Editor’s Note: Counting Our Blessings

December can be a mixed blessing. There are the family gatherings that can be warm but also contentious. There is the anticipation of the holidays but also impending end-of-year deadlines. There are festive holiday lights but also lengthening nights and the sad knowledge that we wont be seeing much of the sun again for months. Its not surprising that we often feel overwhelmed at this time of year.

Those who practice meditation know of a kind of prayer that involves reminding ourselves at the end of every day of a few things we should be thankful for. It can be something as simple as giving thanks for the breath that gives us life. Psychologists say this sense of gratitude helps connect us to something larger than ourselves whether its community, nature or a higher power and that makes us feel better about our lives.

In that spirit, as we head into the holidays, I thought I would list some of the blessings we in this business community are thankful for:

The mountains, forests and waterways that not only enrich our lives every day with exceptional natural beauty and recreational opportunities but also bring the region huge financial returns in terms of resources, tourism, talent and foreign investment.

The outstanding nonprofits in the

region, including universities that

drive research and education, performing arts institutions that offer a rich cultural life and the service organizations that help provide for the less fortunate.

A multiracial, multicultural population that gives us a diverse community and the outward-looking business executives positioned to tap a surging global middle class.

The one billion smartphones sold across the globe this year that not only make the world more productive, but also create a vast new distribution system for our innovative software products.

Cutting-edge companies that encourage each other to be more competitive, such as Amazon, which is pushing businesses like Nordstrom to do better in e-commerce; Zulily, which is pioneering the use of social networking to drive online sales; and Starbucks, which is one of many firms leading the way toward more sustainable design.

So, as we go about our busy lives this holiday season, so often tempted to curse at the crowds and the traffic, lets pause every now and then to remember how blessed we are to be living in one of the most beautiful, creative and dynamic regions in the world. Happy holidays!