In most action and disaster movies at some point you will see the main character running, sliding, and jumping to dodge and avoid obstacles and assailants.
Sometimes I feel the same way as I try to avoid the slings and arrows of bad news, anti-social media, and cynical politics and marketing.
I don’t wish to withdraw completely and become ignorant and isolated from what is going on, so how do I strike a healthy balance? Here are two sites that consistently turn my day around:
One site I visit regularly is the Good News Network.
This website posts positive news stories from around the world, and just glancing at the headlines can redirect your attitude upwards from sadness and despair. Here are a few recent headlines:
North Carolina Church Raises Thousands to Pay Off Cafeteria Lunch Debt For Every County School
Skimming the headlines or reading one or two articles in the morning puts me in a good mood and strengthens my ability to deal with challenges and not be dragged down.
Good News Network also has a mobile app to make it easy to pull up headlines and stories on your smartphone!
Another site I haven’t visited in many months is a Facebook series hosted by Glamour called, You Sang My Song.
Don’t worry. Even if you have sworn off Facebook (as I have attempted) or don’t even have a Facebook account, you can still watch it.
In this series, successful musicians and music groups watch videos of fans playing and singing covers of their songs. The pros give their positive feedback, and then their fans are contacted. We get to see their reactions to the pro’s feedback.
Although there have been no new videos posted in over a year, there are over 40 videos — plenty to visit and revisit again and again.
It’s heartwarming and moving. The professionals are generous with their praise, and watching the fans’ reactions — shock and surprise that their idols are seeing their covers, trepidation as they await the feedback, and effusive gratitude once received — really warms the heart.
Those anxious moments remind me of the powerful scene at the end of Charlie Chaplin’s “City Lights” when his formerly blind beloved realizes who he is, and he nervously awaits her reaction:
Admittedly, many of the artists were unknown to me, but I am nonetheless always buoyed by the music, the initial reactions, and the secondary reactions. I suspect you will too.
If you have sites to recommend, I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
Blatant Calm 