Tag Archives: prevention

Farming, Health + Wellbeing, Optimal Health, Reflections, Today's World

The Optimism We Create Becomes the Future We Live In

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As we near the beginning of a new year, I, for one, believe that the optimism we create is going to become the future we live in. In a world too often dominated by headlines of challenge and disruption, optimism — and a positive mental attitude — has the potential to transform us, and surprisingly enough even help increase our healthspan.

A Foundation of Personal Wellbeing

Have you ever thought about where wellbeing really comes from? Why we might be motivated to stay healthy? We can probably list many reasons. And some of those reasons might really impact us!

But here’s something important I’ve come to understand: Personal wellbeing isn’t just about you (or me). It’s about the people around us, our family, friends and the greater community.

It’s always wonderful to be with family during the holidays.

Once you realize that you can best help others when you are healthy and by being your best self, you see how interconnected we are and how your own health contributes to everyone and everything around you. That is the biggest motivator!

So, think of it this way, before we can nourish others, we must first nourish ourselves. This isn’t selfish—it’s essential.

Our physical well-being forms a foundation from which our mental optimism is built. Not only do our actions increase the quality of our lives and our own healthspans, but they can also contribute to increasing the quality of life for those around us.

Finding Sanctuary in Nature

I often talk about the walks I like to take, and the simple way each step can connect us to our purpose. And there’s also profound wisdom in simply staying connected to the earth – not only with both feet, but also with our intentions. Stepping away from technology and the constant interruptions it creates in our lives has never been as important and beneficial to our wellbeing.

Whether you have a small garden on your balcony or you are just walking through a field, nature offers us a break from the chaos of the modern world. It’s another reason why Amway is so interested in organic and regenerative farming; because in providing the plants used to make botanical ingredients for Nutrilite products, they’re also staying connected to the earth and cultivating it in such a way that the soil remains fertile and ready for future generations to benefit from.

Surveying the vineyards on the family farm in Oregon.

Not to mention that finding sanctuary in nature allows us to reconnect with something much larger than ourselves—the cycle of life, seasonal renewal, and the natural abundance that has sustained us for generations.

The Ripple Effect of Kindness

True optimism manifests in us in how we might respond to our own struggles. In a world where negativity prevails, suffering can lead to bitterness and a mistaken desire for others to share in our pain. Optimism offers a different path. It can transform our challenges into opportunities for positive change.

Look at it this way. When we face difficulties, we can use the wisdom and empathy we gain from the experience to help others navigate similar struggles. This is authentic kindness in action—it’s not superficial. It can lead to a deeper commitment that sees others positively and finds ways to help them avoid the challenges you went through.

The ripple effect it creates leads to stronger social connections that lift everyone and makes the world a better place.

Looking Forward with Optimism

So, as we move into the future, we get to choose how we show up in the lives of other people. By choosing optimism, we end up creating a better world in every moment for the people we interact with.

Taking care of yourself, nurturing your connection with nature, and all the effort you make to transform personal challenges into opportunities to help others, leads to a future where we can happily coexist.

Optimism isn’t just about hoping for a better future—it’s about actively creating it, starting with us and rippling outward to others.

It makes all the difference in the world.

Happy Holidays!

Optimal Health, Reflections, Today's World

Going on Tour, and Going Full Circle

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Last month, Francesca and I toured through Asia visiting China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Taiwan. The trip was an opportunity for us to talk about Amway’s leadership as a Health and Wellbeing company and to begin celebrating the upcoming 90th anniversary of Nutrilite.

Throughout my visit, I spoke to employees, company leaders and – from the stage – tens of thousands of Amway Business Owners all of whom were eager to learn more about the legacy of the Nutrilite™ brand and the power of nutrition in today’s world. Many leaders have enthusiastically embraced the Product of the Product philosophy and are doing all they can to improve their health and wellbeing, and their outlook about the future. 

In the Beginning

It’s what my father, Carl F. Rehnborg, envisioned when he founded Nutrilite nearly 90 years ago. He was an adventurous man who was innately curious. As a young entrepreneur living and working in China in the early 1900s, he spent lots of time building his business by traveling throughout the Chinese countryside.

While doing so, he made the quintessential observation that ultimately led to the creation of the Nutrilite™ brand: People living in the countryside were much healthier than people living in the city; they were more physically active, and they ate more fruits and vegetables.

Historical image of man standing in front of steps leading up to a building facade.
Photo of Carl F. Rehnborg in Shanghai, Picture During the Years of 1915 and 1916, Carl F. Rehnborg was an accountant with standard Oil Company of New York, in Tientsin, China, which is in the northern part of the country

But let’s rewind and think about this. Just getting to China from the United States in the early 1900s was a monumental task. For him, it included traveling across the continental United States, and then extended passages across the Pacific Ocean where he had lots of time to dream about the future, and the opportunity to learn about a completely different culture – and build a business.

