PEBBLE
In the very deep darkness of this world, little pinpoints of light show up very brightly and can shine a long way.
-Tenzin Palmo, shared by Holly in Phoenix, AZ
BOULDER
It is important to remember that the viciousness and wrongs of life stick out very plainly but that even at the worst times there is a great deal of goodness, kindness, and day-to-day decency that goes unnoticed and makes no headlines.
-Isaac Asimov, shared by Estelle via James Clear
PONDER
There’s lately been plenty of “viciousness and wrongs of life” being highlighted in the news and in our social media feeds, and I do feel some responsibility for keeping tabs on the big, bad, scary stuff going on in the world. I also need to keep that stuff in the proper context and I know better than to abdicate to media companies and social media conglomerate my own responsibility to find Paul’s ideal mix of “need to know” and “feeds my soul.”
Luckily, there are useful resources to help me find pinpoints of light.
For years I’ve turned to Good News Network’s website and app; they consistently find and showcase uplifting stories that remind me there is good in the world.
I’m also very proud to be connected to the handful of regular contributors who keep our very own Team Ripples Facebook Group well stocked with heart-warming, spirit-elevating memes, quotes, stories, etc.
Perhaps most importantly, I’ve made it a point to keep my eyes and ears open to everyday kindness that happens around me. I wave gleefully when a driver pauses to make it easier for me to get where I’m going; I compliment people displaying quirky messages on their shirts; and even though it slows down our departure (sorry, sweetie!) I often go out of my way to thank an employee or manager when I have a positive experience at their establishment. Even “good but not great” deserves recognition and can serve as encouragement to keep improving.
I want to make sure you know this isn’t about ignoring or even minimizing the harder aspects of life; instead, it’s about keeping a realistic mindset that there is almost always enough goodness to light the way through difficulty. It’s not always easy to seek these out; it is, however, consistently worth it.
I might be preaching to the converted (you subscribe to Ripples for a reason, right?). Still, reminders help!
Peace,
Paul
P.S. I’ve been lately enjoying a curated email I get from Refind. They had me choose topics and thought leaders I’ll get links to, and they even let me customize the frequency and size of updates. Full disclosure: they recently thanked me for evangelizing about them with an upgrade, but even their basic free level is fantastic. Let me know if you end up trying and liking it!
