As Hill Investment Group’s newest team member, I was honored when Matt Hall asked me to represent us in a holiday post about gratitude.

One of the reasons I knew I’d found a special place when I joined HIG earlier this year was how integral gratitude is to our culture. It’s not just a word to haul out once a year. We live it here every day.

For example, when a newbie comes on board, along with a bounty of educational materials, we’re provided a little book called The Five Minute Journal. It’s a handsome journal that poses 5 daily questions to help zoom in on gratitude. Each of us has a copy to keep current and we think it helps maintain a positive focus.

I’m grateful for so many things, a page a day can hardly contain them. Toward the top of the list, I’m grateful to have the daily opportunity to help our clients and their families enrich their own lives through our work.

On behalf of all of us here at HIG, I’d like to thank each of our clients for giving me plenty to write about in my Five Minute Journal, every single day.

While I just turned 76 last week, my 80th birthday doesn’t feel that far off. I couldn’t have asked for a better role model on how to prepare for that milestone than Chris Crowley, octogenarian and best-selling author of the Younger Next Year book series.*

Earlier this month, we were delighted to host a special evening with Crowley (84) and a gathering of friends and family at St. Louis’ PALM Integrated Health venue. In his featured book at the event, Crowley shared seven tips on how to “Live Strong, Fit and Sexy — Until You’re 80 and Beyond.” He and his co-author Dr. Henry Lodge suggest this is “all” you have to do:

1. Exercise six days a week for the rest of your life.
2. Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life.
3. Do serious strength training, with weights, two days a week for the rest of your life.
4. Spend less than you make.
5. Quit eating crap!
6. Care.
7. Connect and commit.

Okay, I’m on it!

*To our clients – Shoot us an email if you’d like your own copy of Younger Next Year.

Please join us in celebrating a very special addition to the Ackerman family, and by extension, Hill Investment Group. Katie, Doug and big sister Sally welcomed William “Billy” Hayden Ackerman to the world in the wee hours of October 21, 1:35 am. Billy weighed in at 8 lbs., 11 oz. Congratulations to all!