From The Editor: February 2016
The header on every piece of company stationery at my first full-time job read, “Make the connection.” It was our company slogan and the way we conducted business, connecting our clients to whatever would help them achieve their goals. A connection is, by definition, something that connects or joins two or more things. Rooted in more than small talk or passing conversation, a connection is also more than just an introduction; it is a force that wields the power of potential.
When I interviewed the seven women who form the first-ever female majority of the Austin City Council for this month’s feature story, one sentiment simmered throughout each conversation: There were people in their districts who had been forgotten. As a result, these women got involved so they could give, as Martin Luther King Jr. famously professed, “a voice to the voiceless.” Now, they serve as the connection between the City of Austin and the Austinites living among the canyons and in the crevices of our famous city limits, and they see potential on the horizon.
In this issue, we examine the many different sectors of our lives where connections might enhance our own potential: at our places of business, in our communities, with our health and even through our history as a nation, as Associate Editor April Cumming explores in this month’s Travel section, featuring two iconic American destinations. However, perhaps the most powerful connection is the one we generate within ourselves.
Women tend to be hard on themselves. It’s a generality, but studies have shown that we are less likely to brag about our achievements and more likely to focus on our failures. We asked our cover woman and bona fide self-compassion expert Dr. Kristin Neff to share with our readers how to breach this barrier, and her answer is a simple one that has to do with love. Evidence of love reigns throughout the month of February, in flowers and chocolates and date nights. But true love for yourself cannot be measured in Hallmark cards or flutes of Champagne. It can only be accounted for in the power you give yourself. We alone know our deepest, darkest selves, and we alone have the power to switch on the light from within.
When I hear the stories of the women in our magazine or meet the women who read and support these stories each month, I’m reminded of the many opportunities we have to form a strong, lasting connection each day. If two heads are better than one, then why not connect with the eclectic people and places and points of view that have the potential to spark or sharpen or save our best ideas?
Women have the power to change the world. All we have to do is make the connection.
Sincerely,
EMILY C. LASKOWSKI
Editor
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Photo by Dustin Meyer.
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