ISSUE 1
Her Words. Her Journey. Her Story.
M A R IELL GUZMAN Color Story
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IN-STUDIO O N - L O C AT I O N C O R P O R AT E P H O T O S BRANDING PHOTOS MARKETING CONTENT
FROM THE OWNER Wheels were turning in my
mind, and everything just seemed to click. My son was 4, and my daughter was 10 months. I designed the magazine cover to cover, void of editorial content, in 2017 as a shell of what I envisioned. Then doubt set in. Three years went by, and I procrastinated and found one excuse after another for why it wasn’t a good time. Fear of what could go wrong had a hold on me. Each year I would tell my husband, “This is the year,” and each year he would support me all the way until I would find myself at another dead end.
Women of Fort Worth Who Inspire
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Then a pandemic swept over the world, and my daughter Zoe, now 4, became my little motivator. Everytime we went to the mailbox, she would look at me and say, “Mommy, is that your magazine?” Those words would become my motivation. I had to show her that dreams can become reality — you just have to believe in yourself and not give up. I needed to put my fear of failure and wondering what others would think aside. And I needed an editor to help me build content and a team. It took ONE simple text for a recommendation, and that led me to Jocelyn, our executive editor. I believe our paths crossed for a reason — we have a parallel vision for what will make this magazine meaningful and relevant to our hometown. Things started to propel forward, and it wasn’t long after that, abstract artist Mariell Guzman’s name was brought up in one of our brainstorming meetings, and all I could think was that name sounds so familiar. What are the odds? I met our cover woman for this issue a few years back at a pop-up event. My mom took me thinking that maybe I would meet women who would inspire me to launch this magazine. As we walked from booth to booth, all I could think was, Where did each of their stories begin? I was drawn to the vibrant colors and interesting designs of Mariell’s clay earrings and clothing, so I had to stop and introduce myself. I thought, Wow, she would be great to write about in the magazine. If only I could make it happen. Now I know there was a reason we had met then. She had to be our first cover, I thought to myself. And writer Shilo Urban perfectly captured Mariell and what this magazine is all about. I can’t wait for you to read it.
With appreciation,
ADRIENNE MARTINEZ
Owner
It’s funny how things happen. People come into our lives at the perfect time, and things happen for a reason at other times. This first issue would have not come together if it weren’t for Jocelyn and I sharing the same passion and vision for this project. I hope you enjoy our very first issue in Fort Worth’s first women’s magazine as much as we enjoyed making it. To all my family, friends and everyone who has supported us, thank you. Your journey with One To Know begins now.
• AURELIA Albers • JULIE Alvarez • • CALLIE Anderson • AMY Arriaga • ANELIA Banda • • ANDREA Bell • JUANITA Bermejo • VALERIE Bigler • OLGA Buster • • ALEX Cambora • ELVIRA Casarez • TANISIA Castillo-Queppet • • LAUREN castleberry • CONNIE Cervantez • BRIANNA Cervantez • • SARAH Cohen • TONI Contreras • ALEJANDRA Contreras • LEILA Daniels • • FRANCES De Leon • PATRICIA DeLeon • DORA DeLeon • VIRGINIA DiPierro • • MICHAEL Edwards • MARY HELEN Enriquez • STEPHANIE Fenyes • ROBIN Fielding • • LAUREN Findley • LAUREN Foster • ROSANNA Frias • REBECCA Galindo Castro • • EDDYE Gallagher • STACEY Garcia • JUANITA Garcia • AMY Garland • MARÍA ISABEL Garza • • ALICIA Garza • EDWARD Guerra • LAUREN Guerrero • CAMILLE Guerrero • • DENNISSE Guerrero • LINDA Hailey • JENNIFER Hamrick • JADE Hebbert • • LAUREN Heimburger • VANESSA Hernandez • VICTORIA Herrera • SARA Herrera • • LAURA High • MARIA Huizar • HEATHER Kauffman • LINDSAY Kinzie • ELVA Lopez • • EMMA Lopez • LINDA Lopez • ANGELA Martinez • DONNA Martinez • ERIN Martinez • • VERONICA Martinez • LANETTE Martinez-Vidaurri • MAGGIE Mercado • PEGGY Miller • • VALERIE Ochoa • RACHELLE Ohlhaber • DIANA Oliveros • LUCINDA Ortega • • ROSEMARY Ortez • ELSA Pais • EMMA Patino • CARLA Prieto • BEATRICE Ramirez • • PAULINE Ramos • SKY Ramos • THERESA Ramos • ROSIE Rios • KARINA Rodriguez • • DIANA Rodriquez • DANIEL Rosales • BARBARA Herrera Rosales • SUSAN Russell • • LATOYA Savala • ALICIA Servin • SANDRA Sharp • DEBRA Sherman • COLLEEN Shutt • • NICOLE Sinclair • ERICKA Solis • LINDA Soto • CHRISTINE Stivers • • RUTH Tijerina • HERLINDA Tijerina • BECKY Tobin • TRISH Torres • • SHILO Urban • SHARON Urban • ANGELIQUE Urquidez • LAURA Valdez • We are Romy and Abby of Urban Plantology, a Mother-daughter owned plant shop in • ELISA Valdez • VANESSA Villasenor • NAYA Walker • Fort Worth, Texas. We are beyond grateful to share our passion for plants with all plant lovers. • CAROLYN Watson • SUSAN White • HAILEE Wood •
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Y O U R
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u o k y n a Th
FROM THE EDITOR Who launches a magazine during an economic downturn caused by a raging pandemic? We do.
