At the start of every new year, like clockwork, a familiar question seems to pop into my head at some random moment in January.
I wonder what this year is the International Year of?
It’s not like I need this information for any particular reason, but the curious cat in me is well, just curious. However, once the thought bubble takes hold, I inevitably find myself Googling the answer.
In most years, I spend about five seconds reading the result, thinking huh… interesting… and moving on with my life, completely unchanged.
What the UN declares to be the International Year of is often, well… interesting. Did you know that 2023 was the International Year of Millets? Or that 2019 was the International Year of Moderation and Periodic Table of Chemical Elements?
Now, I’m not saying millets, moderation, or the periodic table aren’t important, but let’s be honest—have these declarations ever never made a tangible difference in your life?
For me, the answer is a resounding no.
So, this year, I’ve decided to do things differently. Instead of waiting for a random declaration to puzzle me, I’m creating my own International Year of—something meaningful, valuable, and life-changing for me.
And so, with no further ado, I’m super thrilled to announce that, unofficially but officially, 2025 is the…
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF LIGHT
Why Light?
If you’ve been with me for a while, you’ve probably heard me say it a dozen times: you can’t master health unless you master light.
Light is the foundation of our circadian health, mitochondrial function (MMGA: Make Mitochondria Great Again!), and the wellbeing of every cell, tissue, organ and system in our body.
But light isn’t just about health. It’s about life, truth, inspiration, and connection.
So, unless you’re particularly excited about the UN’s official 2025 themes (glaciers, cooperatives, and quantum technology), let me share why you might want to make 2025 your International Year of Light too. Let’s go!
Good Light; Bad Light.
Without light, there would be no life. The sun, our single greatest source of energy, sustains all life on earth—including us. And yet, so much time, energy, and money have been spent convincing us to avoid it.
It’s time to put the fear-mongering aside and reconnect with the incredible gift that Mother Nature and God have given us.
Each sunrise offers us a daily reset—a chance to download the instructions we need for the day, to align our bodies with life-affirming rhythms.
Morning sunlight, rich in UVA, boosts our mood, energy, and focus, propelling us into the day with clarity and purpose.
By midday, the sun becomes our Vitamin D generator, producing this essential hormone to nourish every organ and system in our body.
And as the sun sets, its stunning reds, oranges, and pinks deliver a final dose of infrared light, gently signalling it’s time to wind down.
When night-time falls, the absence of light cues our bodies to create melatonin, the powerful sleep hormone with antioxidant and anti-tumoral superpower benefits, that heals and restores us during rest.
These are the healthy lights we need—the light spectrums we were designed to live under, in harmony with nature’s rhythms.
The Light to Avoid
But as with all things in life, there is a yin to the yang. With the gift of healthy light comes its opposite: unhealthy light.
Modern lighting has strayed far from the full-spectrum fires of our ancestors or even the incandescent and halogen bulbs I grew up with. Today, harsh, blue light-emitting LEDs dominate our lives—shining from globes, screens, phones, tablets, and clocks. These alien lights disrupt our biological signals, sending the wrong messages to our cells at the wrong times.
From metabolic disorders and obesity to sleep disruption, cardiovascular risks, and even breast and prostate cancers, the unhealthy lights we’re exposed to are causing far more damage than we realise. And it starts early—these harmful wavelengths touch us from the moment we’re born.
Our days are too dark. Our nights are too bright.
2025 is our chance to reconnect with healthy lighting and rebuild the relationship with light that began when we first walked this earth.
I hope to continue inspiring your journey toward healthy light as I work to improve the light story for my own family, too.
Shine a Light
In recent years, a bright light has been cast on governments, international agencies, media, and corporations, exposing dark secrets and harmful practices that have lurked in the shadows for decades.
No one has been immune.
From Hollywood to churches to politicians, disturbing truths have emerged—truths that many likely hoped would never see the light of day. Pandora’s box has been opened, and the places where these secrets could hide have grown smaller.
The time has come for good and truth to shine.
On a much smaller scale, I, too, spent time in 2024 shining a light on narratives we’ve come to accept without question. From the dark side of seed oils and the $20 million “donation” that demonised saturated fats for over 50 years, to the corrupt food pyramid and the forged Blue Zone story, my goal has been to uncover lies that have persisted for far too long.
In 2025, I hope to continue shining a light on these shadows, helping you navigate a path of unlearning, relearning, and rediscovering health, joy, and freedom—for yourself and your family.
They say the truth can set you free. So, here’s to having the courage to face the truth, so that we can spread our wings, and fly higher than ever before.
Feel Light
Who doesn’t want to let go of stress, worry, and angst in 2025?
The heavy weight of negative emotions can suffocate us — physically, mentally, and emotionally —dragging us down and dimming our light. As part of my International Year of Light, I want to focus on feeling lighter, both in spirit and in heart.
It’s time to shed the weight of negativity, become more aware of these emotions, and recognise how they impact us and our relationships with our partner, children, family, friends, and work colleagues.
In working toward this lighter way of living, I hope to share what I learn and inspire you to do the same. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more on this!
Be The Light
It’s easy to underestimate the impact we have on those we love. While we’re busy criticising ourselves, nitpicking our flaws, and replaying our “failures,” others see us as their guiding light.
You are the light.
You are the bright spark in someone’s day, the bearer of good news, the joyful smile, the helping hand, the warm touch, the empathetic ear.
You are loved and needed. You are the parent, partner, friend, or the sibling, who is reliable, practical, funny, or simply there.
I truly believe we were all created with a purpose. Our unique talents, skills, and dreams are no accident — they’re tied to our destiny, and something the world needs.
In 2025, my hope is to continue being a light for those around me, and I encourage you to embrace the light you bring to the world too. You may not always see it, but your light is real, and it matters.
Don’t Let Your Light Fade
Have you ever thought about what you’d do if an asteroid was hurling to earth, and there was nothing you could do to stop it? Strange question I know (and let’s pray that never happens) but would you panic like in a Hollywood movie, clogging the highways as you wave at strangers in traffic? Would you seek shelter, or try to reunite with family to be close to them?
I have this mantra I learned in my 20s when I was healing myself naturally from endometriosis and was doing yoga as part of my health plan. It has carried me through moments of fear and uncertainty ever since, and it would be what I would draw on for comfort in case rogue asteroid ever did head our way.
I am in the Light. I am of the Light. I am the Light.
As we step into 2025, my goal is to use the light mantra in more ways than just combating fear and major emergencies.
It will remind me to fill my days and nights with healthy light and restorative darkness. I am in healthy light.
It will inspire my work, encourage me to stay aligned with God and goodness, and remind me not to let darkness take root in my heart or mind. I am part of the tribe for good.
It will serve as a declaration of who I am—a child of God and a being of light.
Feel free to use this mantra, too. I’ve even created a little postcard for my diary, and you’re welcome to print it out for yourself.
Your Inspiration for 2025
So I’ll put the question to you:
If you could make 2025 the International Year of anything, for it to be meaningful and valuable to you, what would you make it be?
You are the artist, and your 2025 canvas is waiting for you to create your masterpiece.
Plant the seeds. Set your intention. And let the year ahead bloom. Remember, what you seek out, you will find, so make it something extraordinary.
Here’s to health, joy, and a light filled 2025.
Sandy xx
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