Feel Good Friday

Happy Friday!

Movers help domestic violence victims move for free.  It’s a service offered by some moving companies in some states.

A woman strips down to her underwear and encourages people to draw hearts on her body to promote positive body image.  Another woman did the same thing, because she wondered if it would be as positive an experience for an overweight woman, and it was.  I love this, and hope that it helps people accept themselves and others.

An officer gets a dose of appreciation when a child insists on buying his breakfast.

Camping with dogs is a new Instagram thing.  I love it because it combines two of my favorite things.  Check out the dog in the backpack… too cute!

Nonprofit organization builds Halloween costumes around wheelchairs so that kids with disabilities can have cool costumes.

Change your focus; change your attitude.  Good news is all around us, if you’re willing to see it.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Feel Good Friday

It’s Friday, the start of the weekend.  Keep your focus positive, and remember that there are many amazing people out there.

Roatan, Honduras
Photo Credit: Doree Weller

Police in Massachusetts are using money seized from drug dealers to fund rehab for people who come to the police station and voluntarily turn in their drugs.  They’ve helped over 100 addicts in two month.  This is an amazing program that focuses on helping people rather than punishing them.

A 9 year-old stood up to protesters at a gay pride parade.  I’m not a fan of when people respond to peaceful protesters in a hateful way; I think that’s an example of being intolerant of other people’s opinions.  However, I think this kid responded to the protesters in exactly the right way.  He stood in front of their signs with a bunch of balloons, blocking them so they couldn’t be read.  No hatefulness or negativity was exchanged.  You go, kiddo!

Doctors are studying near-death experiences, and showing that people experience something after the brain stops functioning.  Very interesting article if you’re interested in learning more about this.

Formerly abused dogs, many of them used in dogfighting, show that they deserve a second chance.  This is a story about dogs who’ve been rescued and shown that they can overcome the past.

The Rock is someone who appears in the news from time to time as a good-guy-celebrity.  He recently spoke at the graduation of inmates from a voluntary prison boot camp program.  This was my first time hearing about it, but in Florida, they’ve allowed some men convicted of crimes to attend a boot camp to help them become better citizens, rather than serve sentences in prison.  Where do I start to gush about how wonderful this is?  I could go on and on, but many studies show that prison sentences don’t deter crime.  Programs that rehabilitate do.  *stepping off soapbox*

Be amazing today.  Smile at someone for no reason.  Be forgiving instead of judgmental.  Be the best you that you can be today.

Feel Good Friday

Photo Credit: Doree Weller

Here’s today’s Friday dose of good news.  As always, it was hard to choose just a handful of articles.  There are lots of good things happening in the world, so pay attention!

Steve became homeless in 2001 after losing his job.  Not long ago, he got a job offer in another state.  Steve had been helping out stray dogs he found, and he wasn’t going to leave any of them behind, so he packed up all 11 in a cart and rode his bicycle, with the dogs, across states to his new job.  A woman spotted him and decided to help him out.  This is the stuff I love.

A young woman saw an older woman eating alone and asked if they could have lunch together.  It turns out that the older woman had just suffered some losses, and was grateful for her new friend.  I love to see people making small differences in the lives of others.

Kids can be amazing.  This 6-year-old’s parents both died, and he got tired of being sad.  So he decided to give small toys away to anyone he encountered who wasn’t smiling.  What a sweet story!

A doctor in Boston started DoctorBeDancing.  Basically, this doctor goes out on the street in his scrubs and white jacket and dances, asking for donations for charity.  He says that he likes the idea that he can help and inspire people, and show that one person can make a difference.  Bravo!

After a photo of a child studying in the dark outside of McDonald’s in the Philippines went viral, McDonald’s stepped up with scholarships for the kiddo, and said that they’re going to do what they can to help out his school.  While it’s great that McDonald’s is helping, the real story here is that this child wasn’t going to let anything stop him from getting an education.

