Fresh Promise
For me, January is like the early-morning sunshine after an evening of replenishing
rain. Things are crisp, clean and clear, and all feels well. Just like I’m excited to get out
into the fresh air and nature’s abundant and loving embrace, the new year beckons
me with the promise of exciting opportunities to see, feel and experience things anew; to
create and launch good work that helps others; to take more responsibility for how I interact
with this finite environment in which we all exist; to take consistent, tiny steps that will help
make the world a better place for everyone; and to show God’s love to more people every
day, in every way I can.
My excitement lies not only in the knowledge that I’ll have these opportunities, but
also in the anticipation of how they will unfold. I get a sense of inner joy knowing that I
have an important role to play in making this world go ‘round, and that I’ll be rewarded for
it, too—not just through my own growth, but by the realization that I made a difference in
others’ lives.
It’s interesting to think about how we celebrate New Year’s. All the goals, intentions
and prognostications seem to be our way of trying to gain some control over the inevitable
march of time. While surveys report wildly different results for the percentage of people
who make New Year’s resolutions—the number ranges from 30 to 80 percent—what is
consistent from year to year and among all surveys are the most common resolutions that
people make. The top five have to do with health and wellness, including financial wellness.
They are 1) diet and/or lose weight; 2) get in shape; 3) save money; 4) take better care of
oneself; and 5) live life to the fullest.
Also consistent is that about 80 percent of such resolutions fail. I can vouch for that:
my own New Year’s resolutions have landed somewhere in that 80 percent failure range, yet
I continue to be an enthusiastic fan of this tradition. I’ve learned that it works best for me
when I set process-oriented intentions, such as, “Get in shape by lifting weights at least x
times per week, Stop eating refined sugar and use stevia instead,” or, “Evaluate nonessential
purchases in terms of need versus want.” This allows me to see progress, stay excited about
my goals and chalk up more wins.
It is music to my ears and soul that most of the top New Year’s resolutions fall within
the mission of Natural Awakenings magazine. That helps explain why we’ve seen steady
growth in our readership over our 11 years of publishing—especially last year, when we saw
a 40 percent increase in our digital readership (Thank-you, all). So, not to disappoint, we
hope this month’s feature story on the latest trends in health and wellness will be thoughtprovoking
and helpful as you set your goals and intentions for 2022. We also bring you the
latest in fitness tools, the cannabis industry and pet nutrition.
We explore that last subject further with one of our two local roundups, where we talk
trends with North Texas manufacturers and retailers of healthy, holistic pet products. They
all agree that our pets’ diets are growing undeniably similar to our own, with an emphasis
on whole, natural foods. Our other local roundup is with a couple of North Texas’ most
knowledgeable and influential folks as it relates to electric vehicles. One of them is Sam
Pack, founder and owner one of the largest auto dealerships in Texas, who shared his enthusiasm
and insights about electrification in the automobile industry. He says that it’s here to
stay, it’s moving at an exponential rate, driven by technology, and it will significantly change
how the industry looks.
No matter what your resolutions and intentions for 2022, we hope that you will find
insights and encouragement in Natural Awakenings this month and every month of the
year. Our intention is to be of greater service to our North Texas community by bringing
you more timely, insightful and cutting-edge information that will help you along your
journey of living a healthy life on a healthier planet.
Blessings until next month.
