With Gratitude

“Time is the most valuable thing that a person can spend.”
― Diogenes Laërtius

This week marks the 10-year anniversary of the day that I first stood in front of a camera having decided to share my story with the world—a decision that had a dramatic and profoundly positive impact on my life. Way back in October 2007, I walked into Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s office in Flemington, New Jersey and you were there with me. It’s in the opening 5 minutes of Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead.

It was Day 1 of my 60 day juice-only Reboot experiment to see if I could kick the meds and take charge of my life!! Because you’re reading this newsletter, chances are that you know the rest of that story so I’m not going to spend more time on that. The part of my journey that I do want to reflect on is the path I’ve traveled with you. You—our amazing, inspiring, caring, supportive and thoughtful Reboot Community.

Since my first movie hit the screens in July 2011, I’ve been lucky enough to meet thousands of you in person—at film screenings, book signings, juice bars and more. But the truth is that even before knowing you in person I have felt you there with me, every day, since the very beginning. When I was filming Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead I would stare into the camera lens and imagine you. You—the viewer, the supporter, the person taking time out of their valuable day to watch my story. I imagined you sitting on your couch, feet up, with a glass of soda or wine and quickly switching to a glass of juice by the closing credits!

I’m not going to lie. This journey has had its share of ups and downs for me personally. Without a doubt the ups far outweigh the downs. But 10 years is a decent amount of time, and I’m only human. While being healthy helps, it’s not a superpower to shield doubt, despair and loneliness. However, when life got tough for me, I imagined you. I imagined what you all were going through—the trials and tribulations of this incredible gift and opportunity we call life. I imagined the everyday battles with relationships, family, finances, careers and even ourselves. Just thinking of you would help me bring perspective to my situation and realize that I’m not alone. I know how many of you are following in my footsteps so to speak, trusting me to lead the way and relying on my success as you embark on your own life-changing healthy journey. This love, this connection and this support network is the fuel that keeps me going. I draw incredible inspiration from each one of you.

So, from the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for being there for me. I’m humbled, blessed and grateful for all that you give and do!

If someone had given me a crystal ball 10 years ago and shown me that I’d be leading this global community, that I’d be a wellness advocate and influencer, that I’d have made three movies and appeared as a special guest in five others, I would not have believed you. I’m that guy that scored a “D” in English … and now I find myself a New York Times best-selling author. If you had told me I would spend my time traveling the world and spreading this message of health, I would have said you’d have a better chance of finding fairies at the bottom of your garden!

So, while I much rather enjoy looking forward (I’m not one for looking back), it is nice to stop, pause, smell the avocados and reflect on these amazing 10 years of commitment from me to you and you to me!

What do the next 10 years hold? Well I must be honest, I’ve never been more excited about what we have in store for you. I’m working extremely hard to get support to bring you more stories, make more movies and bring you a TV series. I want to continue to bring you content that will inspire, educate and entertain you!

Most importantly, I’m committed to spreading the word far and wide that we all have much more power when it comes to our health than we think and that for many of us getting sick is not a given. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes and cancer are the world’s biggest killers. They cause untold pain and suffering, but the bottom line is that many of these same conditions are preventable because they are lifestyle related. It was certainly true for me. And that’s good news, because it means we can do something about it!

When you are ready to take charge and bring change to your life, that’s exactly where we come in. My team and I are here for you. The Reboot Community stands for this positive message and that’s why I’m so honored that you’re a part of it. Our mission together is to spread this message far and wide and bring much awareness, joy, health and happiness to the world! We show, we don’t tell!

Juice On, and happy 10 years to you and to me!
Joe Cross

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