Radiant Life- Vol.2 Issue 1- Preview

RADIANT LIFE JA N UA RY

Cultivating a healthy mind, body, and spirit

Jean Shafiroff The First Lady of Philanthropy on why everyone can be a philanthropist

The Perfect Cup of Black Tea Learn how to brew it & discover heirloom-quality porcelain

Our Best Bet for Happiness Cultivating virtue is the key to personal prosperity and joy

Photo by J. Freishter

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the Glory of God and refreshment of the soul.”

—Johann Sebastian Bach

Table of Contents

10 Mind & Body 10

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Virtues are our best guarantees for a good life, and the backstops of a healthy and stable civilization—but are we forgetting this lesson?

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Embodying the Truth

Demolish to Create

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Freeing Kids From Screen Dependency

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On Being Brave

Bravery comes with consequences. That’s its nature.

And sometimes those consequences are a gift to the world.

Forgiveness Is for Us, Not Them Holding a grudge can give us a sense of power, especially against someone seeking forgiveness. Such power, however, corrupts.

Understanding the depths and dimensions of truth gives us a broader capacity to experience it.

Creating something often means breaking something else. This holds true for self-improvement and home renovation projects alike.

The Neuroscience of Compassion Compassion has come under scientific scrutiny as researchers discover the benefits of humanity’s longheld quest for kindness.

Virtue Is the Key to Happiness

When the weight of your culture lands in support of heavy screen use, going another direction takes insight, support, and a solid approach.

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Splendid Truths About Aging

Getting old is all about aches and pains and being tired all the time, right? Wrong. It can be a time of new friends, new pursuits, and new drama as well.

GABA Oolong Tea for Health

Originating in Japan and introduced in the late 1980s, this type of tea contains high levels of a naturally occuring amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter.

48 How My Dying Patient Comforted Me We all know we’ll die, but that reality often doesn’t sink in until death is looming. In those final days, it’s good to know we’re ready.

Lifestyle 50

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Starting a Spring Garden

Now is the time to choose your vegetables, order the seeds, and buy your soil (if necessary) so you can start planting soon.

Gardening Kits

Gardening is a fun, easy way for children to reduce their screen time while actively learning and staying busy.

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Composting for Beginners

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Designing a Meditative Space

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A Fresh Coat of Paint

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Composting reduces waste, improves your soil, and adds life to your entire garden.

Interior design professor Travis Wilson provides tips on how to create your own calming corner.

Recoloring walls is an affordable home-upgrade project that can breathe new life into any space.

Gear Up for Ski Season

Gliding down a fluffy white slope through an enchanted winter forest is an endorphin-inducing respite from the daily routine. Here’s a practical guide to get started.

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Jean Shafiroff

“We all have great value to society. And never think that you have nothing to offer—because you do.

Everyone has compassion,” says the First Lady of Philanthropy.

In and Out of Love With Food Celebrity chef Michael Schulson on the restaurant business, why he fasts, and how he used the pandemic downtime to take control of his relationship with food.

80 The Perfect Cup

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A good cup of tea is a cornerstone of coziness and hospitality across many cultures. Learn how to brew a decent cup of black tea—and discover timeless porcelain teaware.

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Angelina Chestnut Yule Log

Chef pâtissier Christophe Appert of Angelina shares a Valentine’s version of Angelina’s beloved chestnut yule log.

Table of Contents

Relationships 120

Curiosity for Lasting Love

Staying curious about our partners means staying engaged, open to who they can become, and humble to the reality that we don’t know everything about them.

124 Healing Through Hurt

It took the tragic loss of an unborn child for one couple to deal with the distance and tension that had taken hold of their marriage.

98 Arts 98

The Death of Socrates

Who was this controversial figure, and how might his life offer us wisdom today?

104 The Red Priest

A world-famous violin virtuoso vanished from history for nearly 200 years, only to be unearthed in 1926, upon the discovery of musical transcripts bearing the name Vivaldi.

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106 Family in Focus

The Dutch Golden Age marked the beginning of family portraiture as a genre in the West.

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The Floating Staircase

The spiral staircase of the Loretto Chapel is well known as a miracle because of its unique structure.

