Daily Inspiration: “The most wonderful of all futures always originate from the most wonderful of all partners!”

“The most wonderful of all futures always originate from the most wonderful of all partners!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

My extraordinary wife, business partner, mother to my wonderful sons, and the core of the joy in my soul has somehow managed to share 33 years of marriage with me today!

On our anniversary, I find that I still continually watch her with awe, deep love, and admiration. With a home renovation underway despite being here just over a year, we have a regular stream of work crews around the house. The other day I saw her out in the front, offering up ice cream sandwiches to a hot and tired roofing crew. She is always thinking of others in her orbit – these days, there has been a regular supply of muffins for the framers, water for the weary carpenters, and coffee for all during the colder days. She is the one who is out there talking with them, giving them smiles of gratitude and moments of thanks. She is the one who was giving the recently arrived Ukrainian refugee, working on his first job in Canada since arrival, a rather massive tip of thanks – and I could see the tear in his eye.

People define their souls through their caring for others, and Christa has the soul of a caring superstar.

Her unconditional love for me knows no bounds, and I am always in shock that I have been so fortunate in my life. I know I would not be who I am without her; while I’ve managed to enjoy tremendous career success, behind every triumph is a marvelous mind of organization, a master of logistics, and a queen of all details. Not one book of mine has not gone to print without her incredible eye for the flow of the magic of the edited words; not one speaking contract has been signed without her careful eye for logic, and not one project has gone unfinished because of her diligence for details.

At the same time, her role in raising our two sons from babies to young men is unequivocally a key reason for their own success. She has imbued in them a core of caring, a passion for the purpose of achievement, and a deep devotion to the discovery of daily opportunity. Not a day goes by that someone does not remark on their kind and caring personalities – and I know that at the root of that lies the depth of the love and effort she has put into their upbringing.

I marvel each and every day at her commitment and love for me. And yet, it has not been easy for her; she gave up a massively promising career track with a global food products firm to take on the full-time role of wife, mother, and business partner. If she had not quit her job 32 years ago to join me in our home office, I know that she would be CEO somewhere or a global icon of leadership – she has given up so much! I know she has had many moments of regret in her life as she thinks about what might have been – but she accepts today the joy she has found in her world.

I also know that she has been steadfast, loving, and massively supportive during those few moments in our marriage when I was not living up to my full potential, and when I was trying to manage the more difficult aspects of success on the road. Today, she is my travel partner and ‘bodyguard,’ helping me return to the joy I originally discovered through the opportunity of sharing a passion for the future with others from the stage. Travel is not easy, particularly in a performance-based life in which one has to always achieve the highest level of excellence. She is my personal roadie, managing my whirling world of stages, contracts, and audiences – and bringing me moments of personal peace when I need it the most.

My wonderful wife has been there every single moment, and I am more than blessed to have the opportunity to share in this life with her!

Happy Anniversary Christa!