Last but not least, here’s a video of a dog rolling around in a ball pit.  Because nothing says Friday like rolling around  with a wagging tail!

Happy Friday!  And may you have as much fun as a dog in a ball pit this weekend.

Feel Good Friday

Hello, and welcome to Friday!

I had blogs written earlier this week.  Gnomes snuck in my house and stole them.  They kept saying something about “Step 1- steal underwear.”  I don’t know.

But seriously, I lost a blog this week, and I’m not sure where it went.  I thought I lost two, but apparently the other one auto-saved.  (Thank you, blog gods!).  I got frustrated though, and that’s why there were no blogs this week.  I’ll do better next week.

Here are this week’s feel good Friday articles.

In the Woods
Photo Credit: Doree Weller

San Antonio woman fined for feeding the homeless has her case dismissed.  Joan Cheever has been operating The Chow Train for over 10 years, and recently was fined, because it’s apparently illegal to feed the homeless.  She cited religious freedom, stating that’s the way she prays.  Now that the case has been dismissed, it will be interesting to see what’s next for the law.

There is a device to ensure that K9 officers don’t get left in hot cars.  

The California made some changes that please animal activists.  And as we all know, change often begins in California before it comes to the rest of us.

“Growing Local” is both the name of a documentary about farmers and a trend toward determined farmers who believe in the food they grow, and increasing consumer want for sustainable, local foods.  There’s a short article and the trailer for the documentary attached.

The Malawi chief changed the law, raising the minimum age for marriage to 16.  She annulled marriages for more than 300 children (both boys and girls) in her district and sent them back to school.

There’s a lot more good news in the world, but these are the stories I picked this week.

Go forth and be amazing today!

Feel Good Friday

Hello, and welcome to Feel Good Friday, where I focus on the positive things around us.

On the Apache Trail, Arizona
Photo Credit: Doree Weller

Blind cat and her human go on adventures.  This is a sweet story.

Preschool in Seattle visits a nursing home.  The kids perk up the elderly residents, and it’s good for the kids too.  I think this is wonderful, and I hope more places start doing this.

Police officer sings to a toddler to calm her after she’s involved in a car accident that killed the rest of her family.

Child opens a lemonade stand to pay for an iPad.  When a cop sees what she’s doing, he helps her reach her goal.

Dad and daughter do 39 Acts of Kindness for their birthdays.  What a nice way to celebrate.

Have a fabulous weekend!  And remember, be kinder than you need to, and focus on the good whenever you can.

Feel Good Friday

Happy Friday, everyone!

Austin, TX
Photo Credit: Doree Weller

Colorado artist ordered by police to stop stacking rocks under an obscure city ordinance.  When he protested online, the city attorney called him personally to let him know that he had told police to not give out tickets for rock stacking.  This is why power doesn’t reside with any one person.  🙂  A happy ending.

Plus sized lady shares her yoga practice on the Internet, showing that yoga is for everyone, not just a particular body type.

When fifth-graders saw a special needs boy being bullied, they helped him, and from then on, befriended him and have protected him from bullies.  There’s an article and a video; it’s a really sweet story showing the absolute best in people.

Baltimore schools have removed paperwork requirements in schools with high poverty rates, so now every child can get free breakfast and lunch.  Children should not have to go hungry; I just hope more schools jump on board with this.

IKEA pledges a billion dollars to help with climate change.  IKEA has always been about using sustainable materials and less waste, so this is just another thing they’re doing to help.  Corporations can sound good, but IKEA puts their money toward positive change.

Feel Good Friday

Hey everyone, it’s Friday.  But you probably didn’t need me to tell  you that.  😉

Ladybird Johnson Wildlife Center, Austin TX
Photo Credit: Doree Weller

Restaurant owner posts sign in the window offering people in need a free meal or beverage.

K-9 cop in Mississippi saves his officer’s life after the human officer was attacked.  The officer was able to push a remote to release the K-9 cop from the vehicle.