Because storytelling during difficult times is more important now than ever. Stories can teach us, connect us, amuse us and inspire us. At a time when isolation is at an all-time high, we think it’s essential. Our
4 Women of Fort Worth Who Inspire
brainstorming sessions began on Jan. 28. It wasn’t long before those ideas turned into checklists, and each week we would hit a new goal. This thing was moving forward with powerful force like a train picking up dedicated passengers along the way. Looking back I’m amazed at how this magazine has come together — our team of writers and creatives and the work they produced for this first issue are the things of which I am most proud. The creative collaboration invoked a combination of journalistic pieces, personal essays, fiction, narrative profiles, multimedia and illustrations that are nothing short of beautiful. Speaking of multimedia, we hope you get to know and relate to these women’s stories in what we call our “digital jumps,” which are videos of our subjects accessible via a QR code within the story. My journalistic career began when I received a master’s with an emphasis on literary journalism after finishing my Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. Although I am a fifth generation Fort Worthian, I was forever changed when I got a gig as a general assignment reporter at a daily newspaper in West Texas days after I graduated in 2008 . I developed an acute sense of social responsibility through journalism, and a my love for the high desert began. On occasion you can still find me in a teepee somewhere near Big Bend all these years later. After teaching journalism at local colleges for more than a decade while freelance writing for a handful of publications, I’m living out my dream, working with women to tell stories that help us feel less alone in our own complicated yet beautiful stories. And I am forever grateful to our founder Adrienne for possessing the creativity and courage to launch With gratitude,
One To Know Magazine with a primary goal of giving back to women of all socioeconomic backgrounds. I hope you laugh and cry, or cry laughing, as much as I did reading
JOCELYN F TATUM
Executive Editor
through this first issue. And I hope you stick around to see how we grow over the next year. We couldn’t do this without you.
CONTRIBUTORS
JILL
Bold
AMBER
Jill is a mother, journalist and lifelong learner, currently navigating her way to a bachelor’s degree in journalism while loving life with her family.
Jen is a Texas tomboy who loves the outdoors, spends more on books than shoes, relishes horror/ psychological thrillers, and finds joy in early morning runs and a perfectly cooked steak.
A recovering oil painter with a cold-brew problem, doodling her way through life.
JADE
LINDA
Jade loves capturing the world in ink and has a passion for storytelling, Hemingway, Earl Grey tea, traveling, and the study of historical dress, but words will always be one of the great loves of her life.
Linda is your personal hype girl for all things photography. “Let’s create together. “
JESSICA
AZUCENA
Jessica loves to write about all that Fort Worth has to offer, and when she’s not doing that, she’s roller skating in the park and taking care of her two children.
Azucena “Azu” is a photographer and content creator from the cozy streets of Fort Worth.
Emerson Hebber t
Stran ge
Ho
Torres
GINA
Lopez
Gina is a financial adviser who loves to make money fun for others and shares that through her writing.
SHILO
Urban
Shilo lives for adventures, loves animals, and likes writing about culture, food, music, art, and travel—all the good stuff.
Davis
AMBER
Shumake
She’s an old soul, living in the digital age, shooting as much film as she can.
