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.

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.

5 min read

Image: An older and and a younger hand reach out to touch a red rose

How a High School in a Nursing Home is Changing Lives

What if we saw this new wave of people reaching retirement as a new generation of mentors? Connecting youth and older adults has remarkable benefits for everyone! Here's how one program is helping lead the way for what's possible.

5 min read

Gifts That Do Good: The 2022 Holiday Gift Guide

Need ideas for holiday gifts that give back? Each item in the Goodness Exchange Holiday Gift Guide benefits a cause close to your heart. From grandma to baby, and the little dog too, we’ve got something for everyone. And, you can feel great knowing that you used your purchasing power to choose gifts that keep giving back well after the new year. Happy shopping!

61 min listen

Misery or Mindfulness? Choosing Your Perspective Wisely with Dr. Srikumar Rao (Episode #107)

Turns out, we don’t have to solve any of our problems through struggle, trial, and error. No, there are pieces of wisdom out there that are as true today as they were 2,000 years ago. And today’s guest, Dr. Srikumar Rao, has done the work of gathering those pieces of insight and making them relevant to modern life. Dr. Rao is a sought-after speaker around the globe because the perspectives he shares have the power to help us make enormous leaps in our personal wisdom and use those leaps to rise above the chaos.

Image: A group of children in their trick or treat for UNICEF costumes. A witch, princess, vampire, and three superheroes.

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Teaches Kids How to do Good

To make the innocent childhood joy of trick-or-treating even more meaningful, some kids are combining this fun holiday with helping the world's neediest children by trick-or-treating with orange UNICEF collection boxes alongside their treat bags.

A Dentist/Mother’s Advice on Halloween Candy

Halloween is coming! So, what does a dentist say you should do with all that candy?

65 min listen

Don’t Look for Connection in Nature, Listen for It with Liz McKenzie (Episode #105)

If there are times when a moment of delightful joy or wonder would save the day for you, then our guest today has a message that will be a gift that keeps on giving. Liz McKenzie is an expert in giving us all access to the quiet, small wonders - usually just steps away - in a window sill, balcony, our own backyard, or a nearby park. No vacations are necessary to “get out into nature” and feel its calming warmth. It’s all around us all the time, and listening for it might be the greatest joy of all.

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: A man riding a bicycle on a road that is nestled among some beautiful green hills

Riding 8,000 Kilometers for a Great Cause

Two Canadian cyclists are riding 8,000-kilometers across Canada with an important mission. These awesome riders have Parkinson’s disease and during their Spinning Wheels Tour, they are empowering others with Parkinson’s to get on their bikes and rediscover freedom and joy.

Image: A wheelchair accessible swing in a park in Malta.

Engineering Students Build a Wheelchair Swing in a Neighborhood Park

Born with spinal muscular atrophy type 2, 20 year old Tristan Lee was never able to ride on a swing as a child due to his wheelchair. But in his community of Waco, Texas, Baylor students collaborated with the locals to raise the funds, design the swings, and install it in a local park. Now everyone can soar, no matter their ability.

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