Happy New Year to you, and welcome to our first Positive DONUT of 2024!

*cue confetti*

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season – however you celebrated – and that you're ready to welcome in the new year the best way we know how: by celebrating everything good🥰. 

Is anyone's resolution to focus a little more on the bright side of life? Then you're in the right place. Let me know which sections of today's newsletter are your favorites; I read every response.

Have an amazing week! 

- Kailyn

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today's newsletter should take about 2.72 enjoyable minutes to read.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free. 

I welcome in this new season. I release anything that no longer serves me.

Twenty-five years ago, Gary Leung began to lose his vision. 

Last month, he finished running 1,400 miles across Japan.

"But HOWWW," you ask? 

Let's rewind... His amazing journey started when Gary first began losing his sight in his mid-20s, and it didn't happen overnight. In fact, his diagnosis initially sent him into a dark and seemingly inescapable depression. 

According to CNN, he thought facing “rock bottom” would be a daily battle, and he saw no purpose in continuing living. 

That is, until he found long distance running. 

From hopeless to hooked... Gary fell in love with running and began competing as he grew more and more comfortable doing so, even with the loss of his vision. 

• Now in his 50's, Gary has completed the 62-mile Antarctic Ice Marathon (becoming the first blind person to do so), the 250 mile "Ultra Gobi" (considered among the toughest foot-races in the world), and, most recently, a 1,400 mile charity run from Southern to Northern Japan. 
• He's also the first runner with visual impairment in Hong Kong to hold a long-distance coaching license.

Gary's most recent feat spanned 40 days and included a group of interchanging guide runners. Gary and his guides averaged around 30 miles daily (more than a marathon per day).

• The passionate runner completed the cross-Japan trek to raise money for young people with critical illnesses via the Roly Poly Inclusion Movement Association – whose funds were going to Make-A-Wish Hong Kong.

🗯 What he's saying: “Although a lot of people may say, ‘Wow you ran the span of Japan, you’re so impressive,’ I’m actually not,” shared Gary. “The most impressive are these children. I wanted to show them that we all have our obstacles, but we must face them head-on and with bravery. When they’re faced with theirs – many of them suffer from worse difficulties – they can see it’s possible to overcome.” 

👀 Looking ahead... Gary plans on mapping out and running circumference of South Korea next. 

Meticulously formulated for functionality and taste, Magnificent Mushrooms from Rasa features a potent blend of 6 powerful mushrooms. The mushroom extract blend is 100% organic and the most potent on the market

You can add Magnificent Mushrooms to your smoothies, your morning beverage, or soups! And Rasa only sources the very best mushrooms, and your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Join the mushroom party today - save 15% on Rasa with code DONUT.

You're looking at a baby Coquerel's sifaka – a rare species of lemur listed critically endangered by the IUCN Red List – presumably showing its mother that it can hang with no hands.

The Chester Zoo in the UK is celebrating the birth of the healthy baby, who apparently spends its time "effortlessly leaping between trees, exploring its surroundings, and playfully climbing all over Mum and Dad." 

• The successful birth of the baby lemur is a step forward towards saving this rare and unique species. 

❤️ Make a wish... Country superstar Jelly Roll made one of his biggest fan's wishes come true when he invited her to meet him backstage. Sharon Brown is fighting a terminal illness, and meeting the star was her dying wish. "He gave me so many hugs," she shared. "He made me feel like I was so special." 

🎾 Happy retirement... 11-year-old Lyka is an Explosive Detection Dog who recently retired from a life in the force. In honor of her long and successful career, the other officers threw her the retirement party of a dog's dreams.

💌 Blast from the past... A letter lost in transit for 80 years was finally delivered to its rightful recipient. Addressed to her late parents in 1943, Grace Salazar received the letter from the DeKalb Post Office (IL) last month. 

Almost every year I make plans to create a list of resolutions, construct a vision board, and start a slew of new habits in the Near Year – but then January 1st sneaks up on me and I haven't even started.

