New year, new you! Making changes for the better and improving ourselves is something we all talk about quite a bit. But change isn’t always easy and it’s not usually fun. Even when we genuinely want things to improve, we may think it best if the other person made some changes. Recent personal experience has shown me that big changes in all parts of your life at once can be pretty overwhelming.  I’m a big fan of laughter therapy, and my daughter Jes brought home a book that was just the ticket. ‘The Definitive Guide to Stuff White People Like’ by Christian Lander. I think a big part of the book’s appeal is how it allows you to laugh at yourself. In addition to the humor, it also provides a totally different perspective that might not have occurred to you before.

If you’re up for learning something new, be sure to check out the Sustainable Living Family Festival sponsored by the Detroit Waldorf School on Feb 12. Creativity is a great way to make it through tough times and tight budgets, and here is a wonderful opportunity to build your own skill set. Some of the workshop presenters include U of M Dearborn, Detroit Zoological Society, Greening of Detroit, City Bees, MI Alliance of TimeBanks, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Sierra Club, Strawbale Studio, Local Motion Green, Detroit Community Acupuncture and Grayton Garden & The Backyard. Be sure to register early and see our back cover for contact information.

There are lots of wonderful things in store for the New Year from Natural Awakenings. We are expanding our distribution, and are now printing more than 27,000 copies each month for the Wayne County area alone. There will also be a new Natural Awakenings magazine for the Lansing area that launches in April. Congratulations to new Publisher Tanya Pence! Our Natural Awakenings Michigan family is really growing: Jerry & Tracy Neale of Michigan Healthy Living are the publishers of the Macomb/Oakland/Livingston/St. Clair County edition and the Genesse/Lapeer/Shiawassee edition. They have also launched a quarterly publication, Natural Pet. Amy and Kyle Hass are our NA publishers in Grand Rapids and extending into the western coast of Lake Michigan. Trina and John Voell cover the Ann Arbor and Greater Washtenaw County areas. Go Michigan! We may be facing some serious economic challenges, but our commitment to health and wellness continues to grow.

Very soon, we will be launching Natural Awakenings Network (NAN,) a groundbreaking network through which members can obtain discounts on products and services focused on natural health, wellness and green or sustainable living. NAN members will be able to use their card for everything from healthy foods to bodywork to alternative energy sources. In order for our publication to offer this to readers, we need a minimum of 100 providers, so we encourage local businesses to participate in reaching out to NA readers and welcome your interest in learning more about how to join.

Once we have 100 providers in our network, then we can begin selling the NAN cards to individuals. This is offered free to providers for the first year, and card holders can use their card at any location locally or across the country. This is especially beneficial in the Detroit metro area where so many people might live and work in different counties, or live near the borders, or just have reason to be out and about all over the metro area.

We’re also excited about our first Healthy Living Detroit Downriver Expo coming up on Saturday, April 2. Kathy Kane, Co-Publisher of the Trenton Trib and owner of Marketing Insights will be hosting ‘Marketing for a Healthy Business’ at 9 a.m. The cost of the breakfast will be $10 through March 15 and $15 at the door if seats are available. Register on her website at MarketingInsights.us. Paypal is accepted.

The expo itself will open at 10am and at noon our keynote speaker will be Lisa Diggs of Buy Michigan Now. The special advanced pricing for vendors will end on January 31, so be sure to visit our website at naturalawakeningsdetroit.com to sign up for a vendor table.

So boldly we march on into the New Year. It’s full of promise and hope. I posted a quote on Facebook recently. “Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do.” by John Wooden. It’s a great reminder for me when I catch myself getting held up on something that I can’t seem to change, or is out of my control. I hope it speaks to you, too, and may you find your own words of wisdom to draw upon as you set your goals and move toward a healthier you.

Love, joy and peace,

Mary Anne