Dear #Positivity Friends,

Do you ever find yourself wide awake in the middle of the night, stewing about something that went wrong that day or worrying about something unpleasant you’ve got to deal with tomorrow? When one of those troubling thoughts takes hold, you’ll turn it over in your head a thousand times but never manage to feel better about what’s bothering you. While you’re going round and round on that mental hamster wheel, the night feels like it will never end, doesn’t it?

But then you wake up in the morning, and even though nothing has changed, somehow you don’t feel so bad. Why is that? It turns out things actually are better in the morning!

A large, two-year study conducted by University College London explored whether people’s mental health and well-being varied over the course of the day. The study found that people have a brighter outlook in the morning than any other time of the day. The overwhelming majority of the nearly 50,000 adults who participated in the study indicated that they start their day in the most positive frame of mind and have the least hopeful perspective at around midnight.

This was an observational study, so it could only show that people are happier in the morning, not why this is true. It didn’t account for people’s sleep cycles or the weather or if the respondents were early birds or night owls. But it did reveal that there are also certain days of the week (Mondays and Fridays) and seasons of the year (summer) when people’s outlooks are cheerier.

I don’t know about you, but I’m comforted to learn that I’m not alone when I’m wrestling with anxious thoughts in the middle of the night. I’m also glad to learn that a better view of the world will never fail to greet me with the sun in the morning. Mother Nature is always there to give you a boost if you know where—or when—to look for it!



As always, I hope that you’re enjoying my newsletter. If you miss any edition, you can find it on my website. Pass this newsletter along and encourage your family and friends to sign up.

With hope and positivity,

What would you do if you were walking down a city sidewalk and came upon a telescope pointed at the sky? You’d have to look into the telescope, right? Imagine your surprise and delight to get a view of Saturn’s rings or the craters on the moon. Thanks to an urban astronomy movement called #PopScope, since 2014, more than 25,000 lucky people have been able to peer through the project’s 550+ pop-up telescopes that have been placed on sidewalks in cities around the world. #PopScope co-founder Michael O’Shea says the volunteers who man the telescopes love to see the look on a stranger’s face when they see these astral wonders for the first time. One excited viewer exclaimed, “Saturn’s rings…they look like a Saturn emoji!!!”

Lean Learning

by Pat Flynn

Sometimes more isn’t better. Author Pat Flynn argues that our brains are cluttered with so much non-essential information that it’s hard to be sure what we really need to know to achieve our goals. Based on a scientific understanding of how humans absorb, process, and use information, Flynn proposes a new way to zero in on just what you need to know and not be distracted by what you don’t. Using real case studies, Flynn also shows you how to leverage the knowledge you already have to achieve better results. You’ll find that this book is a very handy tool in your ongoing battle against information overload!