SONYA
Cisneros W ierzowiecki
Sonya is an endlessly curious storyteller, connector, friend-maker and party planner who is deeply rooted to her native Fort Worth community through volunteer work and championing art for all.
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JENNIFER
Casseday-Blair
F E A T U R E S One To Watch
40 Peggy Carr Electric Potential
42 Blaize LaFleur Advocate on the Rise Profile
44 The Women Who
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Run The Show
Women of Fort Worth Who Inspire
Short Story
48 Breakthrough
A short story by Rebecca Balcárcel
30 MARIELL One To Know
guzman
Color Story
Intrepid abstract artist Mariell Guzman paints in her own language bringing others joy. Photo by Linda Ho
We believe in
making finances fun and comfortable for every woman
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We are building a community of women who desire to take
charge of their financial future, expand their knowledge, and build their confidence regarding money and wealth. Whether you’re at the end of your rope or the top of the corporate ladder, there is always more to learn about how you can make your money work for you.
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CONTENTS ISSUE 1
12
24
64
Women of Fort Worth Who Inspire
8
SPOTLIGHT 10 SINGER
SUPPORT
Hitting a High Note
No Cream, No Sugar
Slowing Down
22 PLANT SHOP
64 GRATITUDE
12 PAPER ARTIST
Cutting Up With Kyoko Endo
WORTH 14 TRYING
A Box With a Cause
16 READING Nonprofit News
18 TRYING Pass the Salt
Stories with QR codes
20 COFFEE SHOP
Made in the Shade
24 SUSTAINABILITY Laude the Label
READER’S REVEAL 26 LESSONS LEARNED The Biggest Thing I Took Away From the Pandemic Was...
LIFE 54 FINANCIAL ADVICE
BE WELL 60 MINDFULNESS
Why Gratitude Works
68 ADVICE Back to Life
FOOD 72 ESSAY
Stop Food-Shaming Me!
PHILANTHROPY 74 THE GATEHOUSE This Time It’s for Good
Finance Can Be Fun
56 HUMOR ESSAY 2 Owner’s Letter 4 Editor’s Letter 5 Contributors 28 Craft 80 Ponder
Normalcy Is Overrated — and Awkward
GET YOUR SMART PHONES READY. Scan the QR code at the end of the article for more video and audio content.
The Poly Grill used to be painted stark white with blue lettering that matched the floor-to-ceiling bars covering the doors. Mia
painted it black “to match the name, the owner and the people in the community.” The metal bars are gone. - No Cream, No Sugar by Sonya Cisneros Wierzowiecki on P 20
I ran my fingers over the brand name burned into the handle in the Tools section of the home improvement store. I watched light strike the flat planes of its dull silver head. I even hefted it just to feel its weight, its power. My power. - Breakthrough, a short story by Rebecca Balcarcel, P 48
Publisher & Owner Adrienne Martinez For Editorial Inquiries editorial@OneToKnowMagazine.com Advertising sales@OneToKnowMagazine.com Design Adrienne Martinez, art director Editorial Jocelyn F. Tatum, executive editor Contributors Editorial Jill Bold, Jennifer Casseday-Blair, Jade Emerson Hebbert, Gina Lopez, Jessica Strange, Shilo Urban, Sonya Cisneros-Wierzowiecki Photography Linda Ho, Amber Shumake, Azucena Torres Illustrator Amber Davis Have an idea or see a mistake? Tell us about it: editorial@OneToKnowMagazine.com One To Know Magazine is a bimonthly, subscription-based publication. All rights reserved. Views and comments expressed by individuals do not necessarily represent those of the publishers, and no legal responsibility can be accepted for the result of the use by readers of information or advice of whatever kind given in this publication, either in editorial or advertisements. No part of this publication may be reprinted or duplicated without the prior permission of One To Know Magazine LLC. FOLLOW AND LIKE US
@onetoknowmagazine VISIT US ONLINE OneToKnowMagazine.com
who ate shredded cheese straight from the bag and taught myself Roku. Will I even remember how to hold a conversation? What about hugging and handshaking? Are we going to be stuck doing the stupid elbow bump forever? Are we introducing ourselves with pronouns now? Does this hat make me look like a psychopath? - Normalcy Is Overrated — And Awkward, a humor essay by Shilo Urban on P 68
I am asking for empathy on behalf of that 13-yearold middle schooler who is tired of answering the same question to closed ears, on behalf of the person who
finds ordering at restaurants challenging, on behalf of the person who is constantly asked why they’re not drinking, on behalf of the person who is struggling to navigate the complexities of personal health and weight loss, on behalf of the person who is judged for having different foods from different cultures, on behalf of the person who is made fun of for not eating dessert — and the person who does — and on behalf of the person who is exhausted from constantly being judged on their body, let alone what they decide to put into it. - Stop Food Shaming Me!, a food essay by Jade Emerson Hebbert on P 72
totally different in the mirror than she did just three years ago when she was battered and bruised in her bathroom — again — Today, she sees someone
