Embracing Change, Finding Balance, and Feeling Good in 2024
"It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life for me, And I'm feeling good" is the chorus of Nina Simone's song released in 1965 and 40 years later by Michael Bublé in 2005. Kind of fitting for a New Year too?
So how did your New Year's start? For Lesley and I it was a cool ocean dip in Victoria's Oak Bay. My first “Polar Bear” swim! We even did a practice dip on December 31st.
New Year's is an opportunity that many of us take to recalibrate. For some we want to erase the old tape and start with a fresh recording. For others perhaps a little editing will suffice. In a booklet with daily spiritual thoughts that I enjoy, on January 1 it referenced a passage that includes "The old is gone, the new is here!" and then commented "no matter who we've been or what we've done in our past" we have an opportunity to change. I'd observe that there are two big challenges in that.
- We need to let go of something to make room for change and
- That our social networks often aren't ready to rewind and record anew their perceptions or expectations of us.
In a Peloton ride I did late in December, the instructor Denis Morton noted we have agency over ourselves, that we can make decisions. In another ride, Denis referenced that our bodies are very good "instruments" that we get to play. So how are you going to play your instrument in 2024? I'm going to keep up with a new routine of Wednesday morning workouts (in addition to other workouts) and try to be more disciplined about quite time. I had an instructor in a sales course at BCIT (back in the 1980s) who said "We have two ears and one mouth. Think about it!" So 2024 (yes I can be a slow learner) will be the year that I have more quiet time for reflection and listening.
But what about the other challenge, about how people see us? Perhaps patience is key. Chart your course and be gracious with those around you. Also be alert to changes those around you may be making and be supportive if you feel their changes are appropriate.
While I may be feeling good, I'm not without weighty thoughts like trying to spend more time with family and friends while achieving personal fitness and business goals. I worry too of ongoing turmoil in our world and at work, that we haven't made the progress that we would like, to help a million people be healthier and more active. Yet all the time we receive great feedback on our well researched product and that made me feel good! Already in 2024, I've heard from a Whole Foods personal care advisor that our Joint Formula 14 eases her OSD discomfort and a trainer at my gym that it quickly helped her back, a big relief for her. And a gentleman in Ohio who shared that a horse went from lame to “sound” in just 9 days on our SierraSil powder. On the other hand, a Victoria health and lifestyle educator hasn’t yet got the results we hoped for.
We do want more people with the aches of aging or new exercise routines or persistent inflammatory conditions to try SierraSil. To support that we have a new “ambassador” program, which is really a referral bonus when you share the word about our products. For more information please visit https://sierrasil.com/pages/ambassador-program and know that we support our sales with a satisfaction guarantee.
Are you feeling good or are weighty thoughts weighing you down? Or maybe both? Whatever your circumstance, know that you are appreciated, that you are important and that we can rejoice in the goodness that exists in our communities and our places. Here's hoping that 2024 is a really good year for you.
