@Dr. Patricia Rogers Love that you mentioned "perseverance" since my first book, that is close to being finished, explaines where the drive of persistece, the soul mate to perseverance, is actually based inside of us. Stories like yours help bring it all to life. Good on you!🫶

1- Gratitude: One hot summer day, when I was just 15, I was out swimming at a popular swimming area. It was located off the sandy beach of an island on the lake where my family had our cottage. Since I had spent all my summers near the water I had grown to be a decent swimmer. One sunny day, while happily enjoying the water, I decided to grab a big breath and dive down into depths. But when I turned back upward the surface looked to be much further away then I had expected. In a frenzied desperation I immediately kicked my feet, rowed and whipped my arms while pushing as much water behind my twisting body as fast as I could. My lungs were bursting for air but I knew I had to deny them. There was no time to think about it. I just had to get to that clear blue sky shimmering above me. When I broke through I took a huge gasp of air and collapsed face down on my beach towel. It was only later that I learned that during the previous summer a kid had drowned at that very same spot. Until now, many years later, I've only told my wife about how close I had come to not being here. I've carried a strong sense of gratitude with me every day since. 2 - Persistence: After delivering my Tedx Talk in 2014 I started to write and now I'm on the final edit of my new book 'The Gut Brain Balm'. I've been at this for now for 14 years! 3 - Heath: In 2021 It was discovered that I had a small area on my scalp that was melanoma. Its a serious type of skin cancer that develops quickly in the pigment-making cells. My specialist said that if he didn't operate I could be dead in 6 weeks. I got the operation and, so far, I'm cancer free with no reoccurrence.

@Natalie Kagole Hello Natalie, I'm in Cultus Lake BC. Where are you?

@Shannon Boyer Hello from Cultus Lake BC!