shooting up drugs with her kids outside the door wondering why she spends so much time locked behind that ominous door. - This Time It’s for Good, a philanthropy profile by Jocelyn Tatum on P 84
Mariell was caught between two cultures, two languages, two homes. Feeling out of place and misunderstood, she struggled to make sense of her shifted existence. Questioning her identity became “a constant,” and she embarked on a search for answers in the deepest realms. - Color Story, the cover story by Shilo Urban on P 30
OneToKnowMagazine.com | ISSUE 1
I’m not one of those people who toned up their abs and learned how to speak Italian during the pandemic; I’m one of those people
9
[S U PP ORT] S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y
A More Conscious Approach to Fashion
24
Clockwise Starting With Top Left: The best-selling Everyday Crop Set in Eden, sustainably handcrafted from organic cotton. Photographed by Collin Sansom
The LAUDE the Label Showroom in Fort Worth, TX.
Photo courtesy of Laude the Label
The Laurel Jumper in Natural Grid by LAUDE the Label.
Photographed by Collin Sansom
The LAUDE the Label Showroom in Fort Worth, TX.
Photo courtesy of Laude the Label
Laude the Label
The label deserves the praise it gets for its high yet simple design and mission to support women all over the world. 126 S. Main St., Suite #100 | Fort Worth 76104 682.708.3122 | laudethelabel.com
I’ve really grown to love Fort Worth and the community we’ve built here. The people behind our brand are who make LAUDE the Label what it is, so I truly couldn’t imagine our headquarters being anywhere else.” -CARLY BURSON
real beauty goes much deeper than the fabric — Carly Burson’s clothes assist in ending family separation due to the economic insecurity facing women by providing them safe employment all over the world, providing livable wages, which opens doors for women who may feel stuck, whether it is an abusive situation or poverty. After some time in the fashion industry in New York City, Burson’s husband’s company relocated them to Fort Worth nine years ago. Burson put her experience to work in her new home and built her headquarters here. “I’ve really grown to love Fort Worth and the community we’ve built here. The people behind our brand are who make LAUDE the Label what it is, so I truly couldn’t imagine our headquarters being anywhere else,” she says. She also hopes to make an environmental impact by changing the face of the industry and playing a part in continuing a more sustainable approach to clothes-making while meaningfully employing vulnerable women worldwide. “The fashion industry and the way the Global North consumes are incredibly harmful to our earth and the makers. It’s my hope that our brand can continue to stand as an example for a more conscious approach. The world cannot continue to withstand the unethical ways in which most companies conduct business,” Carly says. She has recently rebranded and moved her store from Magnolia Avenue to Fort Worth’s blooming SoMa District on South Main across from Tinie’s Mexican Cuisine. - Jocelyn Tatum
OneToKnowMagazine.com | ISSUE 1
J.Crew’s line Madeworthy recently picked up the Fort Worth line LAUDE the Label for its Hepburn-esque cuts and colors like white, black and turmeric. But the
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[C RA F T] C O V E R A R T I S T
LAYERS By Jocelyn Tatum
Women of Fort Worth Who Inspire
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She often doodles in her notepad using markers from Australia that resemble highlighters and paints colorful worlds in layers. It’s meditative for her. But she used to use dark colors, which she would say reflected the existential phase she went through, immigrating from Mexico at 10 years old. She can’t pinpoint a specific time when she picked up her first bright marker or jar of neon paint, but one day about eight years ago something “clicked,” and her art forever changed. Her mom is also a painter and had a bunch of art materials lying around in the garage. Mariell found an odd-shaped piece of cardboard about 2 feet by 2 feet. The beige material was bland and ugly to her kaleidoscopic mind, and she wanted to bring it to life with the vibrant colors she remembers from her childhood in Mexico. “I got all of these paints out and
MARIELL guzman
www.bymariell.com
her mom saw it, she said that Mariell is never selling it — she’s keeping it. Today, her work is made up of countless layers of other works she’s developed, so when we asked her to design the cover of One To Know Magazine’s first issue, she created a
she says she was creating more pattern-based, geometric mandala-like shapes. She found that this abstract process was even more meditative for her than the former because of the way she says her mind works. “It was the most colorful piece I had made,” she says. “It looked like this landscape, constellation explosion.” And the moment
visual representation of her journey as an artist, showing how her work has evolved over the course of her creative life. “I realized that’s what I need to do for this. So, I’m creating a collage in a way where all the different color areas have a subtle layer on top of various paintings, drawings [and] murals I’ve done over the last eight years,” she says.
