Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and THANK YOU

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Every time of year has it’s own “magical element”.   When you’re in a public company, this time of year has one interesting element – the fun and furious mad dash to the finish line in the field.   Also, it’s a crazy time at back at the ranch (headquarters) with annual planning/budgeting/strategic planning in full flight.

But – that’s not the magical element of Q4 for me.

For all of us, Q4 is always a time for family, friends, holidays – and a point of reflection on the year behind you, and the fresh start.   My wishes are captured here :-)

I know I’m more than a little weird for thinking of it this way – but the end of the year marks a milestone that humanity celebrates of a very real cosmic cycle in my mind: the earth making one full rotational cycle around the sun.

That sun (an average yellow mid-life main sequence star located in a remote suburb out on the fringe of one of the arms of our galaxy – Google Maps doesn’t track this yet, so I’ve attached a map for perspective) is what provides every single bit of energy that we all survive on.   That’s us – right in the Orion Spur….

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Yes, it sounds silly.   Scratch that – it is silly.   If you like it and you want more – read my top 10 predictions post yesterday here.

But… silly or not, it makes you reflect.  It makes you think and gain perspective about the things that bind us, the shared planet and resources on which we all depend, the silly things we fret about, the things we should perhaps prioritize. It makes me think about our individual personal journey and the shared common human journey – which after all is so much greater than the smaller differences that we focus on. Those differences can divide us - but I think they actually connect us. Those differences represent diversity to be celebrated in peace, and in harmony – because at the core, we are all so similar and share SO much!

It also makes you realize just how much of a buffoon Donald Trump really is :-)  

ProTip: invest your time, attention, passion, energy with people who lift UP the world, not vice versa.   Listen to people who aspire for humanity to go forward, who inspire hope – not those who peddle in fear.

Think about it…  That star may be just one of 200 Billion stars in our galaxy alone and the Milky Way is likely just one of about 100 Billion galaxies in the universe. But – it’s OUR star, it’s OUR Sun.

In that same way, thinking big like that doesn’t make me small – it makes me realize how precious my universe (kids, wife, family, friends, colleagues, competitors, customers, you name it) really is.   For you deep, deep nerds out there – consider this: in all the known universe, only life fights against the 2nd law of thermodynamics – only life creates order out of chaos.   There’s something deep in there, I can feel it :-)

This is something to be in awe of – the incredible fullness that is the reality of the universe – at MEGA scale, and equally at local scale.

… And against that backdrop – what is there to be afraid of? :-)

I feel lucky to be on this journey with all of you, and look forward learning new things each and every day.

Let’s finish the year strongly – whatever you do.   Let’s do it early so we can all enjoy the end of December to pause, and celebrate with loved ones in whichever way you choose to do – and dream of amazing adventures, new unknown frontiers, unexpected surprises and learning to come in 2016!

I’m dreaming big dreams for 2016!

Thank you ALL!