O N T H E C OV E R Photo by Nick Mele Photography

RADIANT LIFE PUBLISHER Dana Cheng

E D I TO R I A L EDITOR-IN- CHIEF

Catherine Yang

MIND & BODY EDITORS

Chrisy Trudeau Matthew Little

A RTS EDITORS

Sharon Kilarski Jennifer Schneider

BOOKS EDITOR LIFEST Y LE EDITOR

Robert Mackey Joy Ye

G A R DENING EDITOR

José Rivera

TR AV EL EDITOR

Car y Dunst

EDITORS -AT-L A RGE

T ynan Beatty Maria Han

STA FF W R ITERS

Skylar Parker Tara dos Santos

C R E AT I V E CR E ATI V E DIR ECTOR DESIGNER ILLUSTR ATORS

Laure Fu Ingrid Phillips Linda Zhao Michelle Xu

PHOTOGR A PHERS

Jennifer Schneider J. Freishter

C O N T R I B U TO R S Pelin Kesebir, Conan Milner, Kathy Koch, Melanie Hempe, Jennifer Margulis, Sarah Bun, Donna Martelli, Pamela Prince P yle, A rleen Richards, Iztel Perez, Travis Wilson, Christophe Appert, Eric Bess, Pete McGrain, Kara Blakley, Fu Yao, Nancy Colier, A my Delcambre

O F F I C E & C O N TA C T 229 W 28th St, New York, N Y 10001 General Inquiries: editor@radiantlifemag.com Media & Adver tising: ellen@radiantlifemag.com

MIND & BODY

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MIND & BODY

Virtues

Our Best Bet for Happiness The cultivation of virtue is of central importance to human prosperity and happiness

By Pelin Kesebir

Thang Tat Nguyen/Moment/Getty Images

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hat constitutes a good life?”

“How should one live?” “What kind of a person should one be?”

In their answers to these perennial questions, history’s great minds have frequently invoked the concept of virtue.

Philosophers ancient and modern have argued that the road to a happy, thriving, worthwhile life is paved with virtues. Aristotle, for one, believed that anyone willing to lead a virtuous life could achieve fulfillment. More recently, philosopher Rosalind Hursthouse posited that possessing and exercising virtue is the only reliable bet for a happy and flourishing life—just as adopting a healthy lifestyle is the only reliable bet for a healthy life.

There are no guarantees in life. Yet, if we commit to living virtuously, the argument goes, we are doing all that is in our power to maximize our happiness.

Is there any merit to these claims? Are more virtuous people indeed happier? If we cultivate virtue, could we become happier too? Fortunately, the scientific study of virtue has seen an awakening in the last couple of decades, providing us with fascinating insights into the relationship between virtues and happiness. Before we delve into these, let us briefly examine how psychologists think of virtue.

While virtue is an elusive term, most psychological definitions agree that virtues represent ex-

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LIFESTYLE

A Compassionate Worldview Philanthropy at its root means ‘love of humanity,’ and Jean Shafiroff’s philanthropic philosophy and guide exemplifies this idea

By Catherine Yang

All photos by Michael Paniccia

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or Jean Shafiroff, philanthropy is truly a lifestyle.

Shafiroff has always had the heart to give—long before hosting her television show “Successful Philanthropy” and authoring a book of the same title, becoming a board member of several major charities, and giving to and chairing countless other charities.

“It was the way I was raised, to be kind and giving,” Shafiroff said. From the nuns at her Catholic school who led their young students to care for others through giving back in small ways like bake sales, to joining the Girl Scouts and learning about fundraising, to listening to her father, a music teacher, speak passionately at the dinner table about his students and their futures, compassion has always been a core value for Shafiroff.

“It’s a great privilege to be in a position to give, and we all can be philanthropists. Everybody has worth. We all have great value to society. And never think that you have nothing to offer—because you do. Everyone has compassion,” Shafiroff said.

Defining Philanthropy

Shafiroff is well known for her leadership in philanthropy. She chairs at least eight charity galas a year and champions causes like serving under-served populations, bettering healthcare, women’s rights, and animal welfare.

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She is a board member of American Humane, Southampton Hospital Association, NYC Mission Society, French Heritage Society, Couture Council of the Museum at FIT, Global Strays, New York Women’s Foundation, Casita Maria, Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation Honorary Board, Jewish Board, and is an ambassador for American Humane and the national spokesperson for its “Feed the Hungry” initiative. The list of charities and organizations she gives to is even longer. For her work, Shafiroff has been honored many times by dozens of organizations.

