Happiness & Hope

Need a pick-me-up? These feel-good tales of people changing the world for the better will restore your confidence in humanity and put a spring in your step.

Image: spacex launch streak of light on a dark cloudy sky

How Space Can Heal What Divides Us!

Why is it that when astronauts leave this planet they come back humanitarians and artists? Here's a perspective from a filmmaker who has stood next to and interviewed some of the greatest space explorers of our time on how the lessons we've learned from space exploration may help us to be more empathetic, compassionate, and bring us together.

65 min listen

Get Closer to the Good Life: Ditch the Fast Life with Carl Honoré (Episode #114)

If many days end with you feeling depleted and wondering what just happened because of your dizzying pace, Carl Honoré has insights that will help you break free from this need for speed. Carl is the originator of the “Slow Movement,” a growing way of thinking about how we spend our time: Should we continue rushing through everything, or consciously decide which things we will slow down for so we can truly savor the moments? Due to Carl’s work, there are growing communities around Slow Travel, Slow Food, Slow Schools, Slow Living, Slow Biking, Slow Money, and more.

Image: Two men sitting on logs beside a lake, symbolic of interacting with empathy

Empathy is the Renewable Resource We Can Tap Into Now

What if empathy was at the heart of the solution to changing the divisiveness that feels so dominant now? It turns out empathy isn't a set trait, it's something we can learn to develop, and it's super easy to start! Here's how you can easily start making a positive change!

Image: People standing on a subway platform in NYC, a train rushing behind them. The place where Benny plays his trombone, after the accident where he lost all his memories.

If You Lost 29 Years of Memories, What Would Bring You Back to Life?

After a car accident, Benny couldn’t remember his name, that he had a son, or even where he was. But Benny had a trombone, and he did remember one thing: how to play it. With that, he brought his music to the street to bring joy to others.

Image: A person playing a cello as part of the Street Symphony program.

Bringing the Symphony to the Street

We have all felt the connective and uplifting power of a great musical performance. But what if you couldn't access to those moments that most feed your soul? Thanks to the work of a remarkable organization, the residents of LA facing homelessness and incarceration, these moments are no longer lost.

5 min watch

Patrick’s Rule for Being Happy Despite the Circumstances

Embracing your life circumstances and through it all, being true to who you have decided that you ARE.

Image: A mom sitting on the couch with her two young kids, looking at a computer to volunteer from home.

7 Volunteer Ideas to Accomplish Without Leaving Your Couch

Good Deeds Day, the global day of altruism and volunteering, is getting closer. Want to participate but going out to public events isn’t an option right now? Don’t worry, you can participate in GDD on April 3, 2022 right from your own living room couch.

Image: A man looking in the mirror, representative of befriending your inner demons.

Don’t Overcome Your Demons, Make them Your Friends

As kids we’re told to treat others as you’d like to be treated, but as adults many of us have trouble extending that “golden rule” to ourselves. How often do you find yourself thinking, saying, or believing things about yourself that are so unsavory you would certainly never say them to others? What if instead of trying to fight those inner demons, we decided to give them a high five, maybe even a hug?

Image: A boat creating a circular wave behind it in the ocean, representing how preventing things is much easier than dealing with their fallout.

How Forward Thinking Prevents Disaster

Have you ever heard the famous Ben Franklin saying, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?" And yet, our society is entirely reactive to existing problems, struggling to get the public interested in preventing tragedy before it strikes. Here's why that is, and what we can do to take more preemptive action both for the world and in our own lives.

5 min read

Image: Artist Andrew Meyers painting the portrait of George Wurtzel that's made of nails.

What if Art Was Meant to be Touched?

Ever wanted to touch the art in a museum? Artists like these fellows are encouraging all of us to! Here's a touching story about the power that tactile art can have across many communities.

Image: Weeds growing in the cracks of a sidewalk, and a pair of floral patterned rain boots.

Stop and Smell the…Weeds? A Reminder that Wonder is All Around You!

Weeds are seen as pests, but what if we thought of them as miraculous, instead? Is it possible that we have been wrongfully hating weeds for years, seeing their ability to grow anywhere as a great nuisance instead of a remarkable feat?

5 min read

Micro-Preemie Turns 21: Twelve Lessons to Use when Tragedy Strikes

When life gets difficult there's always something we can learn and use for the rest of our lives. 21 years ago, Dr. Lynda (The Goodness Exchange's founder) gave birth to a 1 pound baby when she was just into the 5th month of her pregnancy. She picked up a few pearls of wisdom in the years that followed—here are 12.

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