Spread a little kindness with a dash of good news…
Hi friends,
I’m really, I mean really, exhausted from the past several years of negativity, us versus them divisiveness, and the disrespect of humanity and our natural world.
When I started this newsletter in 2020, the COVID pandemic had just begun taking over our lives and emotions. I envisioned this space as an opportunity to inspire and focus on the goodness within each of us.
Some weeks, I struggled to look beyond the news and media. I searched for signs of compassion and kindness. That search never disappointed me.
My favorite segment of the national and local news is when the anchor shares a positive story in the last few seconds. The screen and my heart brighten as I hear examples of resilience, people helping each other, or my favorite, the actions of young people striving to make a difference in the midst of what we adults have created.
As I watched the news this week, I wondered what would happen if we flipped the news script. What if—instead of uncompromising politicians, police reports, and drug commercials, we focused on what’s good in the world.
I imagined reports on rampant acts of kindness, justice, and nature in all its glory, maybe even a spider or two. Would we discover a different kind of epidemic— a kindness epidemic with an overwhelming respect for humanity?
In Dan Rather’s “Steady” newsletter today, he reminded his readers that we must “not shy away from all that is fraught in these difficult times… But we also cannot forget the joys of life, the rays of sunshine and hope that can fill our lives, and that we can bring to others.”
We have no control over the media, but we can, every day, look for and shout out kindness within our sphere of influence. Most of us aren’t “ influencers” flooding social media or the news. However, I can start within my sphere of influence, no matter how small.
Will you join me? What good news (and a little kindness) do you have to share?
This week, I wrote about The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams and her four reasons to hold onto hope and why you should.
Listen to four minutes on how you treat people is who you are!
Dan Rather featured this song in his newsletter today. I thought it was worth also sharing Natalie Merchant’s musical message, kindness and generosity.
“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” —Margaret Mead
“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” —Scott Adams
“When I was young, I admired clever people, now that I am old, I admire kind people.”
—Abraham Joshua Heschel
Be and become your best today and every day.
With gratitude,
Kathryn
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This post was a welcome respite to the news. Thank you so much for that. My happy news is the owls have returned to the woods behind our home. I heard one screech in the dawn today, as they returned from whatever shenanigans owls get up to in the night. I missed them last year and thought they were gone for good because a nearby property was logged off. It was so uplifting to know they're back.