“We give because we know actions and choices made now can help in the future. We give because small gifts can help lead to big change. We give because we are compelled to take action. We give because giving honors life and the power of the human spirit to affect change,” Shafiroff writes in her book.

“We give because we do not wish to see suffering and we wish to assuage it.”

The book’s subtitle is “How to make a life by what you give,” and Shafiroff’s message is a humanitarian one. It is that anyone can be a philanthropist; we can all give in some way while staying within our means.

For some it may be a charitable donation, for others it may be volunteering their time or knowledge. Not many people describe themselves as philanthropists, but Shafiroff wants everyone to understand that they can.

“The truth is that philanthropy is accessible to anyone,” she writes, and this new definition of philanthropy is “so vital to the future of our society, the human race, and the world.” The book is a practical one, step by step guiding any would-be philanthropist on their new journey toward giving. She proposes insightful questions, shares example stories, and leads the reader to think realistically about what they can do for others given their own specific set of circumstances.

Moved to Create Change

Shafiroff’s first career was as a physical therapist at the inner city St. Luke’s Hospital in New York.

“I wanted to be helpful to people and helpful to society,” she said. “There, I worked with many patients living below the poverty level, and had serious health issues. That left its mark.”

She returned to school to obtain a masters in business with a plan to go into hospital finance. Then, at Columbia University she met her husband Martin.

Shafiroff then worked briefly on Wall Street. The hours were long and she would come home at 9 or 10 at night. She realized after having her first child that if she continued this way, she would have little time to see her children.

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“So I stopped my career. And as a stay-at-home mother of two daughters, I started volunteering at the schools,” Shafiroff said. She started with baking brownies for bake sales and then got involved with the school’s annual fund. Her goal was “100 percent participation.” She would tell the parents that it wasn’t about the size of the gift, but their involvement. If they could only give $5, it would still be a worthwhile gift.

During Shafiroff’s travels, she was further inspired to give. “I’ve seen tremendous poverty, in Cambodia, different parts of Central America, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic,” she said. “When you see extreme poverty, you know you have to do something, because life is not created equal, and I believe that those that have resources have an obligation.”

As an American, it is part of the culture to give.

“In the United States, even people who don’t have a lot of money give their time and resources, and then they write small checks. It’s very much a part of our culture, which I think is important,” she said. “I believe that philanthropy must be taught in the home.

We teach children how to be philanthropic by first teaching them to share and to be kind to others.”

Over time, Shafiroff’s philanthropy has given her a voice and a platform, which she has only used to amplify the good work of various causes or philanthropists so others can do the same.

“If people ask, and I have the time, and I feel that I can do something, then I do. I want to be helpful,” she said. “And I have to say, I enjoy it, because I have the philosophy that when you give, you get. It’s highly rewarding to be useful and to be helpful to society.” R

Getting Started “Start off slowly. Do a lot of research on the charity first: go to their website, ask people about them. And get involved in a cause that you have a passion for, and where you think there is a need—that’s very important.”

For more tips and guidance, Jean Shafiroff ’s “Successful Philanthropy” discusses how to choose a charity, how to work with a charitable organization, what to expect, and more.

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In and Out of Love With Food Celebrity chef Michael Schulson on the restaurant business, why he fasts, and how he used the pandemic downtime to take control of his relationship with food

By Tara dos Santos

“Anger and toxicity can only be included in your life if you choose it.”

—Michael Schulson Schulson loves food, but not the way he was eating. The pandemic was hard on the restaurant business, and Schulson did what he could to ease the impact on his employees.

But the silver lining was a chance to clear his plate, literally and figuratively.

New Regimen

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hef Michael Schulson—TV personality and head of a restaurant empire based in Philadelphia—has been trying to heal his damaged relationship with food. Some time away from restaurants amid the pandemic helped. And it helped him lose 35 pounds in less than three months. Tasting food for high-end restaurants all day sounds delightful and delicious. But, Schulson says, “I don’t think I even like food anymore.

“Yesterday, I think I tasted 12 or 13 dishes—and that’s before 3 p.m. That’s enough food for someone to eat for a day and a half.” He tried the same octopus dish three times to adjust the taste. “Who would want to eat an octopus dish three times in a row?” he asks.

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Schulson started fasting until 2 p.m. and after 8 p.m. each day. He finally got to choose what he was eating, and often enjoys light meals of fish. He cut back on carbs, salt, and oil.

