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And here’s the most important thing I learned during 2017:

Gift Giving – At this time of year, contributing to a charitable organization is not just about getting a tax break – it’s about sharing your blessings. If you’re seeking a worthy cause, here is a nonprofit where 87% of donations go directly to helping children:

Samaritan’s Feet – Did you know 1.5 billion people suffer from parasitic foot diseases picked up through contaminated soil? This group’s mission is to “serve and inspire hope and opportunity among the world’s most impoverished children, by washing their feet, providing a new pair of shoes, and encouraging them to pursue their dreams.” A $20 contribution buys shoes for a barefoot child and moves the charity closer to its goal to give 10 million pairs to 10 million children in 10 years.

What’s the second most important thing I learned this year?

Heartfelt Gratitude – Marshall Goldsmith is the gold standard among executive coaches. This year he wrote about becoming “a connoisseur of gratitude, a virtuoso of thanking” people. I’m a big believer in sending handwritten notes to those I meet in business settings – and suggest clients do the same. “Writing a thank you note,” opined Goldsmith, “forces you to confront the humbling fact that you have not achieved your success alone. You had a lot of help along the way.” Inspired… one of my 1Q17 goals is to create a list of the people who helped me most during these first 35 years of my career and write each one a note to show my appreciation.

We’ve made it to the Top 3 of the most important things I learned this year:

Ongoing Legacy – When a lifelong friend’s boys were beginning 7th and 9th grades, he wrote each a ‘life’ letter – and continued penning those words of wisdom from a loving father every fall until they married. Lee told me that Matthew and Bryan – soon to be 28 and 30 – occasionally bring up those many guidance lessons. He became a grandfather in July… and is looking forward to continuing the tradition with the next generation.

Here is the fourth most important thing I learned this year:

Everybody Helps – When I went to Ft. McMurray, Alberta, in October the visible devastation from May’s wildfire amazed me. My host told me that in three days they safely evacuated 90,000 people from the Oil Sands. (There is one road and you either drive north 30 miles to work camps or south 300 miles to the nearest city.) The oil companies placed tanker trucks along the route to provide free gas fill-ups, food and water – and housed displaced families in previously shuttered camps. Three Canadian airlines worked together to fly evacuees to Calgary and Edmonton. “Everyone was calm and focused on a safe departure,” he said. It’s often in the worst of times that folks show their best. Imagine if we did that every day.

Continuing the countdown of the ’10 Things I Learned’ during 2016. Here’s #5 on the list:

Softer Voice – In church one Sunday I leaned over to my 18-year-old daughter and quietly made a comment about the sermon. As we pulled out of the parking lot afterward, she told me: “Dad, you’re whispering isn’t really whispering. It’s just making your words more breathy and speaking slower. Everybody heard what you said.”