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Natural Awakenings Lehigh Valley

publishers Letter

Dec 03, 2013 04:45PM ● By Reid Boyer

 

Seven years ago, when I first inquired about publishing a Natural Awakenings magazine in the Lehigh Valley, the first person I spoke with at company headquarters was John Voell, Jr. Our initial phone conversation began with my seeking an opportunity to use my marketing experience and belief in the efficacy of natural healing to help local healers educate and promote themselves to the larger community. John was particularly enthusiastic about working with me to establish the magazine’s first presence in Pennsylvania. 

To his credit, John’s kind support and encouragement continued unabated as I scraped together the start-up money and rearranged my life to take the plunge. We spent hours on the phone as he patiently walked me through my fear of making such a big change, ultimately inspiring me to take a “leap of faith.” He made it clear that becoming a Natural Awakenings publisher must be a decision of the heart, because when we take action from a place of love our fears dissolve. Love and fear simply cannot co-exist. The way kept unfolding and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.

In the end, he said, we must ask ourselves: “How many souls can I help in this lifetime?” Imagine if everyone asked that question each day. Over the years, as a company catalyst for personal and business development, John has helped 100+ publishers and millions of readers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico change their lives and their communities for the better. It was his idea to franchise CEO Sharon Bruckman’s original Natural Awakenings magazine, starting in 1999.

Now, 3.8 million readers nationwide are living the principles of natural, sustainable health for people and the planet and spreading word of the benefits. Together we are contributing to a major paradigm shift in wellness that is influencing mainstream thinking and is set to rock the world for generations to come.

Our friend John passed in October, leaving our franchise family sad, yet grateful for the ability to carry on. He left us a world-changing legacy that I am honored to be part of. How glad I am that he saw the potential for the Lehigh Valley and welcomed us into the family.

Our December issue theme is, appropriately, Awakening Humanity. My hope is that it provokes thought on issues that are often not discussed or explored; there is so much more to life in the grander scheme than anyone realizes.

Thank goodness spiritual maturing enables us to grow beyond limiting views. I for one am enjoying opening up to consider the possibilities of the bigger picture. Every month I encounter glimpses of more I do not know. I find that to be a life-affirming adventure.

May your holiday season brim with outpouring love,  Reid Boyer, Publisher.