By Mike Bossy

I completed a David Baldacci novel “Long Shadows” which is part of the Memory Man series. It’s a fantastic read if you like murder mysteries. Coincidently, while reading the novel, I stumbled across an old photo I took on a frozen lake on an extremely sunny day in late February. What a great picture but that is only my opinion.

So, what’s the tie in? I was casting a long shadow on the fresh snow. When I started thinking about my thinking in relation to the photo, I asked myself a question “Who has cast a long shadow over me? This thinking was in the context of all the people, especially relatives who cast a shadow (their influence and sage advice) on me.

My grandparents came to Canada because of the opportunities. They came because Canada was a land of abundance and still is. Canada’s politicians at the time embraced the entrepreneurial spirit. It was a time before politicians and bureaucrats became gate keepers. Before they made the decisions related to who were to be the winners and losers.

It wasn’t just a country of abundance; my grandparent’s had an abundance mindset to add to the mix. For them, the glass of opportunity wasn’t half full nor was it half empty. It was overflowing. They applied their Unique Abilities to the opportunities presented to them.

I have tried to follow in their footsteps and hopefully I will cast a long shadow through having a growth mindset. My advice to you is to make your own long shadow.