We wanted to express how thankful and grateful we are for each and every one of you in our lives. We just wanted to acknowledge our loyal readers who have stuck with us on our journey. Thank you for being there and for sending your incredibly kind messages of hope and encouragement to get us through all the tough times!
Jonathan attended a talk recently where the speaker said, "You know, it doesn't cost anything to say something nice to someone. In fact, you may just save their life."
So we encourage you, each day, to express your appreciation for one positive quality within someone who is close to you.
Our minds are really the source of all harm and suffering, so why not help alleviate that in someone else? 😊
- M&J
P.S. - For those of you just joining, welcome to this edition of our monthly newsletter, The Positopian, where every month, we share positive news, fiction, resources, & insights to help you become the best version of yourself!
"Without the stairs of the past, you cannot arrive at the future!” ~Mehmet Murat ildan
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~Marcel Proust
"I remember we were coming home from one of his doctor appointments and he said, 'Mom, I thought about it, and I really want to feed the homeless,'" Abraham's mom, Miriam Olagbegi, told CBS News. "I said, 'Are you sure Abraham? You could do a lot ... You sure you don't want a PlayStation?'"
Unlike many teenage boys, the PlayStation did not entice Abraham. He was sure of his wish to feed the homeless.
To feel more engaged and productive at work—you have to know how to “do” mental active recovery. Try a few of these science-based tactics.
Detach:
In studies, detachment researchers sometimes instruct people to think about a hobby or leisure activity they enjoy. “Just stay away from anything stressful or cognitively demanding.”
Default Mode: “When you work for long stretches, the brain experiences focus fatigue, but if you weave periods of unfocus into your day, you give yourself a chance to recover,” says Dr. Pillay. Daydreaming is different from distraction in that you let your mind roam instead of trying to force it to think about something specific.
Dose of Nature
“Bottom-up attention is ancient and is driven by stimuli you take in through your senses, so the natural world is an ideal place to experience it.”
“Forget yesterday - it has already forgotten you. Don't sweat tomorrow - you haven't even met. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift - today.” ~Steve Maraboli
Jody Thompson knew he had to foster the boy from one of the worst calls he ever responded to, and when the parents had a baby in jail, he and his wife adopted her too. He shares the family's updates in his own words
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ~Alphonse Karr
In a recent National Sleep Foundation poll, a staggering 84% of adults admitted feeling tired during the week—mainly because they don't sleep well, or they aren't getting enough hours of shut-eye period.
For generosity, nothing to do,
Other than stop fixating on self.
For morality, nothing to do,
Other than stop being dishonest.
For patience, nothing to do,
Other than not fear what is ultimately true.
For effort, nothing to do,
Other than practice continuously.
For meditative stability, nothing to do,
Other than rest in presence.
For wisdom, nothing to do,
Other than know directly how things are.
Ockwell-Smith said that research had shown that how children are raised, particularly in the first five years of their life, was key to the development of their self-esteem and future relationships with those around them
“Pursue what catches your heart, not what catches your eyes.” ~Roy T. Bennett
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
~Rudyard Kipling
Here's to a safe and happy year as we continue on!
If you want to see the past 20 issues of The Positopian, click here.
And if you know anyone else who wants more positivity in their life, invite them to join!
Always Remember, "Chews" Joy :)
~Mandy & Jonathan Chew
