power to shape the very people that we become. Their words comfort us, reminding us that we are loved unconditionally, that we can, in fact, go home again and sometimes that’s all we need to know. Some are men of few words and simply lead by example. Their actions leave a lasting impression defining strength, bravery and integrity.

Dads need to know that we are listening and watching whether we are loveable toddlers to confident middle aged adults and every stage in between. They need to know how much we look up to them and look to them for direction, for answers to so many of our questions.

We celebrate all dads, stepdads and father figures, thank you for everything you do.

This Father’s Day tell your dad how he inspired you, tell him you noticed how hard he worked, tell him how he made you feel, tell him you love him.

Here are 14 pieces of advice on life, love and work from loving dads.

1. Thanks for the Soda, Pop!

Before I took the old family car to college, my father loaded the trunk with soft-drink bottles filled with oil, coolant and transmission fluid. Sure enough, my car overheated. Scolding myself for not listening to my father’s instructions, I looked at the engine and saw how well he knew me. The oil cap was labeled Dr Pepper, the transmission stick, Coke, and the empty coolant container, Diet Pepsi. I finished the trip safely.

Charlotte G. Alexander from Reader's Digest

2. Don’t sell yourself short

Many mornings when my dad dropped me off at school, he would repeat the adage “Don’t take any wooden nickels.” He meant it to mean: Don’t settle for less than you’re worth. I’ve relied on this advice countless times over the years. It has motivated me to end harmful relationships and has kept me from underestimating my abilities at work. Thanks to my father, I don’t let self-doubt keep me from achieving my goals.

Hilary Heindl from Realsimple.com

3. Being well rounded

While I was growing up in the late 1950s and early 60s, my dad made sure I knew that I could do anything a man could do. He showed me how to use power tools, climb on the roof to install a radio antenna, and lift a trailer onto a hitch. He also loved to see me dressed up for dances and even bought me my first lipstick. He wanted me to recognize that I could be feminine and self-sufficient.

Winifred Norwood from Realsimple.com

4. Practicing what you preach

My father says, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” And he should know: He’s an incredibly industrious doctor who manages to get to know his patients well, play ball with his grandchildren, and pursue countless hobbies. In my own life, I’ve discovered that I am more productive when I have more going on.

Kim Prywes Bloomberg from Realsimple.com

5. Using your imagination

How important it is to have fun. My dad was never boring: He often stood on his head to impress his three kids. And he made even mundane errands exciting. For example, he once coaxed us to imagine a trip to the fishmonger’s (with its live octopus on display) as a Jules Verne adventure. My dad taught me that life is better when you have a good time—and bring others along for the ride.

Monique Citron Stampleman from Realsimple.com

6. How to be a good father

My father told me that the best way to love my children was to openly express my love for my wife. The fruits of these words are sent forth with every unselfish act, kind word, and expression of love that comes from my children."

T.L. Brew from Babycenter.com

7. We’ve got your back

Unfortunately, it was advice that I didn't listen to. In 1986, as he was walking me down the aisle to marry my first husband, he whispered that we could keep on walking...straight out the side door of the church, and he and my mom would never question it. I should have listened; that marriage lasted only two and a half years. Father knows best!

Kim Goodwin Templeman from Reader's Digest

8. The pursuit of excellence

As a business owner, my dad always gave me the career advice to do my absolute best — or in his words, “maximize your gifts” — no matter what. Whether that is writing up a report or keeping your office organized, you should always do your personal best. And even right now, sitting on my desk is a paperweight from my dad with the inscribed words: Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.

JacquelineHoward, associate science editor Huffington Post

9. Planning ahead

If you need self-motivation, ask yourself the big question: How do you see yourself in five years, twenty years, and fifty years? Gauge your success by how well you’ve managed your health, relationships, and money in those periods of time. Happiness comes from finding balance between the three.

Mia Fermindoza, photographer Huffington Post

10. Having an open mind

“My father didn’t really give me advice. He taught by example. ‘Listen to this!’ he would say as he handed me Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or Cheap Thrills—even though his thing was classical music. ‘Watch this!’ as he made sure I watched Citizen Kane and 400 Blows and Dr. Strangelove. ‘This is marvelous!’ as he took a bite out of a crusty baguette loaded with saucisson à l’ail. The message seemed to be ‘Enjoy good things.’”

Anthony Bourdain, executive chef of New York’s Brasserie Les Halles restaurant from Menstuff.org

11. Customer service

“When I was ten years old I visited the Americana, in Bal Harbor, Florida, with my dad, Preston Robert Tisch. As we walked through the hotel, my father overheard a conversation between an employee and a guest who wanted a wine that the hotel did not have in its cellar. To make the point that it’s our job to accommodate our guests in every way possible, my father had the staff contact a few distributors and got in a case of the wine the following day. The guest was delighted.”

Jonathan Tisch, CEO of Loews hotels fromMenstuff.org

12. Walk this way

“I learned many important lessons from my father, Daniel Simmons, but the one that left the deepest impression was to spit truth to power. My father spit truth on many occasions, both in his poetry and in his actions, but the time that really stood out to me was a day during the mid-’60s, when my family was taking a drive out to the beach at the edge of Queens. We had driven only a few blocks from our home when my father saw some of our neighbors protesting outside a construction site. When he got out to investigate, he found out that they were upset because, while the building was being built in a black neighborhood, the contractor hadn’t hired any black construction workers. It wasn’t right to hire only white workers from outside the community when there were plenty of skilled black workers living in Hollis who could have used the opportunity. Well, after my father heard that, that was the end of our trip to the beach. My father joined the picket line that very afternoon and kept coming back every day until the contractor finally caved in and hired some black workers. And it wasn’t just raising his voice—I even saw my father risk his life by lying down in front of a bulldozer that tried to cross the picket line. That made a very deep impression on my brothers and me. Watching his example taught me that if you see a truth that’s being ignored, you have to speak up for it. Even if it’s hard, even if it’s dangerous, and even if, on the surface, it doesn’t look like it’s going to affect your life directly, you still have to speak up. It helped us realize that spitting truth to power isn’t a luxury, but a duty.”

Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings from Menstuff.org

13. Money isn’t everything

“I remember I was really little and my dad used to have a used-car lot. Right next to the used-car lot, this old guy named Willy lived in this really beat-down house. I asked my dad if Willy was poor, and he said, ‘He doesn’t have a lot of money, but he’s rich because he’s got so much personality, he’s got so much heart.’ That has always sort of stuck with me, believe it or not.”

Josh Duhamel from Menstuff.org

14. Use your words

“I was born in Ethiopia and orphaned at the age of 3. My sister and I were fortunate enough to be adopted by two wonderful people from Sweden. My father, Lennart Samuelsson, knew that being a black kid in a nearly all-white country meant that my life was bound to be filled with challenges, and when I was growing up, the one thing he forbade me to do was fight. Although I did not realize it at the time, he was teaching me to outsmart my problems rather than address them with force. Being a minority—whether it’s because of your gender, race, or even age—is never easy, no matter where you are, but thanks to my dad, I never grew up thinking about that. It made me who I am today, and as a result, I look at all of my challenges differently.”

Marcus Samuelsson, executive chef and co-owner of New York’s Aquavit restaurant from Menstuff.org