“Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond.”
It’s been a really long while since I’ve written a new post on this blog. Unfortunately, with my plate becoming increasingly full(er), it got pushed way down on my list of priorities.
But with so much fear, anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty enveloping us during the global Covid-19 situation, I believe that we can benefit from reading, listening, and/or watching as much good & positive news as we can muster.
And that’s where this post comes in.
I’ve scoured the web for a variety of sources that share delightful content aimed to spread much needed smiles and hope during this volatile time in our lives.
May they remind us that despite the chaos that’s happening across the globe, it’ll help to restore your faith in humanity and have an optimistic outlook for the future.
There’s a bright light at the end of this dark tunnel and like everything else, this too shall pass. We’re all in this together and we’ll get through it together.
In the meantime, please do what you can to stay safe & healthy.
And if you enjoy what you read/heard/listened to on this post, feel free to share them with your friends & family and spread the good news around like confetti!
Some Good News by John Krasinski
Are you a fan of the show ‘The Office’ (US)? If happen to be, then John Krasinski is certainly a familiar face.
With much of the world asked to remain home, he and his wife (actress Emily Blunt), and his two daughters are no exception.
Like a lot of us, John noticed that television, the web, and social media have been bombarded with negative & unpleasant news (even more than usual) as of late and decided to take matters to his own hands.
And so, the Some Good News YouTube channel was born.
Set in his own home office, complete with a colorful handmade ‘SGN’ sign that his daughters made as a background, this show delivers only good news that is sure to make you smile.
Thanks to his comedic talents and hilarious cameos from his celebrity friends (Steve Carell, etc.) it’s unlikely that you’ll go through an episode without laughing.
Currently, there are 3 episodes available to watch (for free) and as a special treat, John & his friends are holding a live SGN Prom on Friday, April 17th at 8 PM EST. Be sure to set your reminder to join in!
InspireMore
During the 1st ever episode of Some Good News, John Krasinski gave a shoutout to websites and publications that have inspired him to create his own outlet for good & positive news.
One of these sites happened to be one of my favorites: InspireMore.
I’ve long abandoned the habit of watching ‘mainstream’ news as they tend to be mostly negative and to be blunt, depressing.
While I keep myself abreast on current global news by quickly scanning media outlets like The New York Times, I admittedly don’t spend much time on it. And quite frankly, this approach of being informed yet not allowing myself to be inundated, has helped me to maintain a more positive outlook of life.
Instead, I choose to spend my time seeking out positive news and that’s how I came across InspireMore several years back.
With a mission of “Brighting the world and spreading hope – one story at a time”, InspireMore focuses on sharing *only* good news to its readers.
Recently, due to the Covid-19 situation, they’ve even added a new ‘feature’ to their website called ‘Coronavirus Good News Dashboard‘ that focuses on positive news relating to Covid-19.
Here, you’ll find plenty of delightful stories like 99 year old veteran Captain Tom Moore’s successful £12 Million birthday fundraising campaign, an epic father vs. daughter dance off to the extraordinary news that all animals at the Chicago Animal Shelter have recently been adopted!
With inspiring stories like these, I dare you to not at least shed a tear.
Be sure to subscribe to their newsletter where they highlight their newest heart-warming stories and deliver them straight to your inbox. As a subscriber myself, I guarantee that its’ worth it.
Emma Paxton’s Hopeful Posters
Rather than squandering time away, there’s a lot of people who are putting the ‘extra’ time at home as an opportunity to create beautiful work of arts that inspire hope.
I had stumbled upon Emma Paxton’s colorful poster while quickly scrolling through Twitter the other day and her ‘This Won’t Be Forever‘ poster caught my attention.
It creatively sums up the various ways we can help to keep up our cheery outlook in these tough times. And, of course, it’s a wonderful reminder that the dark time won’t last forever.
In her tweet, she she said “Sharing my new poster, hoping to bring a smile and a ray of hope, and created with love from ideas contributed by friends.”
Well, I think she did a pretty darn good job at it! Unsurprisingly, it’s been shared by over a thousand accounts and she even translated it to Welsh upon a request from a follower.
PS: Emma also created a black and white version that you can print it out and color in at home!
The Good News Podcast
Prefer listening to podcasts? Well, there’s also plenty of good news focused podcasts out there!
Created and run by talented creatives, Colleen & Neil, The Good News Podcast is a great example. Through their daily short episodes (under 10 mins & ad free), they seek to remind you that not all news is bad.
Whether you’re looking for something to wonderful listen to while you work or while getting your house chores done, they’ll help you to do so with a spring in your step.
Condé Nast Traveler
As a lover of travel, one of the hardest things to deal with about the current situation is how travel is essentially not possible right now.
That said, fortunately, there are bountiful of ways we can get our wanderlust on without leaving the comfort and safety of our home. They’ll help to keep our travel dreams alive till we all can safely make it a reality once more.
Till then, with public space such as museums, concert halls, and zoos closed during this time, many of these places are making it possible for people to enjoy their services through the internet. And often, it wouldn’t cost you a penny!
One of my favorite travel publications, Condé Nast, has been sharing lists of the exciting travel related things you can do from home.
From discovering the exhibits of the Musée du Louvre to exploring the breathtaking wildlife of the Ulasaba Private Game Reserve, to spending a night at NYC’s Metropolitan Opera, you can find it all here.
Would you like to go on virtual tours of some of the most beautiful destinations in the world instead? Get ready for an adventure by checking out the list of the places you can ‘visit’ via live-streams here.
