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The President's Daily Brief
December 24th, 2025: Mike Baker’s Christmas Message to PDB Listeners
00:04:22
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It's Wednesday, the 24th of December. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage now for hundreds of millions of folks around the world, today, of course, is Christmas Eve. But whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish you all a very happy holiday season. No matter how you celebrate this time of year, I wish you peace and happiness, not to mention joy and gratitude. Right? Don't forget the gratitude. I believe it was the Roman philosopher Cicero who's credited with saying, quote, gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. And yes, that is the first time in my entire life that I've ever quoted Cicero. Normally you'll find me quoting Groucho Marx, Yogi Berra, South Park. So quoting Cicero is quite the step up for me. Now, as we close out this year and make our way towards 2026, it may seem like the world is dealing with conflicts and turmoil at every turn, right? Wars and terrorism, overly partisan politics, to be sure. Disinformation, a lack of civil discour that even pits family members against each other. But the world has seen worse and we have weathered and survived and overcome worse. So the key is to keep things in context, I think. Stay away from hyperbole. Don't get stuck down disinformation or misinformation rabbit holes. Look, you can disagree with someone's opinion for sure, but you don't have to call them Hitler just because they disagree with you. Simply having different political beliefs or desires doesn't put someone on par with one of the most evil persons to ever walk the ear. Just, I don't know, keep it all in perspective. And as all PDB listeners know, it's important to stay informed. It's important to know what's happening in the world, considering that the world seems to be constantly shrinking and we're all more interconnected than ever before. But this time of year, well, this time of year, as Christmas and New Year's approach, it's a time tailor made for reflection. Take the opportunity this holiday season to reflect on what really matters. Family and friends and the general well being of people you don't even know. Everything else, frankly, is just a bonus. Take the time to tell the people you care about that, well, that you care about them. Never miss an opportunity to tell those closest to you that you love them and you appreciate them. Start every day with a simple moment of gratitude, if you can. Maybe just remember every morning to quietly say thank you for whatever you've got. Remember that. When life seems tough, when you think you've been dealt a bad hand, well, someone else is holding worse cards. Do something selfless for someone else. Volunteer with a church or community group, get outside your comfort zone and make a difference. As one of my all time favorite persons, Winston Churchill once said, we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Your individual efforts, they may not solve the world's current conflicts, but they'll make a difference in your part of the world. And that's a start. I also wanted to take a moment to thank the millions of you who have made the President's Daily Brief part of your daily routine. We are very grateful for the PDB community as 2025 comes to a close. We look forward to working hard throughout 2026 to bring you the news with a minimum of punditry and pontification. We'll give you the facts. You decide what to think about them. And that's the President's Daily Brief for Christmas Eve 2025. The entire PDB staff will be taking a very well deserved break this afternoon and of course, Christmas Day. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back on Friday 26th December, just in time for Boxing Day. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.