The movement is growing

What’s good?

I never spent much time thinking or talking about trends, but here is a trend I love. The What’s Good Newsletter is growing… quickly. That means that more and more people are at least interested in seeing what can happen when we work toward goodness and stay curious about one another’s experiences.

It’s grueling work and sometimes it can feel fruitless. We’ll explore that more in this issue and we’ll also:

• spend time with a national treasure

• start paying attention to the glow around and within us

• take a stroll down a long hallway

• get corny with ourselves

Don’t forget to share your good here. It is going to feel awkward and uncomfortable at first, but the more you build the habit of paying attention and sharing, the more good you will start to notice… it’s guaranteed.

Fireflies

Last week, this section was named “fireflies” after we learned that fireflies will intentionally sync their light up with other fireflies to magnify their glow. We love the title and we are keeping it. Here’s where we’ll share the light from amazing others across the web, on social media, and beyond so that we can magnify their glow.

• Get your tissues for this director’s cut of the new Coldplay music video, All My Love featuring the epitome of goodness, Dick Van Dyke. Everything about this video is a reflection of our human condition… that’s good.

• This week, we’re adding in a podcast episode recommendation. Check this Wiser Than Me episode with Julia Louis-Dreyfus talking with Anne Lamott (author, Bird by Bird)

• Here’s your Instagram follow of the week if you love daily positive news. Check out @globalpositivenews

What’s Good Merch

Last month our family traveled to Disney World (more on that later) and I wore my “What’s Good?” sweatshirt on the way down. It’s one of the best conversation starters I have… the number of people who stopped to just ask me “what’s good” or volunteered some good information was awesome. Check out The What’s Good Store and do your part to keep the conversation going. There’s some new merch with a cute aesthetic and nothing but positive messaging.

There’s nothing flashy about goodness

In a world of influencers and short attention spans, goodness is a hard sell. There’s nothing glitzy or glamorous about goodness. No pomp and circumstance. No fireworks. A majority of the time, goodness is about being unseen. Most of the good deeds you will do in this world, no one will ever know about. This begs the question: will we still do good if it earns us nothing in return?

This lies at the heart of the mission and purpose of The What’s Good Project. When we ask “what’s good” there is no expectation of a response met with confetti and a parade. It is an invitation for people to recognize their own subtle glow of kindness, compassion, joy, etc. that is forever growing within them.

The Hallway of Goodness

There is an old retreat house just outside of Reading, PA where I used to accompany student groups on their journey of spiritual formation and discernment. It is a massive property with expansive acreage and a gargantuan, stoic, brick building that rivals something out of Harry Potter.

On each floor, there is a hallway of simple bedrooms for those making a retreat. As you stand on one end of the hallway, you can peer down to the other end (which seems to stretch for about a full city block) and see nothing but door, after door, after door.

Like most older buildings, the hallways were dark and mysterious with only a few sconce lighting fixtures along the opposite wall.

Every night of the retreat, after a full day of deep listening, spending time in the community, and discerning, retreatants would return to their rooms before bed. It was at this moment, that you started to notice the glow (both literally and metaphorically). If you stood at the end of the hall at this moment, you would see the glow of light in each room work to spill out under the doorways. The literal light emulates the light that is billowing within.

For me, goodness is the journey from one end of the hallway to the other, stopping at each door to open it just a small crack and letting the light’s glow spill out into the dark hallways of the world. Each room’s glow gifting enough light to illuminate the path to the next door.

And so it is with us. As we continue to bring good deeds into our world— without the need for flash— we spill one another’s light out so that the path can be a little bit brighter on our way to open new doors, seek new relationships, make new friends, to ask new questions, and to ultimately find ourselves waking up to the brightness of the morning.

Let’s keep asking “what’s good” so that we can open one another’s doors and spill our collective light into the world’s dark hallway.

Goodness starts within. Be good to yourself.

Last week, the Instagram follow recommendation was Mel Robbins. This week, she’s getting even more screen space as we look at tips to practice goodness. And it’s for good reason. Mel is a best-selling author, one of the most sought-after motivational speakers, a thought leader, and a key influencer. She doesn’t need any promotion on the newsletter about goodness. But she’s gonna get it because she is the queen of practical, relatable, achievable (but science-backed) hacks to make your life better.

Here’s the hack of the week to help you keep working on good deeds and starting with yourself as the beneficiary.

The High Five Habit is a game changer. The whole book is chock full of wisdom, insight, and reflection but here is the core premise that will absolutely improve your life.

Every morning when you go into the bathroom, high-five yourself in the mirror.

Ridiculous, right? So stupid, right? The corniest thing you ever heard, right? Good. Then there is absolutely no risk in trying it. Trust me… it will make a difference and you’ll start being good to the person who matters most in your life. You!

I’ve been high-fiving myself for over a week now and my mood has been significantly improved. I even forgot one morning and went back into the house to high-five the mirror before setting out through my day.

Bonus Step: When your high-fives inevitably lead to goodness, be sure to share your own “what’s good” here. As we build community, it is important to share the goodness we are finding in our own lives.

Spread Goodness

The What’s Good Project is young and growing. Forward this email to your friends who either know the value of good or could use a little good to help them along. They can subscribe below.

and shout back…

Don’t hesitate to reply to this email with any thoughts, requests, or feedback. This newsletter exists for you and what you need, so be sure to make your voice heard so that we can magnify our collective glow.

Full disclosure

You need to know that I benefit from some of the links above as an affiliate. This means that if you purchase something using a link in this newsletter, I get a small commission on that sale. I don’t include or recommend anything in this newsletter that I have not personally benefitted. Transparency is essential.