Last month I attended the Natural Awakenings Publishers’ Conference, held this year in Marco Island, Florida. Traveling with Rhode Island Natural Awakenings publisher and good friend Maureen Cary, we took full advantage of a few extra days in the sun to unwind from the daily hustle of managing our businesses and life in general. It was the third such trip we’ve made together and we always have a great time. For me, life doesn’t get much better than spending time with cherished friends sharing the kind of intense laughter that makes you gasp for breath and nearly wet yourself. A full moon over the Gulf of Mexico atop breathtaking sunsets proved a perfect backdrop for the dynamism of people set on doing good in the world.

The energy generated over the three days of presentations and informal exchanges was palpable. One of the guest presenters, Mary Lynn Ziemer, a master life coach and co-author of The Change: Insights into Self-Empowerment, introduced us to the concept of filling up our “happiness tank”. She believes that the more inspired actions we take to fill it up, the happier and calmer we will be. Her advice? Do what makes you happy and do it often.

According to Ziemer, the more happy actions we make part of our daily life, the more successful we will be (not the other way around). She’s also a big believer in the value of tapping into the innate power of our brain. Because happiness is an inside game, changing our thoughts and consequently taking inspired actions can have a profound effect on income, stress levels, productivity and joy. Ziemer’s approach to achieving the life we desire is supported by Harvard University studies that demonstrate how when we mentally rewire our brain to think a new outcome, we can achieve what we want.

This special Healing Addictions and Balanced Man issue is chock full of contributions from people that witness how rewiring our brain and reworking our life choices can improve every aspect of every day. Too many people resort to some kind of substance abuse to cope with the life they’ve created for themselves just to cope with their problems. We now rejoice in a fresh path of hope for long-term success explored in Lisa Marshall’s feature article, “Rethinking Recovery: Holistic Approaches to Healing Addictions.” Please share it with anyone in need because like with everything in life, caring friends make our world go ’round.

Here’s to finding something to smile about each day.

Peace,

Maisie Raftery, Publisher