Collection Best of 2022

Our most popular good news stories of 2022 – including some of the most impactful stories, companies, and people who are making us so very excited about the future of our world.

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.

89 min listen

After Adopting 123 Kids, Former Buddhist Monk Transforms Education with Gen-la Lobsang Phuntsok (Episode #104)

There is nothing quite as enlightening as listening to the insights of someone who has been to the edge and back. Today’s guest - Lobsang Phuntsok - had been to many edges of human existence. He was abandoned at birth, left under dry leaves by his 13 year old mother, but rescued to grow up as a Buddhist Monk. After an amazing journey of insight, he is now “Dad” to 123 children in an amazing family that is also a school and community that could fundamentally change the goals of education worldwide.

Image: FABSCRAP Volunteers holding some of their fabric that will be mended, repurposed, or recycled

21 Billion Pounds of Clothes Go to Landfills Every Year… Now FABSCRAP is On the Case!

We’ve mastered how to make the most of food scraps, but what about textile scraps? Let’s meet the female CEO of FABSCRAP, the company transforming textile waste from the apparel design process into a catalyst for a community of changemakers.

60 min listen

What We Think About, We Bring About: Orchestrating Opportunity with Peter McCoppin (Episode #89)

If we have a sense of psychological safety, it frees up our creativity, our imagination, and our innovative mind. It allows us to test our assumptions and explore different ideas without fear of reprisal or judgment. It's time for us to free up those energies and turn them into something with help from today’s guest, Peter McCoppin.

Image: A boy staring wide-eyed at a candy bar

Why do Swedes only Eat Sweets on Saturday?

Got sugar? The Swedes are on to something…We’re exploring the history behind a Swedish cultural tradition called lördagsgodis. Let’s learn how to enjoy the sweeter things in life without sacrificing our health and happiness!

5 min read

Image: The tide rolling in on a beach from above.

Using the Moon to Power our Cities with Tidal Power

What if the moon could be our next renewable energy source? Okay, maybe not the moon itself, but a force that it’s controlled since the first oceans covered our planet: the tides. More consistent and constant than wind or solar, this energy source could be the next leap in renewable energy.

Image: A man doing a cartwheel on the beach - an example of one of the activities suggested by the algorithm to help you get out of a rut.

Stuck in a Rut? Here’s a Counterintuitive Way to Start Living Again

For two years, software engineer Max Hawkins let an algorithm randomize his life. Making every decision from where he ate dinner to what city he moved to, the algorithm freed Max from the monotony of routine and showed him the incredibly important way our preferences blind us to the world. Here's how his experiment can improve your life, too.

Image: One of the mushroom slabs that is cut to create mushroom bacon.

Mushrooms Could Start Replacing Leather, Bacon, and Styrofoam in the Next 5 Years

Have you ever tasted bacon made of fungi? Received a package cushioned by mushrooms? My guess is not yet… but probably soon! New York-based company Ecovative has created an alternative to plastic, which can save water, time, money, and the planet, too!

Image: A whale breaching the ocean's surface, with barnacles stuck to its chin

A Whale Saved Her From a Shark, Then Came Back to Visit

Nan Hauser has been researching humpback whales for 30 years, but she never expected that one would save her life! Let’s learn how a whale's altruistic behavior changed her life forever, and how we can return the favor.

59 min listen

Train Your Reckless Brain with These Helpful Mind Hacks with Kimberly Quinn (Episode #75)

If our brains are like toddlers running with scissors, how can we keep them in check? Dr. Kimberly Quinn, teacher of Positive Psychology, Mindcraft, and Cognitive Psychology at Champlain College in Burlington, VT, can help you do just that. This episode is packed with tips and tricks to help you train your brain and work towards a more positive way of thinking.

Image: The rainforest from above with a river running through it. Deforestation evident.

Restoring the Rainforest by Helping Locals Become Eco-Entrepreneurs

Can you make an impact on saving a rainforest, even though it may be far from your front door? With this nonprofit, you can do just that and help save the rainforest from your couch!

Image: A woman in a white shirt looking at her phone instead of her laptop, procrastinating.

4 Strategies to Stop Procrastinating and Start Living

Are you a master procrastinator? As Tim Urban explains, chronic procrastinators have three main characters at play in our brains: the Rational-Decision Maker, the Instant-Gratification Monkey, and the Panic Monster! So how can we keep the monkey at bay to stop procrastinating and start living?

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