I started a new project at the beginning of 2021.
It’s called Great News.
Once a month, I send you a collection of news that is purely good and uplifting—news that inspires a feeling of hope for the future.
It’s important to be aware of what’s happening in the world—the hurt, the pain, the broken systems, the problems that urgently need to be solved.
We need to stay informed. We need to do our part to fix the things that aren't working.
At the same time, sometimes you just need a dose of pure joy. Like medicine. To help you get through the weeks ahead.
I hope Great News can be that medicine for you.
Here is the next installment of great things, in no particular order...
- Every year, the Hero Dog Awards recognizes excellence in being a dog. This award celebrates dogs who have saved and improved lives. You can see this year's nominees and vote here. However, obviously, every single dog deserves to win because they are all Very Good Boys and Girls!
- A woman named Andreyna Hernandez is a fabulous Salsa dancer. She lost one leg in an accident 5 years ago. But she refuses to let this stop her from doing what she loves. You need to see this incredible
video of her dancing up a storm! She says, “This loss was not an impediment at all. From the first moment I discovered that I could dance again, nothing stopped me. I’ll keep doing what I like until the end of time!”
- This baby was born extremely premature (131 days early) and doctors gave him a 0% chance of survival. He beat those odds and recently celebrated his first birthday. Miracles happen every day.
- The world's tiniest pig is the pygmy hog of North India. Just 10 inches tall. Presumed to be extinct, turns out...they're not.
- A city in California decided to give $500 per month for 2 years to its lower-income residents. Known as a "basic income experiment," the goal was to find out: would this extra money lead to noticeable improvements for the community? Better health? More employment? More stability? Results are in. The answer is
yes. "At the beginning of the trial, just 28 per cent of recipients had full-time jobs; a year later that had risen to 40 percent. Participants reported significant improvements in mental health, fatigue levels and overall wellbeing compared to the control group."
- Sarah, a newsletter reader, emailed to share this wonderful piece of good news. She writes: "When I was 14 years old I dropped out of high school to support myself. My teachers then said I would fail my exams, including my english teacher, she said don't bother sitting any english exams. I started writing when I was 18 years old. I kept writing. I wrote a few books. I am 35 years old now. One of my books was just accepted to be published. I am sitting here
in tears of happiness. Never give up on your dreams."
- Olivia, another newsletter reader, came up with an incredible project during the pandemic. She explains, "As a songwriter I wanted to do something fun during lockdown in the UK which stretched my skills, welcomed new friends to my music, and helped me loosen up and get silly. For 100 days, I wrote a song which was under a minute long. The topics ranged from cowboys to mountains
to accidentally deleting files on your computer."
- Nat is a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in working with parents and families. She created a wonderful project called Care-N-Connect. Once you sign up, Nat teaches you how to interview families members (grandparents, parents, kids) to collect stories and create an inter-generational audio time capsule. Recordings that you will treasure forever. Check it out. It's free.
- We hired a magician to provide entertainment at a recent Get It Done company event. Marcus Morgan is a bisexual activist magician who uses magic, comedy, and storytelling to educate audiences about gender and sexuality. We recorded Marcus' presentation and you can watch here! A sheer delight.
Wow.
Such Great News.
-Alex
PS. What's one positive thing that has happened in your life lately? Did you receive an unexpected gift, scholarship, grant, or refund? Did you accomplish a lifelong goal? Did you turn a discouraging situation into a blessing? Or did something wonderful happen in your local community? Do you have a piece of Great News that you would love to share? Any news, big or small? We'd love to hear. *Reply* to email me and my team.
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