“What worn-out shticks are blinding you to the blessings that life is conspiring to give you?”–Rob Brezsny
People magazine sent me out to interview a Kansas City Secret Santa who passes out $100 bills. Twice. It was a hoot and a half to join him, to see the expression on people’s faces when he’d peal a couple hundys off his stack and hand them over.
So in the interest of continuing my long-standing journalism career, here are 20 additional reasons to be of good cheer:
1. A mystery woman walked into a Toys R Us in Bellingham, Massachussetts and paid off the entire store’s layaway balance, allowing strapped parents to pick up Christmas gifts for their kids.
2. Gas prices have dropped below $2 just in time for holiday visits to family.
3. The gorgeous beaches of Cuba have reopened to vacationing Americans.
4. Oakland Raider’s tackle Menelik Watson donated a week of his salary ($37,000) to Ava Urrea, a four-year-old girl who has had 14 heart surgeries.
5. Natalie DuBose, whose Ferguson, Missouri bakery was vandalized last year during protests, received more than $250,000 in donations from total strangers.
6. The curve is bending on new cases of HIV. More people are being treated than becoming infected.
7. Enough said. This note was left on a car in Edmonton, Canada.
8. Gay marriage is now legal in the United States.
9. An Ohio high school student took his 89-year-old great grandmother to prom because she’d never been.
10. A cop in Montreal has been stopping drivers and, instead of passing out tickets, is passing out $100 bills.
11. Global life expectancy has risen by six years since 1990.
12. Nearly 200 countries signed a bill to reduce the use of foreign fossil fuels.
13. A Dallas woman has donated more than 15,0000 house cleanings for people going through chemo.
14. A 12-year-old from San Jose, California, built a Braille printer (it’s called a BRAIGO) out of LEGO Mindstorms (it’s the souped up version) that lowers the going $2000 price to an affordable $350. He even offers open source plans online for free.
15. A police captain in Omaha, Nebraska organized a Valentine’s card campaign for her sergeant who remarked that he’d never received a Valentine’s card as a kid. He got hundreds from people all over the country.
16. A former professional ballet dancer developed a dancing wheelchair so all of us can dance.
17. Michelle Obama has volunteered the last five years to take calls for NORAD’s Santa hotline.
18. A New York City software engineer gave coding lessons to a homeless man. He offered him either $100 or two months of coding lessons. After just three and a half months, his homeless protégé developed Trees for Cars, a smartphone app that helps commuters organize carpools.
19. Scientists dated a bristlecone pine tree in California’s White Mountains as the world’s longest-living organism. It’s more than 5000 years old, older than the pyramids
20. And this video (which I already shared on Facebook)
And remember, my dear friends, this is the holiday season to do more of what you WANT to do and less of what you think you should.
Pam Grout is the author of 17 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the just-released sequel, E-Cubed, 9 More Experiments that Prove Mirth, Magic and Merriment is your Full-time Gig.
20 Responses
There was no link to the video mentioned in #20. Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 15:58:55 +0000To: gornnert@msn.comFrom: comment-reply@wordpress.comSubject: [New post] 21 reasons to be of good cheer
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psgrout posted: ““What worn-out shticks are blinding you to the blessings that life is conspiring to give you?”–Rob Brezsny
People magazine sent me out to interview a Kansas City Secret Santa who passes out $100 bills. Twice. It was a hoot and a half to join him, to “
It’s there. I think some platforms/formats just don’t read it. I’ve heard this before when I’ve posted YouTube videos. But if you feel like it, google Tambourine Guy. He uplifts me every time I watch his videos.
Thanks for the good cheer. Bless you for the reminders that you give to us. Gloria
From: Pam Grout To: gduwell@yahoo.com Sent: Friday, December 18, 2015 7:58 AM Subject: [New post] 21 reasons to be of good cheer #yiv9486161594 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv9486161594 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv9486161594 a.yiv9486161594primaryactionlink:link, #yiv9486161594 a.yiv9486161594primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv9486161594 a.yiv9486161594primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv9486161594 a.yiv9486161594primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv9486161594 WordPress.com | psgrout posted: ““What worn-out shticks are blinding you to the blessings that life is conspiring to give you?”–Rob Brezsny People magazine sent me out to interview a Kansas City Secret Santa who passes out $100 bills. Twice. It was a hoot and a half to join him, to ” | |
Have printed these up for my fridge…you know, to help with daily smiles!
#20. What video? Curious as a cat here!
There’s no link for the video.
And thanks for all of these!
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Can you imagine, all the little miracles that are happening all iver the world, shovelling snow off neighbours driveways, extra donations to food banks, kids concerts in old folks homes, so many wonderful and meaningful gestures, thank you for reminding us too see each one of them. Merry Christmas!
Lovely list…..now let’s see if we can keep it going all year long. I’m going to do my best.
Thank you Pam for all the blogs ~ they are uplifting and inspiring. Happy Holidays to you and Taz…..may your lives be filled with love, joy, peace and lots and lots of laughs.
Brit’ Bunny from S.C.
Thank you Pam! I, for one, am so thrilled to have found you!
I belong to a spiritual group and our latest book was your E-squared! So fun and so enlightening! Next we’re doing your E-cubed! Thank you for sharing your gift and talent with the lucky ones who have found you!
Peace and love
L❤️NDA
MERRY MERRY! To you and yours from a fan and long time admirer!
Love that video! Thanks and have a fabulous Christmas 🙂
Lynne
Thank you, thank you, thank you…. I love all the good you write and share about!!! 😀
“. ”
Cat
Thanks, Pam! i was feeling sad when I read this and it made me feel much better. It’s good to be reminded of the good.
The world is so good and filled with love and kindness!! Thank you for sharing !
Thank you for sharing I wish you could put this on all the news stations so people could focus on all the good people and good things instead of all the bad stuff. Maybe I will focus on that!!!!!!!
Hi Pam, this is Anna from California, thank you so much for this great post, I’m down with a bad cold, my best friend has cancer and I’m missing my son I lost two years ago and this post really got my back on my usual track of optimism and joy. I am having my class of amazing goddesses read E3 in January, I can’t wait. We all had so much fun with E2. Remember to call me if you are back in Nor Cal
Love and Blessings for a peaceful and blissful Christmas!
Thank you for this Pam! What a great thing to read first thing in the morning! We need to focus on the good more and watch our world change! Love it!
Thanks… Loved reading it… the one with the person who left the note with the battery really touched me…
I have to add one to your list. In 2014, I read (and loved E2) in a hotel room in wdw with vacationing with my family. I thought about the baby I’d wanted and tried to conceive for more than a decade. Now, I am nursing him in my arms. This is just one of many times the FP showed off in my life.
P.S. I’m using E2 & E3 to bring him a
little sister soon, along with many
good things to this universe : )
Joy to the world! ♡