“[Gratitude] is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

“[Gratitude] is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” –Cicero

For me, it has been an incredible 5 days with fellow entrepreneurs, colleagues, and family.

To the crew EO Atlantic Canada, thank you for the time to reconnect and engage in some real talk. No pretenses, just support and meaningful dialogue. Martin Balcome, Mariana Cowan, Rob Cameron, Mark M., Connie McInnes, Colby Jardine, Jason Buchanan, Paul Griffith ICD.D, Chris Moore, Bradley Farquhar, Courtney Sherlock, Len Preeper Kaitlyn Touesnard (for rangling us) and so many more. I’m grateful for all of you and the example you set!

A special note of gratitude to two mentors Brad Langille and Wayne Crawley FCPA, FCA for their endless commitment to the region and to my own growth.

Thank you Mark Symes, Rory O’Neill, and James Floyd, CPA for the wonderful round of golf in honour of a Terry Thorne – a man who would have loved our competitive zeal and friendly chiding on the golf course. As Michael Thorne‘s young daughter grabbed the Mic and asked for Grampie back, we all knew this was much more than a golf tournament. Congrats Mike and Fam for finishing off your dad’s final wish and raising more than 50k for the QEII. He would be proud of you!

Finally, it was wonderful to get back to Bear River and spend a bit of time with my partner Emily Dugas and our beautiful daughter. Thanksgiving is the major Dugas family get-together and the photos over the last 8 years tell the tale. 🙂

None of what I do today would be possible without the influence of my father – Merv Symes. And as we sink into every moment, while he battles multiple systems atrophy, I’m grateful for the time to let lessons crystalize and to just be.

Practicing Gratitude has the incredible ability to make you and others around you happier – 25% happier according to this study – https://lnkd.in/e-cdXAnH

The best book I’ve read is Janice Kaplan‘s Gratitude Diaries – https://lnkd.in/epeEjByr. Her year of diving deep, her practical approach, and her wonderful story-telling abilities all come together for a wonderful journey.

It was her book that finally got me over the hurdle of keeping a gratitude journal. And it has made all the difference in my life. To slow down, and to recognize those that make the journey worthwhile.

In a collection posthumously released, Oliver Sacks, said while he was nearing the end that “I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and I have given something in return; I have read and traveled and thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world, the special intercourse of writers and readers.

Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”

#growth #grateful