Life has taken a turn for the best lately. I have found myself able to focus and exist more peacefully and balanced than ever before. My holiday was spent with two families my own and my friend’s, Anton’s. I discovered my past had been heavily tinged by a crooked lens, but that the essential spirit of my family was unchanged. My sister still loves her art and is outgoing to an almost dangerous degree, my mother is still a jittery bookworm, and my father still assaults dragons and ancient beasts online every night.

My work has been improving because my confidence grows everyday. I am starting to see the rewards that directly correlate to my work and my efforts and I am quickly realizing the benefits of focusing my energies and efforts on a few projects at a time. My father’s words of advice help me barrel through difficult times and to persevere through boring or trying efforts, “You always need to earn your stripes, first. No matter how small or petty, each man has to earn his stripes at least once.”

And now, Lotusphere is right around the corner, and I cannot wait to step, as an equal, into a realm where I feel I may finally meet those people I’ve been looking for all along.