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painted on the floor with more flowy kind of techniques [and] in terms of letting go of control of everything in the process,” she says. She painted the piece in a few hours, and her mom was like, What? It was different from what her mom was used to seeing. Before that
BIG DREAMS, BRIGHT FUTURE “Outtakes” by Shilo Urban
“My favorite thing to do is to experiment with new things and get unexpected results because I don’t know what the medium is going to do … that’s when I get the most excited.” With the soul of an explorer and a passion for experimentation, Guzman has bold ideas for the future:
One of my dream murals is to paint the inside of a pool. I love the idea of someone experiencing the mural when it’s distorted by the water and constantly changing. It would almost become like an installation at that point, because it’s never the same at any second.”
I really want to design textiles and work with a fashion designer to create a whole line. I like the idea of art that’s functional. When somebody wears art as a statement piece and it gives them confidence, I think that’s a very special kind of bond that you can make with that person.”
I love marine biology and am a huge advocate for coral reef conservation. I’d love to create some kind of installation with the dead coral, to ‘bring it back to life’ in a way — maybe even in the ocean, working with marine biologists.”
I want to start getting more into augmented reality. I think it’s really interesting how AR can completely push the limits of how you experience a painting or a mural or anything. I love the idea of these multiple realities — it’s such an awesome time right now for art.”
Each issue we ask a local artist to design our cover, and we write about what inspired her design here in the Craft section of OTK magazine. Mariell happened to be our cover profile and our artist for the first issue’s cover. If you are interested in designing one of our covers, email art@onetoknowmagazine.com.
Mariell Guzman photo and digital illustrations
[ O N E
T O
K N O W ]
Her Journey to Now
30
Story Intrepid abstract artist
Mariell Guzman
paints her own language bringing others joy. By Shilo Urban
[ O N E
T O
K N O W ]
31 OneToKnowMagazine.com | ISSUE 1 Photos by Linda Ho
[ O N E
Advocate on the Rise Women of Fort Worth who Inspire
42
T O
W A T C H ]
Blaize L a F l e u r By Jill Bold
Photo by Amber Shumake
Blaize LaFleur, 21-yearold political science junior at the University of Texas at Arlington, stood before a committee, calm and determined on the outside, strong but uncertain on the inside. Would this administration trust her leadership and consider her request or turn their backs on her? She presented ample and compelling research to support her call for change, and all she needed was for the people in charge to act with her in collaboration. LaFleur was serving as student body president in 2020, the first Black president elected in 34 years, carrying out the last of her duties and the final chapter of her mission to provide a more inclusive environment for her fellow students by passing Resolution 1825, a bill that recognizes the needs of marginalized women and children.
Its passing would require the name of Davis Hall at the university to be changed, removing the namesake of the controversial figure E.E. Davis from the building. This resolution was introduced in 2018 and worked on by LaFleur when she was a senator for the university in 2019, seeing it through later as a committee chair and finally as student body president in 2021. LaFleur presented evidence that Davis espoused racist beliefs and said she knew changing the building’s name would be a positive step toward a more inclusive campus. The committee agreed, and she finished her term as president with a victory. She said she felt energized by listening to the needs and desires of the community and acting to serve them. “It kind of just fueled my fire,” LaFleur says. Her term was characterized by her willingness to listen to the people she served and uphold their interests. During her presidency, when she called upon the university administration to implement a pass/fail option at the behest of her
[ O N E
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fellow students, she put in the work to make the case. This time, the committee considering her request did not go forth with her suggestion, and she reflected on how she could use this experience to find ways to serve more effectively, to take setbacks in stride and to maintain persistence and focus. LaFleur grew up with her mother and grandmother, and both emphasized the importance of getting an education. Her drive for education led her to the Fort Worth area, where she continues her studies and wants to draw upon her experiences in student government to advocate for her community in a grassroots way. “I’m trying to figure out what I’m best at so that I could be of service to my community,” she says. “I want to give back to the community. I want to impact people’s lives. Real people. Not through performative legislation. I want to talk to real community members and say, ‘Oh yeah, you want to know how to do XYZ’ or get these resources or your kid through college? Or figure out how to cope with housing and security? Whatever it is they need.” LaFleur is a young woman who is always seeking growth opportunities and certainly is one to watch.
