I hope you’re enjoying the wonderful weather we’re getting so far this season.  I’m trying to spend as many hours as I can enjoying the sun and the autumn colors, and appreciating the relative quiet before the Thanksgiving  and ensuing holiday festivities begin.

It’s a good time of the year for introspection, for practicing gratitude, and for thinking about personal goals that we still want to achieve this year.  If you need support in attaining your goals, our feature article may give you some ideas.  In “Fast Track to Personal Growth,” you’ll read about some of the premier institutions that offer retreats, courses, books and other resources for the human potential movement.

When I first inquired three years ago about publishing Natural Awakenings in my local area, John R. Voell was the one who literally and figuratively answered my call. His belief in the magazine’s mission was inspiring and infectious. Just weeks later, I was an owner and publisher, starting not just a business, but my own journey of personal growth. Sadly, John passed away on October 15. Our family of publishers will miss him, and will always be grateful for the vision he brought to life in creating the Natural Awakenings franchise.  

In Memoriam

John R. Voell, father, author and visionary co-founder of Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation, has served as a mentor to our family of publishers for 15 years. During John’s time with us, the Universe responded to his faithful living of the principle to love God, one’s self and others by providing fertile soil for the big ideas he relished nurturing. His books, Cancer: How to Heal It—How to Prevent It and Cancer Report, as well as his latest development project, United We Can, were just a few of the ways that John allowed himself to be an instrument of the Divine in helping humankind.

John was passionate about the success of our magazine, pleased and proud that the now 90-strong family of Natural Awakenings franchise publishers touch the lives of millions of readers each month. He’s known around here for saying, “I don’t know what your spiritual beliefs are, but I believe that when I leave this world, I’m going to somehow measure my success by those I’ve helped along the way.” Those that knew and worked with him would say that he more than succeeded—he soared.