New Beginnings, Lived with Intention
Dec 31, 2025 08:32AM ● By Bernice Butler
January always invites reflection. Not just on what lies ahead, but on what we’ve learned,
what has shaped us and how we choose to move forward. This year, rather than making
New Year’s resolutions that often feel heavy or short-lived, I’m choosing something different:
a series of quiet but meaningful vows—commitments shaped by the lessons of the past year
and grounded in a lifelong journey of struggling for faith, character and growth.
One of the clearest lessons this past year reinforced for me is that wellness is not something we “add on” to already busy lives. It’s something we embody. Wellness is not a checklist—it’s a posture. A way of standing, living and responding to life with intention, balance, action and trust in God’s design for our bodies, minds and spirits.
As a believer and practicing Christian, my faith continually reminds me that our bodies are temples, and our lives are stewardship. Yet even with that understanding, it’s easy to drift into patterns of over—overdoing, overthinking and overcommitting—often at the expense of rest, reflection and renewal. This year taught me again the importance of slowing down, listening more closely and honoring the rhythms God built into creation—and into us.
That perspective beautifully aligns with Natural Awakenings’ 2026 theme: Wellness Made Easy.
Over the next 12 months, our intention is simple but powerful. With each issue and each monthly
theme, we will focus on making wellness more accessible, more practical and more sustainable—so it naturally becomes part of daily life. Not something we struggle to maintain, but something we ease into, habit by habit, choice by choice, until healthier living becomes our reality.
Wellness made easy does not mean wellness without effort. It means removing unnecessary barriers, simplifying decisions and providing clear, trustworthy guidance so readers can confidently integrate healthy practices into their routines. Whether that’s nourishing food, movement that feels good, stress management, spiritual grounding or supportive care teams, our goal is to help you build wellness in ways that fit your real life.
For me personally, that has looked like small but intentional shifts. Choosing consistency over intensity. Building margins into my schedule for rest and prayer. Paying closer attention to what my body is telling me instead of pushing through exhaustion. Returning again and again to Scripture for wisdom, clarity and peace. These are not dramatic resolutions—they are daily practices that quietly shape a healthier posture of wellness.
A posture of wellness, to me, is about alignment. Alignment of body, mind and spirit. Alignment of values and actions. Alignment of faith and daily living. When we stand in that posture, we’re better equipped to weather stress, recover from setbacks and move forward with resilience and grace.
That’s the posture we hope to support and encourage through Natural Awakenings Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. As North Texas’ healthy living authority, we remain committed to bringing you relevant, credible and inspiring information—both local and national—focused on holistic, integrative, functional and complementary approaches to health. Our role is to educate, empower and connect you with resources that help make wellness practical, personal and achievable.
As we step into this new year together, my hope is that you’ll join us—not in striving for perfection, but in embracing progress. Not in rigid resolutions, but in thoughtful vows shaped by wisdom, faith and lived experience. May this be a year where wellness feels lighter, more natural and deeply rooted—so that living well becomes not an obligation, but an exciting way of life.
Bernice Butler
Bernice Butler
