Looking For The Good

By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd

I was listening to NPR in my car one afternoon, and thinking about all the tragedy our world seems to experience. As I approached a stoplight, I listened as the announcer reported yet another horrible, sad story. At that same time, I looked up and noticed a man at the corner, waiting for the city bus. He was exuberantly dancing and apparently singing. I opened my window and heard him singing what seemed to be a song of praise in a loud, powerful and jubilant voice. I clearly heard him sing a line about hope and joy. Interestingly, he didn’t appear to be listening to music on a phone or any other device. The music he heard was coming from within, and he was sharing it enthusiastically, with voice and body.

The juxtaposition of this moment struck me. Even in the midst of all the negative news, there is always hope. There is always joy. There is always good.

It is easy to get bogged down in the negative news that crosses our path on a daily, if not hourly basis. Stories from across the globe of wars, crime, tragedies, natural disasters, homelessness, political discontent and other depressing topics are everywhere we turn. The “instant information” world we live in can be both a blessing and a curse. I have a friend that “quit” television and newspapers a number of years ago because she grew weary of all the negative news. At first I was surprised at her decision, but later recognized the merit in her thinking.

Despite what it may seem like sometimes, there is a lot of positive news. There are a number of websites and efforts devoted only to positive news and finding the good in our world. A few examples of positive news outlets are:

www.goodnewsnetwork.org
www.happynews.com
gimundo.com
www.dailygood.org
www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news
www.positive.news

I have added a few of these websites to my Favorites Bar, and I encourage you to consider doing the same.

The negative news can’t help but affect us, especially our children. Their perception of the world is still being shaped. I think we have an obligation to the younger generations to help them find the positive in our world, and in their day-to-day lives. I also think we should encourage them to seek opportunities to help make a difference in our world, and to show compassion and kindness to others so they can be part of the good news.

There is always hope. There is always joy. There is always good. Whether at an event with thousands of people or at a city bus stop, the good is out there. Let’s all help each other find it, each and every day.

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Ellen Bryant Lloyd is the author of FRECKLES and FRECKLES and The Great Beach Rescue. Please visitwww.funwithfreckles.com and www.facebook.com/funwithfreckles to learn more about Freckles. Ellen writes a blog about her perspectives on life and parenting at www.mindfulmom.wordpress.com and tweets at @EllenBLloyd. She also compiles a monthly blog for TMoM each month called “Ellen’s Book Nook.” You can see all of the Book Nook blogs HERE. Ellen lives in Greensboro with her husband and two children.

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