He started running every day and exercising in his home gym, but, he says, “The exercise piece is kind of secondary.

It’s all about eating properly.”

Since starting work again as pandemic restrictions have eased, he’s gained several pounds back. His main advice to anyone looking to start a weight-loss journey: “Cut back on portion size. First start with portion size. You can assume if you’re in America, your portion sizes are slightly bigger than they should be.”

Yoga is also part of his new regimen. It has helped him to slow down and think about things.

He realized that “Anger and toxicity can only be included in your life if you choose it.” You can’t change the people in your life who are toxic, he says, so it’s best to distance yourself from them.

“When you realize where the main piece of anger or toxicity comes from, once that’s removed, the smallest piece of anger and toxicity really sticks out like a sore thumb,” he says. “It’s almost like I found an emptiness within me.

When you don’t have to deal with certain things anymore, you just have all this energy and time to deal with positivity. It feels like an emptiness, but it’s liberating.”

Schulson has recently reflected more upon what he enjoys and what’s important to him. He seeks authenticity. When he’s sick of fancy food, he goes to “a dive,” he says, “because it feels authentic and genuine, and it’s not what I’m getting every single day.” Although his relation-

LIFESTYLE

ship with food has been somewhat strained, he loves the design and operations side of the restaurant business—managing all the “widgets,” as he calls them, such as financing or the cost of goods.

All photos courtesy of Michael Schulson

Authenticity

Schulson studied architectural engineering in his youth, but dropped out because the classes were more about beam weights and building codes than design. He got a job at a pizza joint instead. That was almost 50 years ago, and it took a lot of time and effort to work his way to the top.

Young hopefuls in the restaurant business seem to expect to open several restaurants at the beginning of their careers, he says. He pointed out that he spent a decade as a line cook, another decade as a sous chef, then started with a single restaurant.

He’s glad he got to come back to his interest in design. Authenticity in the design of his restaurants is important to him.

“I like to make people feel a transformative experience. Mean-

ing, if they walk into a restaurant in New York, they feel like they could be in Japan or London or Italy,” Schulson says.

Schulson’s attention to detail pervades all aspects of the business. He gives the example of a restaurant he’s working on right now, an Italian pizzeria called Prunella. Construction was almost finished when he walked in recently and spotted a column that didn’t look right. “It didn’t make me feel spectacular,” he says, so he had it changed. “I don’t want any one location or spot within the restaurant to feel like we missed it or we ran out of money,” he explains.

He’s careful to be true to concept. If it’s a 1920s style restaurant, you wouldn’t include a decor piece from the 1980s, he says. You might include a modernized version of something from the ’20s, but you have to be aware of art history to achieve authenticity.

“Do what you love,” he says. He was only earning several dollars per hour right up into his 40s, but he stuck with his passion. Schulson’s two sons, aged 11 and 14, are also interested in the business, and the elder is already learning the ropes. R

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Darjeeling

Blanketed in emerald-green hills, the Indian town of Darjeeling is famed for its namesake tea. Darjeeling tea, known as the “champagne of teas,” isn’t quite fully a black tea, which is fully oxidized, while Darjeeling is only partially so. It is also made from small-leaf Camellia sinensis, a Chinese variety, rather than the large-leaf Assam plant most black teas are made of.

While shopping for Darjeeling, you will run across the terms “first flush” and “second flush,” which refer to when the tea leaves were harvested. First-flush tea is picked and processed in March and April, and is typically lighter, fruity, and grassy. Second-flush tea is picked and processed in June and July, with leaves that look more like typical black tea, and it has a fuller aroma. The autumn flush tea harvest is even darker in color but tastes lighter than a second flush, and is the shortest of harvests, making it a rare find.

To brew the perfect cup: Consider the vessel. Many Darjeeling aficionados are particular about

the cups and pots used to make the tea, for several reasons. Darjeeling leaves need room to expand as the tea steeps, so a small metal infuser may not bring out the full potential of the tea. Opt for a prewarmed cup or pot, use about half a teaspoon of tea leaves for six to eight ounces of water, and steep for three minutes. Some balk at the idea of putting milk in the delicately flavored tea, especially when it comes to first-flush Darjeeling, but concede that a drop of lemon is not a bad idea.

