A few months ago, I wrote about having a positive mental diet. Part of this – for me, at least – involved staying away from the news first thing in a morning. I’ll admit that I don’t always stick to this, mostly because the news post-Trump has felt more like a soap opera than reality. But for the most part, I do. This was a conscious choice based upon the realisation that watching/reading news stories over breakfast, was setting me up for the day with feelings of anxiety, fear, depression, rage and hopelessness. And I was hungry before lunch!
Of course, I don’t avoid the news altogether. As an educator, I feel that I have to be fairly up-to-date with current affairs; and just as a person, I like to know roughly what’s going on in the world.
I’ve developed a fairly nifty ability now to blur my eyes and whizz past certain stories…
you know, the ones that sit churning in your gut for hours after, eating away at your insides – even though you know that there’s absolutely nothing you could or can do in relation to the story. They might get through the front door once or twice, but I’m now pretty quick to usher them back out again.
And I’m also fairly adept these days at spotting those few uplifting, heartwarming stories.
They’re few and far between amongst the war, crime, catastrophe and general doom and gloom, but at least this makes them easier to spot.
Need uplifting? Take a look at these five positive news stories that caught my eye recently:
- “Virtual Reality cured my fear of heights”: Read about the personal experiences of Faye Nugent, who like many others, conquered a phobia of heights with a fortnight of VR treatment sessions. This is pretty awesome just in itself, but even moreso when you consider the potential to take this into other treatment areas…
- “7 As for ski accident boy given 1% chance of recovery”: After miraculously surviving a ski accident and waking from a coma, Scottish teenager Ross Nesbitt had to relearn how to walk, talk and eat. Thanks to a lot of hard work, he just passed his exams with flying colours – and he’s skiing again!
- “Cat stolen from Russian museum found after social outcry”: Okay – so I’m biased – because ‘cats.’ But it’s lovely to see a story which shows social media being used in a positive way; in this case, leading to the return of a seriously handsome cat named Behemoth.
- “The 13-year-old who built a best-selling lemonade brand”: I’m always interested in stories about innovative new ideas and brave entrepreneurs, so when I read about 13-year old Mikaila Ulmer, CEO of ‘Me & the Bees Lemonade,’ I was hooked! With the help of her co-CEO parents, Mikaila started selling lemonade at age 4, using her great-grandma’s recipe. Her lemonade is now stocked in 500 stores across the states! And if that isn’t enough? She gives 10% of her profits to honey bee protection projects. No words.
- “Teenager’s bridge notes ‘help save six lives’ in Sunderland”: This story about an 18 year old girl who attached messages of hope and courage to a known suicide bridge, lifted my heart and soul. Paige Hunter tied more than 40 notes to the bridge, with messages like, “Even though things are difficult, your life matters; you’re a shining light in a dark world, so just hold on.” A beautiful tale, made even better by the fact that she’s already helped to save six lives!
Got your own positive news to share? Feel free to comment below:
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