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Natural Awakenings Dallas -Fort Worth Metroplex Edition

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Letter from Publisher

Bernice Butler

Ready or not, the holidays are here, engaging our focused attention—and I love it. Reflecting on what makes the season special, I realize that this month’s issue perfectly captures the heart of the feeling in the air, the closeness of spiritual love and light, which are ever-present, eternal qualities. It’s gratifying to see how goodwill overtakes the embarrassing ugliness of this year’s political campaigning.

How wonderful it is that no matter what’s going on in the world, each of us has the ability to re-set how we think, speak and feel the love, hope, peace and joy manifested in the world with the meek birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we’ve unhappily slipped into any willful hard-heartedness, we can reboot by earnestly seeking to embody the principles and character virtues of Him for whom Christmas is a coming out party. Jesus Christ showed us the way of universal love so powerfully that this country was founded on Christian values that will continue to enlighten our world as long as we refuse to we be led instead by secular materialism.

In trying to live godlike values myself, I’ve been thinking about tools I can use to work to keep my life in a positive, productive and generous state of being; to let each day be better defined by love, a living prayer. It’s obvious that ruminating on the past can make us feel depressed or melancholy, while worrying about the future (aka ingratitude in advance) can cause anxiety. So I’ve been exploring ingredients that lead me to a sense of confidence that I am maximizing my contribution to family, friends, colleagues and the world around me. Here are a few of my favorite touchstones summed up by business management guru Seth Godin:

Care a little more. Show up. Embrace possibility. Tell the truth. Dive deeper. Ask the difficult question. Lend a hand. Dance with fear. Say “No” to hate. Look for opportunities, especially when it seems like there aren’t any left. Take care of the little guy. Keep your promises. Be generous for no reason. Give the benefit of the doubt. Develop empathy. Make your mom proud. Take responsibility. Give credit to others. Reward patience. Play by a better set of rules. Breathe.

As I embrace a daily dose of such virtues, I’ve begun to experience deeper gratitude and love for the privilege of being on this Earth in this era. It’s a state of mind I hope blesses all I encounter along the way.

As we together explore this month’s theme of Uplifting Humanity, Linda Sechrist’s feature article, “Loving Large,” offers a timely message underscoring our innate interconnectedness and reliance on loving energy. Local holistic Dentist Dr. Robyn Abramczyk furthers the discussion in her views on faith and spirituality. We hope our December issue inspires and empowers a constructive focus throughout our community as we steady our bearings, unite in this holy season and look ahead to a new year.

Love wins,

Bernice Butler, Publisher