Dear #Positivity Friends,

Hey, it’s Valentine’s Day! It’s also, fittingly, American Heart Month, when we’re reminded to pay closer attention to our cardiovascular health. I honestly believe that caring for your health is an act of love for the people in your life who love you. I also believe that having a positive outlook is one powerful way to do that.

Medical researchers have identified a variety of physical and mental health benefits related to positive thinking, benefits ranging from reducing inflammation to increasing the body’s immune response to simply making better life choices. One UK study of more than 8,000 people showed that people with an optimistic, positive outlook had a 30 percent lower risk of developing heart disease. Yes, please!

Postivity can help combat stress, that boogey man who’s always threatening our cardiovascular health. Here’s one way to use positivity to beat back stress: Smile. A University of Kansas study has shown that smiling—even fake smiling—slows your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure during a stressful situation. Just think: you don’t have to pop a pill or go to a spa to calm yourself down. Just take a beat and remind yourself of someone or something that makes you smile. Play a little “Go Fish” with your kid. Watch a goofy cat video on YouTube. It’s the ultimate positive health hack!

As always, I hope that you are enjoying my newsletter. If you missed an edition, our last newsletter can be found on my website. Pass this newsletter along and encourage your family and friends to sign up!

With heart-healthy hope and positivity,

#Positivity^® Stories

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers vs. the Cats

Think Godzilla taking over Tokyo, but instead it’s a giant cat taking on a hydropower plant. To highlight the civil works programs of the Portland District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the usually strait-laced engineers created a calendar with images of cats climbing dams, stretching on steel beams, and playing with construction equipment. The photos cleverly promote Corps projects, from operating dams and locks on the Columbia River to excavation and dredging. The best part? Because it was created by a federal government agency, the calendar is in the public domain so you can download it for free from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Library.

Giving Old Wood New Life

Many municipalities around the country remove thousands of board-feet of waste wood from hazardous or condemned buildings that is then pulped, burned, or deposited in landfills. The Baltimore Wood Project, led by the U.S. Forest Service, aims to reduce this waste by developing a system to use reclaimed wood from derelict and condemned properties in Baltimore, many made of lumber from old-growth trees that were harvested in the early 1900s from natural forests. The Project is using this wood in the construction of city projects like pedestrian bridges and fishing piers. Local woodworkers are also buying the wood to make furniture. The appeal of reclaimed wood isn’t new, but this pilot project brings reducing urban waste to a new level.

Save the Bees

U.S. beekeepers lost about 45 percent of their honeybee colonies in 2020 due to habitat loss, pesticides, and weather. These bees aren’t kept just for making honey—they are essential for the pollination of 35 percent of food crops and 75 percent of flowering plants around the country. The bee population has been on a serious decline since 2006. Scientists are actively researching ways to reverse this decline with new methods to save bee colonies. One of the latest developments is the world’s first bee vaccine, which was developed to combat American foulbrood, a virus that causes entire bee colonies to die out. The vaccine is administered to female bees through a sugary substance they ingest, giving them exposure to tiny amounts of the virus that they then pass onto their offspring to develop a resistance to the pathogen. Keith Delaplane, professor and director of the University of Georgia Bee Program, is hopeful about this new tool in the urgent quest to save American bees: “If we can make a really heavy hit against American foulbrood, this will be a huge step forward.”

The only thing we can control is our own reactions. To master your emotions, it takes work every day to focus only on the things that are within your control.

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The Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher’s Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer and More Resilient

by William B. Irvine

It’s possible to learn how to control your response to setbacks. Philosopher William B. Irvine combines ancient Stoic thinking with modern psychology to demonstrate how to keep your calm and work through tough situations. Irvine’s “Stoic test strategy” challenges you to think of setbacks as a test of character, resilience, and resourcefulness. This simple strategy can help you turn your reaction to setbacks from anger and frustration to optimism and confidence. This book will show you how to overcome the obstacles you face every day and become a calmer, more resilient person.

If you like our #Positivity® Newsletter...You’ll 💕Our Podcast, Common Denominator. Each week, I have inspiring conversations with great thinkers.

Now Playing

‣ Professional dating coach Rikki Dymond has tips to help you level up your love life, including what NOT to do on dates, how to keep your marriage spicy, and how to carve out some alone time for you and your partner.

Coming Feb. 21st

‣ Dr. Brad Schaeffer is a Board-Certified foot surgeon who co-stars on TLC’s hit show My Feet are Killing Me. He’ll tell us how he landed that gig, what excites him the most about working with patients, and he’ll even help you choose the perfect sneaker.

Available on your favorite podcast app and YouTube

Spreading #Positivity^®

Thank you, readers, for sending us your photos with your comments. We are so excited that you are helping spread a positive message everywhere you go! Let’s keep spreading #Positivity^® together! Send us your photos and stories to info@moshepopack.com and include your name and social media handle. We will feature them in the next newsletter and on Facebook!

#Positivity® Stories

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers vs. the Cats

Giving Old Wood New Life

Save the Bees

Spreading #Positivity®

Listen to Common Denominator & Follow Me on Social!

#Positivity^® Stories

Spreading #Positivity^®