While we hear all the time in the news and on social media about all the bad things and harm going on in the world, it is hard to believe that there is good in the world. It’s heart breaking for me to read stories about shootings happening in schools, Facebook stories of accidental deaths, and famous people taking their own life. It’s extremely hard to believe that there is good in this world when all it seems like is bad things continually happening. However, I am here to reassure you that there IS good in the world, you just have to look hard enough to find it. These are some stories that just make me genuinely happy.
- Simon Cowell donates over $32,000 to close down South Korean dog meat farm
After this generous donation, it will be saving 200 dogs and they will be transported to shelters in places like the U.S., Canada, Netherlands, and the UK. This money helped shut down a dog meat farm in South Korea, and is giving these dogs an opportunity to find a loving home.
2. 7-year old becomes certified barber so she can offer free haircuts to kids in her city
7-year-old Neijae Graham-Henries became a certified barber to give free haircuts to children in Philadelphia.
3. Strangers write 125,000 letters to Breast Cancer Patients
A nonprofit organization called Girls Love Mail have strangers write letters of encouragement and love to breast cancer patients. They have been extremely grateful for these letters, and this small act of kindness puts a smile on their face and makes them feel supported.
4. Senior has given away 6,000 Chocolate Bars to Strangers in Decade-Long Act of Kindness
Every Saturday for the past 11 years, 93-year-old Bob Williams buys three Hershey bars and passes them out to strangers. He does this to make people smile, and enjoys every second of it.
5. Man Has Spent Years Giving Antique Brooches to Strangers Who ‘Look Like They Need a Sparkle.’
71-yer-old Myron Boyer has been giving away sparkly pins and antique brooches for the past six years to people passing by in Portland, Oregon. He told an interviewer, ‘Putting one smile a day on someone’s face is making the world better.’
6. Woman Pays for Stranger’s Coffee Only to Receive Heartfelt Letter in the Mail the Very Same Day
Mackenzie Muller kindly paid for the women’s Starbucks behind her. On that same day, Mackenzie found a letter in her mailbox saying, “Thank you for the coffee! I rarely go to Starbucks and treat myself, but the last couple of months have been a bit of a struggle. My father just passed away and he was also my babysitter. My family and my children have had a really hard time. This morning, my babysitter called off sick and I had to take the day off work. I decided to buy my kids breakfast and get myself a coffee with total guilt because I am going to be a stay-at-home-mom for a while. Since I was not planning to go this route in my life, I was not emotionally and financially prepared to quit working. I cried when I found out you were so sweet to buy my coffee. I felt it necessary for you to know that what you did for me was more than just a coffee. It was something that has turned my whole day around, put tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.”
7. Woman Wins $1,000 Weekly Lotto Payout- and Proves Money Can Buy Happiness By Giving it All Away
55-year-old Rachel Lapierre receives $1,000 week, and what she does with the money is quite amazing. She uses that money to run a charity and help the less fortunate. The charity is called Le Book Humanitaire, and they promote good deeds like giving the less fortunate bikes, food, or even just a phone call. Lapierre says, “I think happiness comes from the heart. It’s nice to have a new home or car. It can be really fun, but you don’t need that to be happy.”
I have recapped these acts of kindness at https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/. There are so many more, and when you feel like there is only bad in the world, this is a good place to go to see all the good that is happening too. Be the good in this world, and start doing small acts of kindness. Write inspirational quotes and post them on your college campus, pay for the person behind you in the Starbucks line, give a stranger a compliment. SMILE at someone. It’s time to start spreading kindness, and it all starts with you. “Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put all together that overwhelm the world.”-Desmond Tutu