As a young businessman, he started off in China representing Standard Oil selling cooking oil traveling up and down the Yangtze River. But, again, based on his observations, he believed that selling canned milk in China would serve an immediate need and benefit the Chinese population. He soon returned to the States and was able to convince Carnation Milk to let him represent their company in China.

It was while selling canned milk and becoming more embedded in Chinese society, that he realized most people he was interacting with had nutritional gaps in their diets that plant materials could help fill. He also soon understood that eating well, exercising, and leading a healthy lifestyle was the best way to combat poor health. Simply because it helps prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

So, from the very beginning, through my father’s observations, a deep understanding of health and wellbeing has been engrained in the DNA of the Nutrilite™ brand.

The New Opportunity

Today, Amway understands how Health and Wellbeing can help improve peoples’ quality of life and help increase health span – helping people live better, healthier lives. The commitment to Health and Wellbeing is coming to life in different ways across the globe, but everything is rooted in a consistent direction.

Together, we are focused on six interconnected domains that illustrate how a healthy body, a healthy mind, personal growth, community connection, financial wellbeing, and taking care of our planet can positively transform our overall wellbeing.

Going Full Circle

An exciting part of our Asian trip was the opportunity to share the stage with co-chairmen, Steve Van Andel and Doug DeVos, and CEO, Milind Pant. Spending quality time with them in each country we visited made me realize how interconnected we are and how important our partnership is.

During our final presentation in Taipei, an on-stage interview session between the four of us and Michelle Lin, Managing Director of Taiwan and Hong Kong, I heard Doug say something that truly resonated.

The whole team onstage at the Platinum Rally in Taipei.

While speaking about the direction we are going as a company, Doug said:

“Health and wellbeing is who we were in the first place. And now we’re discovering more about who we are. And if we do that, we can build an even better future together.”

Listening to Doug speak, I realized that we are – in many ways – going full circle.

What my father observed so many years ago is as important today as it ever has been. And it is now at the center of the future Amway is pursuing.

What an incredible opportunity!

Cheers!

News & Views (Amway & Nutrilite), Optimal Health, Reflections, Today's World

Following the Good Thread

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At the end of February, I traveled from California to Michigan to visit Amway World Headquarters where I experienced some of the incredible work that is underway to build the future of the Nutrilite brand. I spoke at an employee meeting, met with teammates, toured manufacturing facilities, and visited other departments on the Ada Campus.

Speaking at the Amway Employee Meeting with Doug DeVos.

It was a good week. And my time in Michigan reaffirmed my belief in the future and helped me see that the Nutrilite brand and Amway are on the right track.    

One thing that stood out to me were the bonds that exist between employees, a thread between good people and good work. I believe a key component of a successful company is happy employees who find meaning and purpose in their jobs. Part of that magic stems from a workplace culture that prioritizes overall wellbeing and a balance between work and play.

Yes, we all need to provide for ourselves and our families, but our work life shouldn’t necessarily define us. It’s just one component of our identity.

That’s why I was pleased to interact with employees who really get it, those who have figured out how to find the balance between career success and family. Everyone is unique and different; they bring their own perspective and experience to a community that is working tirelessly to create positive impact in our world. That’s the good thread.

I met with the Nutritional Products Plant team.
The eSpring team shared a sneak peek of the next generation with me.
I was given a great tour of the Spaulding Manufacturing facilities.
I visited the wonderful team in Archives.

It’s all about PREVENTION

You’ve heard me discuss Prevention before. But I want to reiterate its importance. This simple concept can change the trajectory of our future. We need to start now, taking care of our health, taking care of our community, and taking care of our planet. It’s the triple bottom line approach that Amway and the Nutrilite brand have adopted. You see it on our farms, in our laboratories, in our manufacturing, in our offices and in the community of ABOs spread throughout the world who believe in the power of optimal health.  

The future is bright!

I’m pleased that we are following a “good thread” – that we are on a positive path to the future that can make the world a better place. It’s time to be proactive and creative.

We need to constantly search for innovative ways to protect and improve our prospects in a world where technology and things like artificial intelligence are disrupting how we think about things we’ve taken for granted for a long time.

While it feels like everything is speeding up, the goal is to slow down. If you can do that, you will find meaning and purpose in a world where it feels like everyone, and everything wants our attention all the time.

So take a walk, read a book, enjoy a healthy meal with your family and friends. Breathe!

You’ll be glad you did.

Cheers!

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Blast from the Past, Reflections, Today's World

An Inspiring Note: The Beginning of the Environmental Movement

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Recently, I received an inspiring note from Takeshi Saito, one of our Nutrilite Experience staff members. He’s been a dedicated Nutrilite employee for many years, and he recently helped host a group of Vietnamese ABOs visiting our Buena Park, California headquarters. 

