Tag 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.

2 min read

Image: A woman sat astride one of her local library's ebikes, holding her hands up in the air happily.

Libraries That Lend E-Bikes are Part of a Growing Trend

At the public library in Madison, Wisconsin, you can check out books, movies, and even electric bicycles. That’s right, city residents with library cards can check out an ebike to run errands on or just to enjoy cycling through the city. This library is one of many from Vermont to Texas who are joining in on this growing trend to encourage easy, green transportation.

5 min read

Image: Japan's "Do-Nothing Guy" walking through Tokyo

Tokyo’s “Do-Nothing Guy” Shows Us the Power In Being Present for Others

Would you rent a guy to do absolutely nothing? In a society where productivity is praised, can someone make a living by just being around? Today we’re introducing Shoji Morimoto, Tokyo’s “Do-Nothing Guy”, who gets paid to simply show up. He’s enriching the lives of others without hardly saying a word, and his approach to making a career out of his seemingly useless talent is brilliant. Here’s why.

Image: Zach King wearing a purple shirt and backwards baseball cap, speaking on stage at VidCon 2014 in Anaheim, CA.

Wonder Makes Us Healthier: A Magician’s Secret to Experiencing it Every Day

Reclaiming our childlike wonder does more than just make life a little more fun. It can make us healthier, too! YouTuber and magician Zach King, known best for his hard-to-believe illusions online, has some thoughts about how we take back this spirit and add a dash of magic into our adult lives. So, how do we do it?

55 min listen

Reintroducing Yourself as You Are, Not as You Were with Cheldin Barlatt Rumer (Episode #115)

Communication is a struggle for most of us. Either we don’t really know when to keep quiet, or we can’t muster the courage to speak up. Our guest, Cheldin Barlatt Rumer, is an expert in seeing our communication landscape, in every moment, with fresh eyes. She has some inspiring perspectives on how we elevate the voices of others, re-introduce ourselves to others after all we’ve been through, and how we can re-imagine the role of the internet in our lives as a tool for communication that can help us thrive.

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: 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.

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.

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