The best season in the Dallas-Fort Worth region is upon us! Fall brings the incredible Texas State Fair, plus Dallas Cowboys football and Texas Rangers World Series Playoff excitement.

With all the hoopla, not to mention daily duties, it’s easy to allow life’s most precious moments to race by without proper attendance. They can be gone in the blink of an eye if we fail to recognize, capture and savor them.

Just this past week, I enjoyed a delightful meeting with a wonderful new community partner for the magazine. We both expressed interest in furthering the connection, based on our discussion of ideas and common goals, family values and hobbies. But before long, the allotted hour was up and we both had to move on to the next appointment. We departed promising to resume out tête-à-tête at another time. As we know, all too often, ‘later’ never materializes, due to competing demands on everyone’s time. It causes one to ask: What’s more important? Is it a sweet heart-to-heart connection and authentic, growing relationship or rushing around in a ceaseless bid to become bigger, better, faster?

A few months ago, through divine guidance, I inherited a copy of Richard Koch’s Living the 80/20 Way. It’s a quick read (making it doable for me) that encourages us to work less, worry less, succeed more and enjoy more. The idea certainly resonated with me, and now I find myself happily adventuring into this month’s theme of Local & Personal Economy, based on the same principle. The insights and information shared are brilliant catalysts to our own explorations in achieving truly rich and abundant lives.

Our feature article, “Economics of Happiness: The New Economy – Changing the Rules to Benefit America’s People,” by John De Graf and Linda Sechrist, redefines our measure of success, helping us to transition from a focus on money and material things in order to daily experience a grander quality of life. This is the success I strive for and wish for all. We also take this a step further with guidance from our local progressive capitalist, Mitch Fine, who explains why it’s beneficial to align investments with your values.

Thanksgiving’s bounty is about so much more than a food fest, but it’s also a good time to reflect upon the quality of America’s harvest. Having an organic and sustainable feast with loved ones at home is yumilicious any day. Natural Awakenings also helps us eat well when we eat out. Sandra Murphy’s article, “Eating Out? Eat Green,” sparks fresh appreciation for DFW’s robust Healthy Dining scene; some of our most interesting local restaurants advertise on our back cover monthly Healthy Dining page.

These local business people tell me that even conventional restaurants are catching on to the fact that consumers want more healthy choices available on the menu, whatever they order. That’s good for all of us.

May this issue serve as a catalyst for good thoughts, hopes and experiences this holiday season as together we gather in gratitude for Spirit’s generous salvation.

Blessings all ways,

Bernice Butler, Publisher