Letter from Publisher
photo credit: Dave Korba
In the spirit of the season, we turn our
attention to the holidays and contemplative matters. Linda Sechrist’s uplifting
feature, “The Emerging Power of ‘We’: Awakening to the Evolution of
Community,” invites us to consider Thich Nhat Hanh’s notion that a trusted
community is necessary to help an individual learn how to encounter life in the
present moment.
She makes a compelling argument that collective wisdom, collaborative
change and the need to evolve from a culture of “me” to
a culture of “we” may be the key to addressing the major challenges that
confront humankind.
I’ve experienced several instances of
community helping support and guide me along the journey of personal growth. Since
2001, a primary source of collective wisdom for me has been the Mankind Project
(MKP.org). This community has helped
me build trust with other men as we identify and manifest missions of service
in the world while cultivating emotional literacy and accountability. A similar
local men’s community was recently born in the form of the Camp Hill Men’s
Circle, which includes men from throughout central Pennsylvania. For more
information about the local Camp Hill group, contact Seppi Garrett at
717-991-0552 to find out if this may be a trusted, growth-oriented community
for the men in your life.
Another community that has personal
resonance and seen rapid growth locally is the Community for Holistic
Integration (CHI) of Central Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization that was
created to connect and promote local holistic practitioners and mindful
businesses while educating the public about holistic modalities. If you’re
reading this letter, you may likely be interested in knowing about and possibly
participating with CHI. Find out more at their public page on Facebook or at CHIWeavers.com.
The pace of growth for online communities
is strong and serves many initiatives that attract like-minded people; however,
I personally prefer sharing in person, in real time with purposely aligned
individuals in authentic communication. After all, it is our humanness, our
human connection and authentic relationships that are the core building blocks
for strong communities.
We are grateful to present
this magazine as a platform for weaving together several passionate communities
each month, as summarized by Editorial Manager Gisele Seibold’s supplement to
the feature. We are also blessed to be a community unto ourselves, comprised of
contributors and advertisers intent on informing, educating and assisting
readers to feel good, live simply and laugh more during
this joyful holiday season and all year long.
Dave
