---
title: "Top Ten Reasons for Giving Thanks"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/13b988f0-88d5-49b6-8386-586fc8f2c21c
source_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-ten-reason-giving-thanks-david-m-aferiat-1e/?trackingId=4uQ%2FhtHsQUCTjUiozKCiuw%3D%3D"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/education/stack/3701d09f-5d84-426c-aef0-e129d294445b
summary: "The author shares a personal list of ten reasons for giving thanks, reflecting on gratitude's transformative power and highlighting achievements at Trade Ideas, team excellence, and family blessings. This Thanksgiving reflection emphasizes how gratitude serves as a roadmap for personal and professional growth, celebrating company milestones, innovation, health, and meaningful relationships."
tags: "gratitude, thanksgiving, trade-ideas, company-growth, personal-reflection"
key_entities: "Trade Ideas (organization), Thanksgiving (event), gratitude (concept), Inc 5000 (organization), User's Summits (concept), Trading Simulation (technology), Brokerage + module (technology)"
classification: "memo"
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acp_version: "0.2"
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status: "final"
---

# Top Ten Reasons for Giving Thanks

@avid_vines I'm following what I started last year as a list of items for which I am most thankful. Making this list last year was a heavy lift for me as I was suffering from instability, uncertainty, and a bit of depression related to professional aspects of my life. The act of writing the article firmly grounded me in a sense of gratitude. Gratitude, it turns out, is a great roadmap to bend yourself and your reality to better places. What better time than Thanksgiving to count blessings. Thanksgiving is great because it's an American holiday you make your own. You can go the traditional route of dishes or you can bring whatever immigrant or cultural tapestry inspires you. When done right it brings good food, good wine, and great company together. Here's my list: The performance of Trade Ideas, marked in part, by our third year on the Inc 5000 at our highest ranking yet: #1930 . We've come far in the past year, and there's more coming. Finding our company's voice and seeing a community embrace it and engage with it. Our most successful of the 4 User's Summits was this year and is a wonderful example attracting not just our most ardent fans, but affiliate partners, new partners, and great speakers. The clarity of Trade Ideas' mission, Value Proposition, and Product Strategy. Read my previous articles to get a sense of each of these. With these 3 pillars in place, it's amazing what gets done well the first time. New innovations like longer term algorithms, our Brokerage + module that connects Trade Ideas to brokerage APIs, and our Trading Simulation (paper trading) capabilities to name a few. We're launching these innovations in the face of great change in the online brokerage industry - what an amazing time to be competing in the game and growing! The focus of my partner(s) on their strengths constantly applied in the service of the company's growth and innovation. Likewise, Each team member's talents, perspective, creativity, and gusto applied to the company's brand, customer interactions, business development, and operations. Execution and performance come easier when a team like this embodies and demonstrates our shared values . My health, the health of the company, and the health of our team members. A beautiful, nourishing partner in life who couldn't be a better example of kindness, love, and resolve to our children. My 2 healthy, beautiful daughters, increasing in their aptitude and talents, ever poised to take on more responsibilities. Opportunities to travel with family and friends in an increasing effort to foster compassion and witness different perspectives that only come when you are lifted out of your usual surroundings. And in the spirit of cranking the volume up one more notch, here's #11: Nurturing my network of inspiring friends, mentors, and colleagues - YOU Happy Thanksgiving in good health, good food, good wine (and champagne), and great company!