😎 Well, the good news is (and I'm reminding myself)... It's never too late to start. I'm setting aside some time this week to journal about my goals and put together a vision board for 2024. It's our year, people, I can just feel it❤️. 

Whether you've already set your resolutions or are running a bit behind, take a moment to journal about some of the New Year prompts below: 

1. What are my biggest dreams and aspirations for 2024? 
2. Who do I want to become this year? 
3. What are some things I struggled with in 2023? How can I start to overcome these challenges as the new year begins? 
4. What are some boundaries I want to set with myself or others this year? 
5. What habits do I want to create or eliminate this year? 
6. What am I most proud of going into 2024? 

In his freshman year of high school, Raul Garcia struggled with obesity and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and other digestive autoimmune issues. Then, one day, he met a trainer from the Miami Dolphins who recommended apple cider vinegar, protein, probiotics, and a full gut health protocol. With his mother's help, Raul mixed all these into a shake, adopted a low-carb diet, and within a year lost over 80 lbs – stabilizing his diabetes in the process.

After graduating, Raul founded Best Bodies for Life to share their unique blend of apple cider vinegar, enzymes, and organically sourced protein. The benefits?

• 🧬 Increased immune function
• 🏃‍♀️ Boosted metabolism
• 🦠 Improved gut & digestive health

Best Bodies for Life’s protein shakes come in delicious flavors like vanilla and cocoa, with no taste of apple cider vinegar. Just an irresistible flavor that’s jampacked with benefits.

Save 20% on Lifestyle Gut Healthy Protein Shakes for a limited time with code DONUT20.

It's time for what's your win, the sections of the newsletter where we celebrate all of the good news happening right here in our DONUT community🤩.

Check out the amazing submissions we received this week! 

💻 NJD's daughter from Nashua, New Hampshire, is proving that persistence is key... "My daughter just shared a huge win with me, and I said I was going to submit it to Positive DONUT because it was so relatable... she had a work project that had been weighing on her for nine months. She spent two weeks failing to solve the problem back in the spring before it got back-burnered, and now, two days of banging her head on the desk in frustration after it was reassigned to her. She finally figured it out – a very small technical fix with big results – and considers it her biggest work achievement to date. She'll go into the holiday break exhilarated."🥳

😀💪 Tansy N. from Aguanga, California, is a proud sister... "After being diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia earlier this year, my sister, Cecily C., had to move to a hospital four hours away from her home and family (husband and three young boys). She received a stem cell transplant from a stranger somewhere in Europe, spent 100 days fighting for her life, and she is now back home with her family in remission!"🥳🥳

There's always something to be thankful for. So what are you waiting for? 

Let us know what you're feeling especially grateful for or proud of in your life. Nothing is too small or insignificant to celebrate, and we promise to be your biggest hype-people😎. 

Submit your or a loved one's wins here to be featured in next week's newsletter.

How many of these general knowledge questions can you guess? 

1. What is the best-selling book series of the 21st century?
2. When was the first issue of Vogue published: 1892, 1960, or 2000?
3. How many keys does a classic piano have?
4. What was the clothing company Nike originally called?

(keep scrolling for the answers)

👆 Check out the referral prizes you can get, just for introducing people you know to little old us. 

What to do: Copy your unique link below, then send it to anyone who you think would like Positive DONUT. Once you hit each milestone, you'll get an email with a link to claim your prize. (Pro tip: there's no need to ration points, you're entitled to a prize at each tier.)

Start referring.👇

1. Harry Potter 🦉
2. 1892 📸
3. 88 🎹
4. Blue Ribbon Sports 👟

How many did you get? Hit that reply button and let me know! 

Hit that reply button and let me know, I read every response. Have a great week!🥰

–Kailyn

P.S. Enjoying this newsletter and want to support my work? It'd mean the world if you told a friend or two about Positive DONUT. You can even win sweet, sweet prizes for each person you refer using your unique link.