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Sustainable Happiness

Dear Reader,

I always look forward to the holidays with mixed feelings. I love the time with family, the light-filled decorations, and the homemade gifts. But I dread the stress.

That's one of the reasons I so enjoyed reading Colin Beavan's story of his family’s adventure with a “no impact” Christmas. Colin found the holidays were more, not less, meaningful and fun when gift giving took a back seat.

The good news is that scientific research backs up what Colin and his family found, and what spiritual traditions and common sense have long told us—we can live even more rewarding lives without the consumerism. Doing so can relieve some of the strain on this fragile planet and on our wallets. The Winter Issue of YES! shows how a wide range of people are finding their own ways to happiness.

We invite you to check out this issue online, and to consider giving gift subscriptions to YES! (printed on 100% post-consumer-waste paper). YES! is a frugal and low-impact gift, and it reminds your friends or family year-round that a better world is not only possible, it is coming into being.

All the best for the holidays,

Sarah van Gelder
Executive Editor,
YES! Magazine