Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/217566
from the editor What's in Your Future? Spiritual Counseling and Metaphysical Energy Work Tarot, Tea Leaves, Intuitive, Mediumship, Palm Reading Phone or in-store readings Gift Certificates Available 818-985-2010 TheGreenmanStore.com 5712 Lankershim Blvd. North Hollywood CA 91601 (5 minute walk north from NoHo Metro Red Line) 6 Dear Readers, I love my job. Every day I connect with fascinating people doing important, impressive work, and groundbreaking information flows into my mailbox in a steady stream. And then—perhaps my favorite part of my job—I get to play with words and ideas and images, collaborating with talented writers and our delightful graphic designer Daniel to bring you interesting and hopefully inspiring content. Why am I telling you this? Because if the comments we receive from you are any indication, you love our magazine; and if you want our magazine to continue (and me to keep this job I love!), I need to ask you a big favor that is actually of benefit to you. Please support our advertisers! The more you turn to them (of course telling them where you saw their ad), the more they trust us to help keep their businesses thriving. And then WLT thrives and the circle goes back around, as we support our community together. In this issue, we focus on diverse aspects of water, and what it means to our community. Take a wild guess as to how much water the average Santa Monica resident uses in a day. Would you believe it's 134 gallons? Right now the city has a goal of reducing individual consumption to 123 gallons per day, or 4000 gallons per year, but I think we can do better. And I'm not talking just Santa Monica; consumption is roughly similar wherever you live. So I propose we make a joint New Year's resolution to consume less water. Need ideas for where you can conserve? Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Empty pasta cooking water into the flowerpot. Fill a pan in the sink instead of running water when you wash your dishes. Even a gallon a day makes a big difference when we add it all up. Surely we can each cut back by a measly gallon a day. There are other surprising things about water in L.A., which you'll discover on pg. 24. Whether we're drinking it, bathing in it, admiring it or riding on it, water is an integral part of our lives. You may not know, for example, that our city now has water sommeliers, who serve a similar function to wine sommeliers. Indeed, sales of bottled water are rising and are expected to exceed sales of soda by the end of the decade. Another of the stories in this issue is all about filters, what to look for and what to expect (pg. 10), so if you've been thinking you might want one (and you for sure will after you read the tap water stats), start your research here. In a DVD reviewed in this issue, Dreaming Heaven (pg. 33), we learn that water is the element of emotion. That makes sense. We cry watery tears, women's bodies change with the tides, and we are composed of more water than any other single substance. Emotions are wonderful guideposts, giving us important information about the way we are living our lives, and the balance (or lack) therein. So when you think about New Year's resolutions, think about balancing the tides. Keep your affirmations simple, share them, and keep track of your progress. Be specific with yourself—set an actual goal completion date and put it in your calendar; and describe parameters of time and amount. Instead of "I'm going to work out more," try "I'm going to walk for 20 minutes a day and increase to 40 minutes a day by June." Choose doable things and work up to them. And keep reading WLT. We're so grateful to be in community with you. Have the most beautiful winter holidays ever, and may the New Year bring peace, joy and fulfillment to every one of you. From my heart, wholelifetimesmagazine.com WLT-DEC-JAN-11-24-10pm.indd 6 11/24/13 10:34 PM