One October Saturday in Southern Louisiana and All the Good

Given recent events, it’s easy to have a bleak outlook on life, and on the human race. I struggle with it myself, frequently. I’ve written earlier today in fact, about how social media and news publishers are even working to make us more fearful and outraged about the world because it’s good for their bottom line.

In researching that article, I really struggled with feeling like our own tools and our own traits are being used against us, and that unless we are willing to make some changes in the ways we interact with media it’s only going to get worse.

I wasn’t seeing much good news and hope, but I also knew that in the midst of this kind of news, I wanted to follow that old advice from Mister Rodgers, look for the helpers. Look for the people doing something, anything, they can. Not just in the midst of an emergency, but anywhere and everywhere.

Armed with that desire, I went back to social media, I went back to work, and I tried to keep moving forward. As I did, a funny thing happened. I discovered that Oct. 21 will be a day full of people I know, doing good.

My wife and I will be raising money for suicide prevention.

Friends and family will be in New Orleans raising money for breast cancer research. 

Co-workers will be participating in a trunk or treat event for kids at Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge.

That’s three groups of people, doing good as they can just in our little section of Louisiana. Who knows how many other events and acts of kindness will be happening all over the world, and there likely won’t be tweetstorms, live media coverage, or hours of talking heads dissecting all the details. There will be just people doing good, as many do every other day. Lots, and lots, of them. That’s what we should be focused on, and what we should strive to be. Not only is the world a tiny bit better every time we focus on doing something, it’s also better for our own mental and emotional well-being.

We all want that, right? So figure out a way to focus on the good today, and any time you get a chance. Consider donating at one of the links above if you want to do something good right now, find some other way to give to your friends, family, a stranger, or just say thank you for something good someone else is doing around you right now.