Seek good news and paint the world with new colors

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Paint cans with red, yellow, orange, light-blue and brown paint. A hand with a paint-brush inside the brown paint.

I think we're used to bad news. Everyday we’re told about the mistakes a government made, the violence of our society, tragedies and catastrophes. Scandals and commotion are prioritized over improvements of any kind. Those elements are essential because they’re part of our reality. Nevertheless, in my opinion, we’re being crowded with unhealthy negativism. I’m a great fan of “constructive criticism” because we have the right to express our thoughts but also the responsibility of asking ourselves “Is what I’m saying constructive or destructive?”. We’re responsible for what we tell and also for the information we receive. Sometimes we have to take action and decide what kind of news we want to pay attention to.

After some time focusing on upsetting headlines, we start creating a dense negative atmosphere difficult to see through. This environment can change the way we deal with problems. We may reach a state in which nothing is done because we think it isn't worth it. It's also discouraging when bad things are rewarded with full attention, while good actions are not even perceived. We only observe the deepness of the canyon and can’t notice that there's a bridge to get to the other side. We can’t see clearly because our view is disturbed by those who want us to think that everything is lost. Our planet is in trouble because bad news is stealing our hopes and our creativity to solve problems; we have to stop this phenomenon.

Then, we should take another path, go another direction. They show us the world as a road that leads nowhere beautiful. They tell us that everything is one way or another, good or bad, and we’re far away from good. But is everything black or white? No, there are many grays in between and also so many colors! We can’t lose the enchantment of our world. We still have marvelous places and extraordinary people. What happens is that on news and social media, we only see the ones that are causing trouble, and they’re just a small part of our society. We’re billions of people and, I like to think, most of us want the world to be a better place. Many are taking actions and creating a better world. We have to search for their stories and what they have done. In that way, we will be able to understand that we can still do something. We will then regain our hopes of a happy present and a wonderful future.

I don’t want to say that we have to close our eyes and be in a safety bubble. We have to pay attention to the troubles our society faces. It’s important to hear the voices of those who are suffering difficulties. But in response, we have to shout louder than the noise produced by problems. We can’t always focus on difficulties. We have to see further and find solutions. We can’t surrender toward those who show us only one face of the coin. We have the responsibility to ask for the other one. Our planet is not only made of bad situations, nor it is made only of good. Both make our present and both are essential, but nowadays we encounter every day more negativity. Next time you encounter a critique of some situation, ask yourself, “Is it trying to make an improvement?”. Next time you’re upset about a tragedy that happened, search a story of someone that has made a contribution to society. If we pay attention to positivity by seeking good news, we are able to paint our world with colors.

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