Sitting next to a life-size statue of my father Carl F. Rehnborg. It’s easy to see why it’s a favorite photo stop for visitors at the Nutrilite Health Institute. The statue was inspired by his famous “Pepper Tree Talks” and his many conversations filled with visionary ideas. Buena Park, California. March 2017.
Sitting next to a life-size statue of my father Carl F. Rehnborg. It’s easy to see why it’s a favorite photo stop for visitors at the Nutrilite Health Institute. The statue was inspired by his famous “Pepper Tree Talks” and his many conversations filled with visionary ideas. Buena Park, California. March 2017.

Because of his welcoming, genuine, and outgoing personality, he was able to make a connection with one of the visiting ABOs who stayed in touch with him. She sent him a message explaining how excited she was that she’d received a copy of a special book published more than 35 years ago. It was a used book she found on a popular online marketplace months ago, but she finally received it during the holidays. 

You’re probably wondering which book I’m talking about. It’s a collection of essays, speeches and writings of my father Carl F. Rehnborg. It was published in 1985.  

The note caused me to pick up the book once again and re-read portions of it. It still strikes me how prescient my father’s writings were. How he clearly recognized the importance of sustainability and the need to take care of the planet and, therefore, our future.  

Much of the writing found in his collection coincided with the groundbreaking work of Rachel Carson, who wrote the famous book Silent Spring back in 1962 which inspired the modern environmental movement. My father and Rachel Carson corresponded with each other during that time, they were both forward thinking and recognized many of the perils we were beginning to face as a world community. 

There is an essay that encapsulates his thoughts about where we were going and the changes we need to adopt to keep the future bright for everyone. It was written in 1962 and it was called Preserving and Protecting Our Environment.  

You can find this passage on page 148: 

“For the first time in human history we will now begin to study our environment instead of taking it for granted and thinking of it as able to supply our every careless whim forever. Maybe we are already too late in getting ready to begin our study. Time will tell, but this looks like a very good time to start worrying – right now, not a few decades in the future.” 

We are more than a few decades into the future. It’s here and it’s time to take meaningful action. Sometimes we just need the right inspiration. 

I’m so thankful for the inspiration to revisit my father’s writings. 

Cheers! 

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to our RSS feed and have blog posts delivered right to your inbox.

Optimal Health, Reflections, Today's World

The Future is Here

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We’re nearing the end of 2022 and I’m inspired. It’s been a year to remember, one with obstacles and change, but also opportunity. For me, it’s an exciting time because I believe that despite the challenges we’re facing in the world, we’ve begun to understand why we need to act in order to secure a healthy future. 

Sunrise on the Nutrilite El Petacal farm in Ubajara, Mexico. 

We’re learning that problems can’t be passed on to the next generation anymore. There is an immediate need to work toward solutions, and I believe we are beginning to make tangible progress.  

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that my dad was deeply connected to the wonders of the universe. He understood how biological systems are intertwined with humanity, and that we shouldn’t take natural resources for granted. He saw the finite nature of our existence. And he realized how the components found in plants were instrumental to our health as a species.  

He clearly articulated the idea in this quote:  

“We are made of nothing but what plants provide and other substances available in the air and water of the earth, and so we are inescapably in and of the earth, and in and of the universe. If we cannot get what the plants provide, we cannot live.” 

Carl Rehnborg inspecting botanicals in 1953.

When I reflect on these words from my father, I think about the continued progress we need to make as a species to help prevent unhealthy outcomes and damage to the planet.  

Living in the future 

We need to continue to gain momentum and help people see that the best way to avoid problems occurring in the future is to act in the present and prevent them from happening in the first place.  

We shouldn’t be just reacting — for instance, many of our health problems can be avoided if we do simple things every day that keep our body and mind active and engaged. Waking up each day with a positive, healthy mindset positions us to learn, grow and find solutions to community issues that can affect the health of the entire world on a much broader level. 

In other words, you can act locally to make a difference globally. That’s how it starts. The impact we make each day compounds into future success.  

Here’s some of the progress I’m seeing: 

  • More power from renewable energy systems is coming online, helping us reduce pollution and power a cleaner future. 
  • Regenerative farming practices are helping remediate the land and bring soil back to its original nutrient-rich state. And many people are embracing circular economies and they are beginning to understand the importance of concepts like biomimicry. 
  • Diets are changing and reframing the idea of food security into nutrition security is helping people eat healthier and improve their quality of life. 
  • People are becoming more active and seeing that regular exercise increases our health span so that we might live beyond 100 years. 

Through this, Amway and Nutrilite continue to grow and build community. People are understanding how to be a product of the product and lead healthy lifestyles that others can follow. 

What could be better than that? 

2022 has been a good year. Here’s to a successful and healthy 2023! 

Cheers! 

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to our RSS feed and have blog posts delivered right to your inbox.