🤗 A hug for the soul

The feel-good newsletter from happilynews.com

October 11, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Feeling stressed? This newsletter is like a hug for your soul. 🤗 This week's Smileworthy delivers heartwarming stories of reunions, dreams coming true, Dolly Parton being an all-around hero, plus simple ways to boost your productivity. Dive in and feel good! ✨

Quick Lifts 😃

Heartwarming human interest stories from Happilynews.com guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Surprise Pregnancy Reveal! 🤰🎉 A group of friends posing for a photo in a cafe get the surprise of a lifetime when they spot a positive pregnancy test slid across the table.

Grandpa's Amazing Photo Legacy! 📸👴 A granddaughter's discovery of her grandpa's incredible travel photos has taken the internet by storm. While Clyde may be battling dementia, his stunning images from around the world are capturing hearts and inspiring wanderlust everywhere.

A Dream Come True at Disneyland! ✨ A grandpa who always dreamed of visiting Disneyland finally gets his wish, and his reaction will leave you teary-eyed.

Lucky enough to have been forwarded Smileworthy by a friend? Sign up here to receive good news in your inbox every week!

Happy Headlines of the Week 📰

Here’s some positive news items from publications around the world.

Hero Of The Week:

Hurricane Helene: Dolly Parton donates $1m to recovery efforts

The singer says she was "heartbroken" by the destruction wrought in the US by the powerful storm.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpdq65185qdo

Something Serious, But Good:

Lost biblical tree resurrected from 1,000 year-old seed | CNN

A long-lost tree species has new life after scientists planted a 1,000-year-old seed found in a cave in the Judean Desert in the 1980s during an archaeological dig.

edition.cnn.com/2024/10/03/science/biblical-tree-ancient-seed-tsori

Something Inspiring:

Torn Between Volunteering and Dream of Adopting a Cat, 6-year-old Starts Poop Scooping Business

First to fold laundry or mop a floor, Luca's mother said that his tendencies to offer his help pro bono at the shelter meant he had no money to

www.goodnewsnetwork.org/torn-between-volunteering-and-dream-of-adopting-a-cat-6-year-old-starts-poop-scooping-business

Something Good For The World:

Arctic ozone reaches record high in positive step for climate

Earth's ozone layer holes over polar regions, where the stratospheric ozone level is significantly depleted, have been a prevalent feature of climate change news in recent decades. Anthropogenic-sourced chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are the primary cause, released from household items such as coolants in fridges, air conditioners and spray cans. Restricting their use has been and remains paramount to ozone hole recovery as they have multi-decadal lifetimes in the atmosphere.

phys.org/news/2024-10-arctic-ozone-high-positive-climate.html

Something Quirky:

Treasure hunt for golden owl ends in France after 31 years

An owl statuette which was buried 31 years ago as part of a treasure hunt has reportedly been found in France.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvglkr4p578o

Got a story you want to share? Get in touch here.

Live Life Happily 😃

Tips on how to live a happier, healthier life from experts in their field.

Stress-Free Productivity 🧘‍♂️🚀

Feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list? This week, we're diving into the world of stress-free productivity with David Allen's renowned method, "Getting Things Done." It's not just about doing more things—it's about getting the right things done with clarity and focus, so you can free up mental space for what truly matters.

Key Takeaways for Mastering Your Workflow:

1. Capture Everything:

  • Get all your tasks, ideas, and commitments out of your head and into a trusted system. Use a notebook, app, or whatever works for you to capture everything that needs your attention.

2. Clarify: 

  • Process each item you've captured. Decide what it means and what needs to be done about it. Is it actionable? If not, trash it, delegate it, or file it for later.

3. Organize: 

  • Put everything in its place. Create lists and reminders for your actionable items, categorized by context (e.g., @calls, @home, @computer).

4. Reflect: 

  • Regularly review your lists and projects to stay on top of your commitments and ensure you're working on the most important things.

5. Engage: 

  • Take action with confidence, knowing you have a clear plan and a trusted system to support you.

Actionable Steps to Get Started:

  • Brain Dump: Take 15 minutes to write down everything that's on your mind.

  • Choose Your Tools: Select a notebook, app, or a combination of tools to capture and organize your tasks. Some great ones are Sunsama, Notion, Todoist, and Microsoft To Do, but there’s plenty more.

  • Process Your Inbox: Clear out your physical and digital inboxes, applying the "capture, clarify, organize" steps.

  • Create a "Next Actions" List: Identify the very next physical action required for each of your tasks.

By implementing these simple yet powerful strategies, you can move from feeling overwhelmed and scattered to feeling calm, focused, and in control of your day. It's time to reclaim your mental space and achieve stress-free productivity!

Before You Go…A Video Worth Sharing 📺

Brotherly Love at its Finest! 🪖🥹 A bride-to-be's rehearsal dinner takes an unexpectedly emotional turn when her soldier brothers make a surprise appearance.

That’s it for this week. How did you find Smileworthy? Hit reply and let us know what you liked (or didn’t) and what you’d like to see us feature in the future.

And don’t forget to share with your friends and family to brighten their day, too.

Have a great weekend!

~ Team Happily 😊

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