The Next 40 Years and Beyond
By Katarzyna Szumal

The September issue of Conscious Community Magazine is here! I feel so privileged to announce that this issue is our 40th Anniversary issue! We
are celebrating 40 years in business, millions of magazines distributed and billions of inspired and conscious souls!
People ask me all the time how I came to be the publisher of Conscious Community Magazine, and I am happy to share my story with you. I came to the U.S. from Poland when I was 19 years old. At first, I focused on studying English for a few years, and then I went to college. I had family here, but I felt quite lonely. I began my search for happiness when I was 23 years old in 2006, and I asked God to show me the way to a more meaningful and joyful life here. A few weeks after I prayed to find meaning, I found Yoga Chicago magazine. There was a schedule for the Spiritual Learning Center inside, and there was a movie event there, The Shift by Wayne Dyer. Please see my interview on page 12 for more of the amazing story!
Fast forward to 2012, when Walter bought The Monthly Aspectarian and became the publisher… I asked him who would manage the magazine. Much to my shock, his response was “YOU!” I said, “Yes.” And this is how I became the Circulation Manager of The Monthly Aspectarian, now Conscious Community Magazine. We had so much joy working together. Walter taught me a lot about running a business as well as spirituality. As many of you know, Walter Perschke passed on in May 2016, and he left me the magazine (and this community) in his will.
I felt prompted to share this story to assure you that you are never alone, and the true meaning of your life may appear to you when you are ready for change. There are no coincidences in life. You are on a spiritual journey in a human body; try to enjoy it even though sometimes the journey can be bumpy!
This magazine would not exist without our advertisers, who fully support this magazine and our mission to help people live a more mindful, healthier and conscious lifestyle. Please support them and let them know that you saw them in Conscious Community Magazine. Thank you!
Thank you to my Conscious Community Magazine team: Theresa Puskar, Julie Roberts, Susan Pluto, Janae Jean Almen, Spencer Schluter, Jody Levitan, Joe Jarnol, Jonathan McConaughey, Kristen Panek, Barbara Ostrowski and Theresa Cascio for their collaboration and all the hard work they put in to make each issue vibrant, delightful and delivered on time.
Also, I want to thank all of our subscribers and our monthly print and online readers for co-creating this world and elevating your consciousness! My wish for Conscious Community Magazine is to inspire people for another 40 years and beyond and to create Conscious Community in each state in the United States!
The Best,
Katarzyna Szumal