If you believe everything you read, you might think the world is falling apart right now.

The news headlines tell us all about the potential economic collapse of our economy, the dire straights of our political system, and of course, the medical scare with coronavirus and its global impact.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed, especially if you seek out more information and head down a path that confirms your fears.

Why is it that so much of the news focuses on the negative? Where are the good news shows? Why don’t we see headlines touting all the kindness and love in the world?

It’s because we each live in our self-perpetuating thought cycles. We want to confirm our beliefs by seeing evidence of it.

When our thinking is limited and fearful, we see evidence of things to fear.

There is a lot of negative news, but if you look, there are places that focus on the good news of the day too.

When we think happy and joyful thoughts, we can see and appreciate small, amazing things and feel happiness everywhere. There is beauty in a simple meal or walk around the block.

Life is wonderful, and there are plenty of examples of it if we pay attention to them. It’s up to us as individuals to find those examples and choose to emphasize the pleasant experiences and stories in our lives, rather than focus on the negative ones.

It’s similar to the shift in thinking about what you want in your life, instead of what you don’t want in it.

If you have the time to sit and read this article, right now – this very moment – life is pretty wonderful. You have the time and space to read something just for the pleasure of doing so. You’ve permitted yourself to let go of things you ‘should’ do and be present enough to be here with this post.

The feeling you have now is extraordinary. It’s something you created by yourself, and you can create it again and again, anytime you want. Really you can!

Next time you’re outside, appreciate the littlest flower or leaf you can find. Look at its unique details, color, and shape. Appreciate it for all that it is, then notice how you feel…and you’ll begin to see how easy it is to see some of the good in the world, little by little.