Life in our country continues to be challenging-although the pandemic is mostly behind us, the news of ongoing violence, racism, anti-semitism, climate concerns, daily and weekly shootings, political outrage, etc. have me reeling.

I’ve canceled my newspaper subscriptions, as have others I know, because it’s depressing to read the news. I only look at headlines on my phone and try not to dwell on what atrocities are happening around the world. I stay off of Twitter and any other social media that is not personally interesting. As I get older, I harken back to the days where social media and 24/7 news did not impact my daily life-but I realize that’s no longer realistic.

It’s hard to remain optimistic when things seem so unsettling. And yet I want to be optimistic and focus on the good things that are happening in our world. I’m constantly searching for news that’s encouraging, positive and reinforces my belief that most people are good and want our world to be a better place.

And then….I found something worth reading.

David Byrne (Talking heads founder) and others have created an online website and a newsletter called Reasons to Be Cheerful.

The title alone made me feel hopeful!

This website has been around for a couple of years and I have enjoyed the stories I have read so far. Stories that will make you realize that there is good news and positive change out there-it’s just hard to find right now.

https://reasonstobecheerful.world

Check it out when you need some “good cheer”.