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LIFESTYLE

Editor’s Picks No. 1: Marco Polo From Mariage Frères Mariage Frères is a long-standing French tea brand, going back to 1854, with more than 500 blends and teas from some of the most prestigious estates on earth.

Among these, Marco Polo is a legendary and mysterious flavored (it comes in both black and green) tea that has been favored worldwide for decades.

All illustrations by Linda Zhao

Orange Pekoe

Orange Pekoe has nothing to do with orange, nor does it denote the origins of this tea, being instead a classification of tea. The name comes from the 1600s, when the Dutch East India Company imported teas to Europe and reserved the best for the royal family (the Dutch royal family was the House of Orange), and “pekoe” referred to small, young Chinese tea leaves. The grading system can get complex: “Flowery Orange Pekoe” refers to tea made with the end bud and first leaf of each shoot; “Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe” uses golden tips; and names get further complicated, such as “Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe.” The longer the grading name, the higher the grade.

The Orange Pekoe classification can refer to teas from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Assam, China, Kenya, and blends of any of these, so the name may not say much about its taste. R

Once you open the tin, an elegant and exotic aroma will take you traveling through foreign lands. Mariage Frères has never revealed the ingredients in the blend, saying only it is blended with Chinese and Tibetan flowers.

This mysterious blend has refreshing flavors of floral and berry notes balanced by rich and bold black tea.

It is one of the best blend teas for drinking straight or as milk tea. I guarantee that it will win your heart over with your first cup.

You can find it in Neiman Marcus or gourmet tea stores in the States.

No. 2: Victorian London Fog From Harney & Sons Harney & Sons is an American tea company and known as for their high quality hand-picked teas. Victoria London Fog is one of their most popular blend teas. Rich black tea blend with oolong tea, sweet vanilla, and lavender flavor, with hint of bergamot aroma makes winter time sweet and cozy. Highly recommended for milk tea.

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Angelina Chestnut Yule Log

By Christophe Appert

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All photos by Tatsiana Moon for Radiant Life

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ARTS

war. Alcibiades seemed less concerned about justice and more concerned about what was politically expedient.

Is this why the painting depicts his body turning away from Socrates? Does this body language suggest a lack of full attention from Alcibiades? Socrates would later be blamed for impiety toward the gods of Athens and for corruption of the youth.

One of these corrupted youths, though never mentioned by name, was presumed to be Alcibiades. Socrates would be tried and condemned to death for these offenses.

The Trial of Socrates

The Athenians had pride in their ideal of free speech. The abilities to freely express and exchange ideas were paramount to Athenian culture and success. After the small Spartan army defeated Athens, however, many Athenians began to admire the dominant and militant power structure of Sparta.

Socrates was called to trial shortly after the Spartans defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War. He was accused of failing to acknowledge the gods of Athens, introducing new divinities, and, of course, corrupting the youth. His accusers

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brought up his daimonion, which wasn’t one of the acknowledged gods of Athens, and pointed out that many of the people that attacked Athenian democracy were, at least at one time or another, youths associated with Socrates.

Socrates defended himself, stating that these accusations were untrue. Why did so many Athenians believe them to be true, then? Why did so many Athenians hate him? Socrates made the case that the reason Athenians came to despise him despite his best efforts to serve them was because of the media. The play “Clouds” by Aristophanes, for instance, depicted Socrates as an impious buffoon who corrupted the youth and was not to be taken seriously.

Socrates admitted that he pursued wisdom through inquiry with those who would listen—mostly young, wealthy men who would practice a similar line of inquiry with him in pursuit of wisdom. He argued that this was not corrupting but benefiting the democracy of Athens.

As a democracy, the ruling majority forces its vices as well as virtues upon the citizens. It takes a dedicated few, not the many, to pursue ethical virtue and pass it to the next genera-

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When you are truly brave, you do not merely endure the troubles that come your way, but put yourself in jeopardy against overwhelming odds in order to fight for what is right.

tion. This, of course, requires questioning the very vices the majority believes to be absolute truth.

Socrates also argued that he was not impious; he had devoted his life in obedience to the god at Delphi and to his daimonion, who ethically guided him throughout his life as he attempted to serve the Athenian public. He wanted others, as well as himself, to come to an ever-deeper understanding of virtue so that Athens could reach its full potential and thrive.

The trial of Socrates was an instance in which an Athenian was prosecuted for the alleged harm indirectly caused by the exchange of ideas—for freely speaking. The people of Athens, who once valued the ideal of free speech, required him to denounce his beliefs or die by way of poison. Socrates chose poison.

