Vol 22: Life's electrifying changes

Hello again, fellow Peekers (Positivity Seekers).

This week’s theme is change. Change for the better. Change for variety and happiness.

Our lives are filled with things that remain the same and things that constantly change. And we have enough reasons to be thankful for both those categories of things, right? This week, let’s celebrate change.

News from the public domain

The racist un-divide

When a so-called mainstream Indian calls a person from the Indian North-East chinki, he simultaneously insults three geographies. Not only does he insult the Chinese (chinki is slang for Chinese) and the unique and diverse culture found in our North-East, he also insults the open and assimilating nature intrinsic to most Indians.

And yet, instances of chinki insults are on the rise. Or are they? This video tells us that many Indians no longer tolerate bigots.

A sliver of change

While caste is a major determinant in Indian elections, it is especially so in Rajasthan, where large chunks of the population vote on caste lines. That’s what makes Dr Tanmay all the more admirable. As the Jaipur candidate of the India People’s Green Party, the good doctor refuses to reveal his last name. Not only that, he turns away voters who want to know his caste. In addition to equal societies, Dr Tanmay’s party believes in small governments and “liberal economies”.

Why Iceland recovered so quickly

Iceland’s President doesn’t understand why so many countries were so keen to embrace the “Washington Consensus” while drafting economic policies. He doesn’t see sense in “treating private banks like modern-day churches”. Instead, he believes that economy revolves around a community of people. And these people must have faith in the model for the economy to function well. With such inclusive thoughts, the small sparsely populated nation has bounced back from the last global economic meltdown and now sports an unemployment rate of just 2%.

Watch this refreshing President use his endearing accent to change your mind.

13 things to remember when life turns rough

You’ve probably realized this already – we at Positivity Weekly are quite partial to “lists” that help us get through bleak times. Here’s one more. You may have heard it all before. You may know it all already. If that’s the case, well, consider this an important revision of life lessons.

From the mouth of babes

What is it about dancers and wisdom? Are they dancing because they are wise? Sometimes, it seems so. This 3-year-old Chinese kid will blow you away with his courage and unhindered ability to express himself. Is it any wonder that he has the audience eating out of his hands from the beginning?

If you don’t have ten minutes to watch this video, I suggest that you watch the first three minutes and then forward to the 7 minute 30 second mark. Trust me. You don’t want to miss what this boy says about his mother.

Run hard, run fair

In December 2012, Spaniard Ivan Fernandez Anaya chose not to win a cross-country race. He decided that Abel Mutai from Kenya deserved to win. Read the rest here.

Even in this day and age, it took almost a month for this news to be carried far and wide. Apparently, positive news still travels at a slow pace. Have more of it out there might help. Yet another reason for us to exist!

33 unbelievable places on Planet Earth

Nature is never short of imagination. But sometimes, Nature becomes the whimsical boy with a fetish for brightness and oddness. Occasionally, Nature behaves like a colour-blind painter and creates a masterpiece that makes us breathless.  At other times, Nature is a whacky sculptor with a bizarre sense of size, proportions, shape and feature.

One thing that Nature can never be is ordinary. Everything it creates is beautiful. But these 33 sightings of Mother Nature are particularly exceptional. We dare you to look at any of these pictures and say, “That’s nothing special.”

In conclusion

We put the list of 33 unbelievable places in the end because it’s an overwhelming piece of information. It will make some of us go into a spiral of daydreams. And the fact that such a list can be compiled on our planet should serve as a reminder that we are indeed fortunate life forms.

Till next time, we hope you enjoy your stay on our beautiful, bountiful planet.

To read the previous volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.
To read the next volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.

And as always, do write in with story ideas and personal contributions. You can reach us at positivityweekly@gmail.com