Be Inspired and Give

The past few days I haven't been able to look away from the news about the ongoing tragedy of the Haiti earthquake. To me, the most heartbreaking victims are the children who are often too young to even realize what is happening. This is why I found this CNN story about Haitian orphans getting sent to the states to meet their new families especially heartwarming.


As a recent college graduate, I don't have the funds or ability to adopt an orphan from Haiti, as much as I would want to. But I can, along with hundreds of thousands of people around the world, donate to the relief effort. Go to the Red Cross website to find out how.

and that's your daily good thing.

Be Informed

Keep up with current events. It is important to know what is going on in the world. And with online newspapers, twitter, facebook, youtube and DVR, there really isn't any reason not to. I like to get my news from a variety of sources, but I rely the most on CNN and The New York Times. I follow both on Twitter, and with just a glance I know the major headlines of the day. Of course I try to read as many of the articles as I can, but if I am having a hectic day it is nice to at least have an idea of the major news story that day. It is impossible of course to keep up with all the news all the time, the only downside with modern news outlets is we are bombarded with almost more news than we can process. My general rule of thumb is to follow the really "big stories" and then read or watch the news that interests me. Being well informed will help shape and give substance to opinions you have about the world. Plus, on a superficial note, you will have something to talk about at a dinner party. A fun way to test your news knowledge is with the CNN Challenge. It is an online, interactive news trivia game. You can challenge friends and family or other people in the CNN Challenge community. It is a quick, easy and fun way to improve your news knowledge. I added a CNN news gadget on the sidebar so you can stay informed while reading DailyGoodThing.

And that's your daily good thing!

Have Faith in Mankind

Sometimes it seems like the world is a dark place. That there are more "bad" people than "good" people. And while horrible things do happen, I like to think that for every cruel or selfish act, there are at least ten times as many kind and selfless acts. It can be hard to believe this with all of the scary news we are constantly bombarded with. Which is why news specials like "CNN Heroes-Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact" reinforce that there are good people in our world, and to have faith in mankind. Watch or read the stories of these "Heroes" and know that they are only a fraction of the amazing people in this world and the good that they do. Go to CNN Heroes to read more.

Having faith in mankind will lift your spirits and inspire you to be a better person. You don't need to be nominated as a CNN Hero to have a positive impact. Whether you volunteer your time or teach your children to be good people, or simply hold the door open for someone with a heavy load, you are making a difference.


"Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry. Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need," Efren Peñaflorida, CNN 2009 Hero of the Year. (Photo courtesy of AsianJournal.com)

And that's your daily good thing.