Sometimes it may feel like the world is collapsing around us. Unclear how to navigate this turbulent and volatile landscape, we may find we want to shut ourselves off – to close our ears and eyes so that our hearts do not break. And yet we know we need to remain aware of what is happening, to be ready to respond if needed. It’s not your imagination that the news has become more negative, contributing to our pessimism about the future.

Recently we spoke of finding “islands of coherence in a sea of chaos,” and many of you responded positively to locating yourselves in new dimensions of being. One such realm is staying attuned to the positive news that so rarely gets reported in the corporate media. 

For example, did you know any of the following . . .

• The largest dam removal project in history is underway, allowing the Klamath River in California and Oregon to run free again.
• The Thames River, 60 years ago declared “biologically dead,” is now one of the world’s cleanest urban rivers.
• Solar and wind installations are projected to make up over 70% of new electricity capacity in the U.S. this year.
• A landmark court ruling in Ecuador now protects uncontacted Indigenous peoples in the Amazon.
• China has re-greened vast areas of the Loess Plateau, once considered “the most eroded place on Earth.”
• Global under-five mortality has fallen by more than half since 1990.
• Every new generation in the U.S. has a lower risk of dementia than the one before.
• Global conservation efforts are reliably bringing many endangered species back from the brink of extinction.
• Scientists have discovered a new class of antibiotics capable of defeating drug-resistant bacteria.
• In March, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on the text of a peace agreement to end nearly four decades of conflict.

How does it feel to read news like that? Does it surprise you? Uplift you? Perhaps even motivate you? These are just a few of the kinds of things that are happening while the stock market goes up and down, wars continue, and we worry about the weather. “If it bleeds, it leads,” is what gets covered in the media, usually sudden events rather than gradual trends. Stories about human progress that validate goodness in the world and give us hope usually happen over time with less drama and thus rarely get reported.

The list above comes from recent editions of Fix the News, a weekly newsletter that presents stories of progress from around the world that delight and inspire. There are numerous other online sources – daily meditations, podcasts, newsletters, and opinion essays  – that expand your sense of possibility and energize rather than depress you. Some of these require subscriptions, and why not pay for these non-mainstream sources? They need our support!

Choosing to keep yourself in a place of grounded optimism is, we believe, a responsibility for those of us seeking a better future. If you are what you eat – you are also greatly impacted by the media you consume. Notice how your relationship to “the news” affects your life. Perhaps you want to start a “news cleanse,” and then include more input that keeps you healthy and sane.

If you are someone who knows they are here to contribute to the flourishing of all life on Earth, we encourage you to tune yourself to the vibration of positive news and to seek out ways to spread good news yourself. 

With love,

Lynne & Sara