The Artistry of Aging
Every day we are bombarded with negative news whether it is on our smart phones, in mainstream media or on social media. I often wonder how much that impacts the escalation of fear and anxiety within us, and that pervades our world right now.
Today, like every morning, my hit of “good news” via The Good News Network, arrived in my inbox. To start the day learning about and being exposed to positive actions, innovations and inspiring stories sets the tone of the day for me.
The website, with its archive of 21,000 positive news stories from around the globe, confirms what people already know—that good news itself is not in short supply. Just this morning the headlines were: New Solution to Ridding Oceans of Microplastics Uses Acoustic Waves, Red Light Therapy Could Improve Eyesight After Declining Due to Age, Watch a Huge Spotted Eagle Stingray Glide Majestically Around Scuba Diver and Deaf Football Team Goes 12-0 On Its Way to California State Championship
Every time we share (or create) positive news it opens a pathway to embrace trust in the unfolding of life….and in each other!
I am also curious about how powerful it might be if we used our social media networks for collaborative good. A couple of days ago the post below surfaced on my FB feed:
“While all social networks are full of hatred and negativity, I want to dissolve it with pleasant news and facts. The world isn’t that bad, look back:
The Norwegians have decided not to drill oil wells in the Lofoten Islands (with $53,000,000,000,000 in oil reserves) to preserve the islands ecosystem.
For the first time in Malawi history, a woman has been elected as the speaker of the country’s parliament.
Esther Challenge cancelled 1500 marriages with underage girls and sent them back to school.
Swedish donors receive a thank you text every time their blood saves people.
Thanks to the Endangered Species Act, the almost endangered species population of sea turtles has increased by 980%.
Thai supermarkets gave up plastic bags and began wrapping up their purchases in banana leaves.
Holland became the first country without stray dogs.
South Korea organizes dance parties for people after 65 years to fight dementia and loneliness.
In Rome, you can pay for a ticket in the subway using plastic bottles. Thus, 350,000 bottles have already been collected.
California restricted the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in stores so people can take pets from shelters.
Rice farmers around the world are starting to use duck fields instead of pesticides. Ducks eat insects and pinch weeds without touching rice.
Holland sows roofs of hundreds of bus stops with flowers and plants – specifically for bees.
Iceland became the first country in the world to legalize equal salaries for men and women.
German circuses instead of animals use their holograms to stop the exploitation of animals in circuses.
LarvalBot underwater robot sows the bottom of the Great Barrier Reef with microscopic corals, grown specifically for ecosystem restoration.
To reduce the number of suicides, Sweden organized the world’s first psychiatric ambulance.
4855 people stood in line for hours in the rain to test stem cells to save the life of a five-year-old boy.
An Indian village celebrates the birth of every girl by planting 111 trees. 350,000 trees have already been planted so far.
Thanks to the ban on humpback whale hunting, their population has grown from several hundred to 25,000.
The Netherlands has built five artificial islands specifically for the conservation of birds and plants. Two years later, there are already 30,000 birds living there and 127 species of plants are growing.
NASA satellites recorded that the world has become greener than 20 years ago.
Since 1994, the number of suicides has decreased by 38%. It saved about four million lives.”
Posted By Sergey Gradil on FB, 2/26/2020
As elders with a long life behind us and not as much embodied life before us, and as humans on the planet Earth at this time, we are being faced with incredible challenges that compete to take our attention.
A couple of days ago I realized I no longer choose to have my attention taken by the fear, doom and gloom broadcast daily, whether on our smart phones news feed or while talking to others. I am weary of it all and need a higher vibration energy bath!.
It is not that I don’t want to know what is happening in the world, but instead the question I am posing to myself, and to you, every day is – where do we want to place our attention? We most always have a choice.
For the month of December I am placing attention on joy, laughter, creativity and acts of kindness as a experiment to see what unfolds. Seeking out and being aware of moments of joy sometimes hidden in the deep pockets and lining of each and every day that seem to get passed over without even looking back. They are always there.
Each day in December you will find a small nugget of joy, humor, creativity or small act of kindness that found me and pulled my attention which will be posted here. I invite you to join me and share your experiences and what you noticed so that we may spread it around! (Please use the “Comment” section below).
If you don’t want to miss any of these posts simply sign up for the blog here:
http://wildlyfreeelder.com/blog/
Gaye Abbott, Natural Passages Consulting, 12/3/21. Please feel free to share this post and link to WildlyFreeElder
Thanks for this perspective and the good news.
Your are welcome Vic….and thank you for subscribing to the blog!! Happy to have you here as part of the community…..Gaye