Tidbits of hope

With all the bad things happening in the world, both near and far, I thought it was time to write a column to share tidbits of hope. Here goes!

1. Feeling hopeless and sad right now? Do something!

If you’re upset about something happening in the world and/or in our community, see how you can help. It might be a donation, the gift of your time, etc.

For example, when our school shooting happened at Noblesville Middle School in 2018, I joined a group called BeSMART to spread information about gun safety. While I only participate in five to six events a year, it helps knowing I’m making a small difference. And if we all do this, we’ll start to make a BIG difference.

Is winter getting you down? After our beautiful, spring-like day last Monday, it was hard to face the return of freezing temperatures Tuesday. February is the time of year where many of us are ready to part with winter, even those of us who are trying to embrace it.

Lift your spirits by learning something new! For the past few weeks, I’ve been studying a book about sailing in preparation for getting “hands on” to really learn at Lake of the Woods in Bremen this summer.

It’s been fun to imagine the sun, water, blue skies, and warm wind on my face as I study terms like port, starboard, luff, leech, etc. It also gets my mind off the bad things going on.

2. Want to lift your spirits each week? Subscribe to this!

I’ve told family members and friends about this for a few years now, and I thought it would help my readers, too. Check out Reasons to be Cheerful: reasonstobecheerful.world. I’ve subscribed to their newsletter for a while now.

Reasons to be Cheerful shares stories about people from various places around the planet who are making a difference. I’ve enjoyed this so much that I became a member for a reasonable cost last year.

When the “regular” news gets me down, I always know that every Tuesday I’ll see the good things others are doing and feel uplifted.

3. Look at the amazing people in our community.

Our own Hamilton County Reporter shares stories about people in our county who work hard to help others. I know some of us are familiar with Nancy Chance with Good Samaritan Network, Anita Hagen with Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank, and many more.

I’m friends with two people who are making a difference for the planet by taking Styrofoam down to Recycle Force in Indianapolis to be recycled. My husband and I were grateful for their efforts after we cleaned our attic last weekend. We had huge chunks of it that will be re-used, not sitting in a landfill thanks to them!

4. Finally … pray often.

Whether you pray to God or just send out words into the Universe, prayer helps not only you, but those around you. It’s my “go to” when things turn ugly in the world.

Amy Shankland is a writer and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John, two sons, two dogs, and a cat. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.