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Vol 30: Incredible micro-changes



Good times to you, Peekers (Positivity Seekers).
Let me begin this week's volume with an insight from John Halcyon Styn. He says, and I'm paraphrasing:
If you are guilty of spreading negativity via FB or any other social network, how about taking remedial action later? Once you are out of a negative state of mind, why not put a comment in that status stating the situation has been resolved/defused and a better reality has emerged? This way, you are letting people know that bad times don’t last, that bounce backs are possible etc. Simultaneously, you are also ensuring that people who meet you out in the real world – those who took the trouble to check up on you with a comment – don’t re-invoke that negative moment with follow-up questions like: “What really happened? Are you okay now?”
I thought it was a worthwhile thought. If we think we deserve attention when we are down, we also need to be responsible enough to negate the negativity later on.
And now... on to our usual segments. This week, we celebrate our world for becoming more incredible, one micro-change at a time. Enjoy!

News from the public domain


Bottles become roofs
Daring, low-cost solutions make the most sense in developing countries. Sometimes, these solutions have an inadvertent or planned eco-friendly dimension. Like how rural Ecuadorians are building roofs out of plastic bottles. Apparently the previous roofing solutions were either leaky or loud-cum-incinerating (see the video in the link above to know why). Now, sound and dry sleep is a possibility for the target audience.

Filipino political miracle

Soon, the name Benigno Aquino III will be known throughout the world. He's the incumbent President of the Philippines and a man who is pulling off audacious miracles one after another. The most admirable amongst them has been the ceasefire he has achieved with the militant separatist movement called the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Experts say that the Nobel Peace Prize is inevitable.
Meanwhile, the Philippines has finally become the fastest growing economy amongst South-East Asian countries. This well-structured story from the Mint newspaper sounds too good to be true. Fingers crossed, yet another nation is truly stepping into the 21st century.
This really isn't a micro-change unless perceived against the limitless fabric of time. :).
Going Green at a tender age
Paris successfully launched its bicycle-sharing program in 2007. Still, as smog levels rose, they launched an unpopular experiment to halve the traffic in the city earlier this year. The experiment lasted just one day, although the government claimed success.
Now comes the good news: the city has now embarked on an initiative that’s bound to garner accolades from all quarters. Children in the 2-8 age group now have pint-sized bicycles available to them. Well, they say eco-friendliness begins at home. It can also become early.
Say hi to a generation that might perceive bicycling, not driving, as the norm.
Jocular Djokovic goes unconventional
Don’t want to ruin this for you. Just watch the video.
An extraordinary Human of New York
If you are regular on social media, chances are that you have come across posts by Humans of New York. Well, their website is filled with poignant, fragile or inspiring stories… very human, each one. I particularly liked the story of the persevering teen mother.
Delhi to Agra in 99 minutes
The Indian Railways is the largest public transportation network in the world. What happens in Indian trains affects approximately 1% of Indians every single day. So when this mammoth organization takes one small step towards rapid transportation, it's time to celebrate. In the years to come, trillions of train journeys will become faster, bringing people closer together. Cheers!
How to spend the first 10 minutes of your day
Mise-en-place works like magic. To know what the term means and how it can help you take micro-steps towards your goals, do read this interesting Harvard Business Review blog. Incidentally, it's the first time that HBR has made it to our newsletter.

This happened to me


Journeying from sickness to kindness

Young girl vomits in a bus; older man comforts her. We've all experienced this, right?
Well, incredible micro-changes occur when people are willing to add a dimension of kindness to already compassionate moments. This is one such moment, contributed by Radhika Narayanan. Thank you, Radhika, for sharing this rainbow with us.

In conclusion

Hope you enjoyed this extra-packed volume of Positivity Weekly.
As always, do write in with your feedback, story ideas and personal anecdotes. You can reach us at positivityweekly@gmail.com
To read the previous volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.
To read the next volume of Positivity Weekly, please click here.

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