Hello August! For many, this month brings the excitement of new beginnings: students start a new school year, parents coordinate new schedules that must accommodate their children's needs, some people are starting new jobs, and Woodstock Family Life is beginning a new volume: #14! Also, the start of a new high school and college football season is upon us. Head over to pages 21-23 to see our annual high school football schedules feature, so you can plan to support your favorite team under the Friday night lights!

As with anything new, there is often a bit of fear mingled with the excitement — fear of the unknown, fear of not reaching a goal, or maybe the fear of being inadequate. If we unpack our fear, most of us will likely discover that part of what conjures that emotion is that others will discover our weaknesses (of course, we all have them).

When our weaknesses are exposed, we can no longer ignore them. Well, we can, but as Atomic Habits author James Clear so wisely said, "You can ignore your weaknesses, but you can't expect them to not impact you. The weakness of the coach shapes the players. The weakness of the teacher influences the students. The weakness of the parent molds the child."

So, as many of us begin a new school year, a new chapter of navigating parenthood, a new job, or new athletic or personal wellness goal, instead of trying to "fake it til we make it," we'd be wise to acknowledge our weaknesses and explore ways to improve them — there's a strength in that that impacts ourselves and everyone else in our orbit of influence.

Have an awesome August!