This time of year reliably brings me to a welcome sense of introspection as we move toward the end of the year.  I so enjoy the feeling of the impending holidays; time with family and close friends, making special foods and singing familiar songs.  Along with this enjoyment is my awareness of light. There are lights everywhere on display: in the starry sky in the cold mountain evenings of Asheville, lights on our neighbor’s houses, lights on our tree, tiny lights on our balcony that come on nightly and shine out toward the Pisgah mountains from the back of our house. There’s something about these sparkling lights that feels comforting to my heart and marks this season as an opportunity to move inward in contemplation of the year that is almost over.  And I begin to sense into what wants to emerge for next year.

In fact, being surrounded by all these lights never fails to remind me of the light in my own heart (and in all human hearts) and the light of presence. Perhaps that is why this time of year feels in some way like coming home to myself. This light represents the very spark of magic and mystery that for me fuels this work of coaching and leadership and presence that I love.  I imagine this light may also have something to do with your interest in (and often great loyalty to) keeping the flame of this presence-based work alive, ever evolving, and expanding further into the world. This light that calls us to be of service to our coaching clients who want to embrace needed change so they themselves can serve more people, families, communities, organizations.  As we can see in the daily news, there is a lot of need “out there” and a lot of suffering.  And there’s presence “in here,” in us, that can meet it.  Now is a moment when we can listen as a community to what’s being asked of each one of us, and we can follow that calling.

As I write this letter, I feel a swell of gratitude for you and for your support of this Presence-Based work in whatever form.  Even if you are just considering joining our community for coach training in 2024, I am grateful for your interest in making a difference.

I wish you and yours a peaceful holiday season. I look forward to the new year because it presents more opportunities for each of us to cultivate our own presence, as we continue to fulfill our commitments to serve others with heart, with wholeness, and with light.