The Death of Socrates

The Death of Socrates was painted in 1787 by the neoclassical artist Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825). It depicts the moment in which Socrates, surrounded by his followers and family, is handed a chalice of hemlock to drink—which he willingly accepted since his daimonion did not try to stop him from doing so. Socrates not only accepts the chalice of hemlock, but points to the heavens and discourses on the immortality of the soul before he drinks. He is shown in a white robe and with the musculature of an ideal youth, which suggest his strong and pure character. Of all the figures depicted, he is illuminated most by the light emanating from the top of the composition.

Socrates discussed ideal forms that existed behind the surface forms we see in everyday life. He suggested that there was a greater truth that illuminated all other things, and that this truth was only accessible to those—the “philosopher kings”—who lived their lives in accordance with higher truths.

In the famous “Allegory of the Cave” from Plato’s “Republic,” Socrates suggests that reality for us is like being chained in a cave and being made to watch a wall on which shadows are cast by a flame behind us. We all mistake the

shadows for the truth of reality, not realizing that the actual truth begins with the flame behind us, and that there is another, truer world beyond this one.

The “philosopher king” becomes the one who frees themselves from the cave and sees the flame as the source of the shadows, and the reality of the world beyond the confines of the prison. The question remains: How many of the previous prison inmates could accept the truth of the cave while still being shackled within?

In the painting, David has depicted Socrates as the philosopher king who escaped the shackles that kept him confined to the shadows of the cave wall; we can see the shackles on the ground. Socrates saw the truth, tried to communicate that truth, and was punished with poison.

In the upper left corner of the composition, there is an oil lamp that has almost run its course; an extinguished oil lamp is often used in art as a symbol of the ephemerality of life and imminent death. David depicted the oil lamp as the only object that casts a shadow upon the wall—which aligns with Socrates’s final discourse, in which he states that the soul is immortal and death is an illusion.

There is also a lyre on the bed next to Socrates, who was often thought of as an exemplar of logic and reason, but he had a recurring dream that encouraged him to make music.

He thought the dream was referring to the music of philosophy, and it was only after the trial that he considered that the dream was referring to actual music, and he attempted to learn a melody as he waited to die.

There’s speculation that Socrates’s turn to music at the end of his life suggests that logic and reason are not absolute and can only take us so far in understanding what it means to be human. The complete human experience requires both science and art as well as freedom of discourse in search of the true essence of both.

Eric Bess is a practicing representational artist and a doctoral candidate at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts.

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The Most Important Virtue for Lasting Love You may be surprised by the many consequences of curiosity—or lack thereof —in your relationship

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By Nancy Colier

hen we think of virtues, we usually think of the classics: wisdom, compassion, humility, patience, fortitude, courage, kindness, gratitude, and the like. But there are a number of underrated, less-talked-about virtues that are vitally important to creating a good life. One such virtue, which rarely makes the top-10 lists, is curiosity.

When it comes to virtues, curiosity is marginalized; it gets short shrift and sometimes has to defend its right to even identify as a virtue. But curiosity deserves our recognition and its rightful place on the greatest-hits list of virtuous qualities. Curiosity is not only vitally important for creating a good life, but also

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for maintaining a lasting love relationship.

At the beginning of a romantic relationship, we usually feel effervescent—alive, awake, and grateful.

This happens for many reasons, one being that, in a new relationship, we are catapulted into a state of mystery and adventure. We enter a process of discovery— getting to know a new person, and who we are with this other person as part of this new couple. At the beginning of a relationship, it feels as if we are in direct contact with the present moment; we are here, in the now, in our senses, and in what’s unfolding. We’re living on the edge of something wild and unknown, without a sense of where life is taking us. Oh, what a lovely time it is, the beginning of a relationship.

Westend61/Getty Images

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“He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.”

Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Moment/Getty Images

—Aristotle

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RADIANT LIFE The art of living healthfully and beautifully

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n this modern world, we can get lost in ever-changing new trends.

Too often, we keep looking for novelties in life, but never feel satisfied. What are the basic elements that can keep us grounded and help us live more meaningful lives?

Radiant Life is a practical, inspirational, and enriching lifestyle magazine that empowers readers to cultivate a healthy, noble, and graceful lifestyle.

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