Recently a friend asked me if I was ready for the holidays. I am not ready. I am not getting ready. I won’t be ready. The holidays will come and go. Bah-humbug. No, it’s ok. I don’t have any negative feelings about the holidays, but for me, every day is a holiday. I planned it that way. I get up when I want, manage my day, buy what I need and want, spend time, and do things I love, with people (and animals) I love.

This is liberty. It has taken decades of hard work, perseverance, and sacrifice to get here. It has also taken decades of commitment to personal growth and development – striving towards self-actualization. I am not there yet – and never intend to be. But I will be closer than most because every day I do something to improve my thinking, my words, and my actions. I don’t just do it for me, I do it for the people I love, and people I don’t even know. The best version of myself is my duty to the world. Merry Christmas.