A woman’s labrador led a police officer to her after she fell unconscious.  The officer was then able to get the woman emergency medical treatment.

Seniors cancel class trip to give money to their principal to pay for her cancer treatment.

New York cop tickets a turnstile jumper on the subway, then helps him find a job.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Feel Good Friday

There’s so much good stuff going on in the US this week that I had trouble finding only 5 articles!  I ended up with six today, but I could have gone on and on.  Enjoy!

22 year old graduates valedictorian from college after dropping out of high school.  After Michael Moubarek had an accident that could have killed him, he decided to make some changes, went back and finished high school, and now intends to be a doctor.  Great article, and it just goes to show that no matter what, life can change anytime.  Never give up!

5-year-old invites homeless man for a meal at the Waffle House after learning what “homeless” meant.

Police in Farmington, NH have started stopping people to praise and reward them for following laws.  Police said they feel like it’s helping them to get to know the community, and also nice to be able to have positive interactions with people.  They reported that they thought of the program after seeing a man go out of his way to use the crosswalk after heavy snow.

Teens take service dogs to prom.  Neither of them planned to go to prom, but then they met because of their service dogs, and decided to go together.  Cutest double date ever!  This is a video.

Update.  Last week, I posted about a veteran who has prostate cancer and was released from the hospital to a home with no food.  He called 911, and since then, he’s continued to receive food donations and is now getting Meals on Wheels.  It’s nice to see how much people care.

America’s oldest park ranger advocates for people of color, and she hopes, opens options to little girls.

Let’s Talk About Clickbait

Clickbait are those headlines that promise something stunning, shocking or salacious.  We click on them because we want to know the dirt on celebrities, that miracle cure that will make us skinny, or that secret that will make us rich.

I have to tell you something.

Celebrities are just people.  People who often have their bad days recorded for posterity.

There is no miracle cure to make you skinny.

Unless you work for it or have a secret rich relative somewhere (you don’t), you’re not getting rich.

Don’t want to see clickbait?  Stop clicking on it.

Clickbait happens to sell advertising.  They don’t care if you read the articles attached to them or not.  They just care that you clicked, because advertisers pay for “clicks.”  The articles are often cobbled together without regard to the English language.  I’ve read many of them so that you don’t have to.  Trust me; you’re not missing anything.

If you want to see more positive stories, or important stories, “click” on those.  Because Big Brother is watching our choices: on Facebook, on Google, in your email, what you pay attention to is what you’ll be shown.  Advertising exists to sell you things, and companies will put advertising where you’re likely to see it.

The power to change the focus is in your hands.  It’s in my hands.

Choose wisely.

Feel Good Friday

On Feel Good Fridays, I post good news stories. Remember that you find what you look for, so if you look for the good in your fellow man, you’re likely to find it.

Oh look, a fish!
Photo Credit: Doree Weller

This is seriously the best thing I’ve ever seen on the internet.  If you haven’t seen the Unworthy video of skeletons dancing, you should take a look at it.  It made me cry and gave me a feeling of wanting to hug my fellow man.

Here’s a bunch of fun pictures with cops acting goofy.

7 positive trends with teens.  We all hear about all the bad stuff kids do, and how selfish they are, but studies indicate that teen drug use and pregnancy is down, and volunteering is increasing.

Seniors “prank” the school principal by giving him letters of gratitude.  Saying “thank you” to someone is seriously the best gift you can give anyone.

This is a true story about the power of noticing others.  I love the point that it makes, that taking a few moments to notice someone else, especially when you don’t have to, can have a powerful impact.  Take a few minutes and read it; you’ll be glad you did.

I generally only share 5 positive things, just to keep it manageable, but I see far more than that most weeks.

What kind of things do you see that warm your heart?  Has someone done something kind for you?  Have you gone out of your way to show kindness to someone else?  I know you’re out there, so tell me in the comments.

And as always, go forth and be kind today.  Have a great weekend!