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I’m trying to figure out what I’m best at so that I could be of service to my community”
[BE W EL L] G R A T I T U D E
Why Gratitude Works How being thankful helps you focus on what’s real and keeps you in the present. By Jade Emerson Hebbert Illustrations by Amber Davis
Happiness, Balance, Simplicity, Freedom
64
I
n a modern world filled with constant comparison, instant gratification and success seeking, gratitude has lost its place in the collective consciousness. And yet, our modern existence of burnout and the it’s-never-enough mentality require a return to gratitude even more. Bringing gratitude back into everyday practice, whether it is through gratitude lists, journaling or leaving index cards with one thing you’re grateful for written on it, brings people into the present. And that is a good place to be.
“Gratitude begins as an internal state in our heart and overflows into the way we interact with others, our environment, and perspective on the way we live,” Allison Dillard of Fort Worth Counseling and Intervention says. “With gratitude we are able to overlook small frustrations and treat bigger problems in a more gracious way because we are taking in the difficult problems with a balanced perspective.” Thoughts have a way of creating our reality; thus, choosing positive thinking leads toward
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forward movement. Gratitude works in twofold, by both accepting the responsibility of recognizing our own perspective while also releasing the self-placed pressure to control every situation. “We often have a false sense of guilt in holding responsibility that isn’t ours to hold. Gratitude doesn’t mean a chipper attitude all of the time or having to smile at everyone who walks by. Instead, gratitude can be the path we choose to walk in the midst of grief and suffering, the hope we cling to in continuing to live though we have lost what’s important to us, and the guide for the intentional path we walk as we move through life,” she says. Grateful living is not something that follows the achievement of a goal, success or happiness — it is the catalyst for mindful, positive thinking that begins by accepting and appreciating the present, she says. But this is not the same as delusional positivity. It is based on what actually is. When people list their blessings, they are listing things that are true. When people list their worries and fears, they are listing events that have never happened and probably never will. “I have often heard people say they feel guilty for acknowledging their pain because they have
so much or there are other people in the world that are suffering more,” Allison says. “Each individual’s pain and traumas are different, but all are valid and deserve attention to be addressed. To ignore pain and wounds just to be positive moves us into toxic positivity, not true gratitude. If we are noticing pain, negativity, wounds, or traumas, it’s important to stop and process them.” Over the past year, whether knowingly or not, people have had the opportunity to reevaluate their perspective through the things once taken for granted. As we begin to move back into a new sense of normalcy, we have the chance to bring gratitude into our daily lives, she says.
[BE W EL L] G R A T I T U D E
Happiness, Balance, Simplicity, Freedom
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“I think we can practice gratitude daily by identifying three things we are grateful for, choosing to see each new day as a gift in which we have a purpose to fulfill, and choosing to not wish we were anywhere else,” she says. “I encourage individuals to identify two positives for every one negative they see, whether that is in relation to self or others. It’s important to keep a balanced perspective in the way we approach ourselves and our surroundings.” Even in the pain, in the disappointment, and in the ingratitude, gratitude is present. As soon as we let grace replace the hold guilt once had on gratitude, grateful living becomes a real, possible and accessible transformation.
“Life is about balance. No one is perfect or is supposed to be perfect. I encourage gratitude to be an overall perspective that brings you peace and contentment as you walk through life, not judge yourself for one more thing you aren’t doing. Living in gratitude should bring freedom, not guilt, dismissal of self, or a false presentation of who we are or what we feel,” she says. This is what it means to live in gratitude: happiness, balance, simplicity, freedom. This is what it takes to begin: a conscious shift toward being mindful of blessings no matter how few you think you have. This is when you should start a life of gratitude: now.
LIVING IN GRATITUDE SHOULD BRING FREEDOM, NOT GUILT, DISMISSAL OF SELF, OR A FALSE PRESENTATION OF WHO WE ARE OR WHAT WE FEEL.”
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G U Z M A N