“Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive.” – Former Intel CEO Andy Grove ☺
This month’s edition focuses on so many wonderful things: travel, fitness for optimal bone health, 
and even the novel idea of bringing your cat to work! This October issue also marks my five-year anniversary as publisher of this amazing magazine! I am ever so grateful to those who have been part of this journey, including my Layout Designer Suzzanne; Editor Sara; Calendar Editor Theresa; the guys who help get this information to you, Clem and Bill; and Marketing Directors Carol and Darlene. Without them, these five transformative years would not have occurred for me or for the magazine.
I am not being dramatic. You see, October 1, 2012, I launched my very first issue of Natural Awakenings Long Island. I had amazing intentions for the magazine and had invested my hard-earned money so that I could publish it. Some 25 days later, I awoke to one-third of my house destroyed—my entire office in ruins—and my town in shambles, all thanks to Hurricane Sandy who paid an unwelcome visit. Without the help of these people while I was putting my life back together, I would not be writing this letter today and would not have been able to write my first book, A Year of Inspired living, which is on sale now (shameless plug!).
Here we are five years later watching a phenomenon of destruction in the form of hurricanes the likes of which we have not seen. As I write this, I pray for my friends in both Texas and Florida, as well as two Natural Awakenings publishers that live in a place I love like a second home, Puerto Rico.
When I look back at the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, our great country grew industrially at an unparalleled rate. Simply compare electronics of the ‘70s to electronics of 2017—it is truly mind boggling. Good for us. SUCCESS! Or is it? Don’t get me wrong, success is not something I am against. Complacency, which often comes with success—that may be where we have gotten off track. We are failing as a collective group to protect our planet. Never was this more evident to me than when I watched the brilliant Jennifer Lawrence and ethereal Javier Bardem in the movie Mother! Without giving too much away, I went to the film nervous, thinking I would be seeing a horror film; however, I told myself, “Don’t worry, it’s not real, it’s just a movie,” never realizing the horror depicted onscreen is in fact a metaphor for a far too horrific reality.
We as a society in our successful lives are rapidly exchanging one new item for the next; we are filling up our landfills and burdening the Earth with both our heavy waste and our consumption of her resources, and it is proving to have dire consequences. Humankind must stop the arguing—the left verses right, the religious verses the agnostic, and even discontinue the whole “one life matters” over “another life matters” rhetoric—and must recognize HUMANITY IS WHAT MATTERS. And guess what, humanity? Our grandkids (and their grandkids) are going to need a place to live. We have but one Earth—care for it, foster it, cherish it, and in return, all of the riches can be yours. Limit your consumption of resources, turn off lights, unplug appliances, and simply consume less. Perhaps if we take care of Mother Earth, she will take care of us. It’s that simple. All I ask of you the reader as you delve into this month’s issue is that you remain conscious of your own carbon footprint—well that, and also that you consider bringing your cat to work. 😉
Malama Pono!
Kelly Martinsen, Publisher
Kelly Martinsen’s book, A Year of Inspired Living, is available on Amazon.com. Preorder for $7.80 and plan your 2018 as the most inspired year yet.
