Hello everyone! Wow, I can’t believe it has been a month already! It feels like just yesterday spring break was starting and now here we are. So many new and exciting things have happened since last time we spoke. Today, we are going to be talking about some positive things going on in the news, goal setting and even more! So, let’s start off with some worthwhile and heartwarming things that have happened around the tri-state this month…

• Blankets of Hope project: 

Two brothers, Mike and Nick Fio from Brooklyn are uniting the tri-state with their non profit organization entitled, Blankets of Hope. In partnership with the Boys and Girls club of New Jersey, these brothers travel to schools in the Garden State in order to raise awareness about homeless shelters and teach the children empathy. Once Mike and Nick explain the situation, the kids write letters to the less fortunate and attach them to blankets that are given to homeless shelters within the state! The kids absolutely love participating in such an activity and the homeless love the connection and empathy of the children. It’s a great way to spread hope and happiness within the state!

• Mind-controlled prosthetics: 

Mind-controlled prosthetics have been developed in Brooklyn, which is absolutely amazing for Sara Pellerin, a local tri-state resident who lost her arm seven years ago due to the swine flu. Throughout her life, things have been less than normal for her. However, after these prosthetics, which work off mind and nerve impulses, Sara is now able to cook, clean, shop and do everything a normal person could. It’s a game changer and brings a sense of normalcy to others who have to live such abnormal lives. 

• 3D printers and ducks: 

Long story short, Lynn Egan has rescued a disabled duck! The special duck, named Lucky, needed basically a whole leg.. Instead of giving up, Lynn took matters into her own hands. She used a 3D printer in order to create a substitute leg for the duck. Connecting the contraption around the duck’s lifeless leg, Lucky was able to live a more semi-normal life full of happiness. The fact Egan did not lose hope is not only heartwarming and sweet, but it also exemplifies the kindness of people in the world. 

• Running for Autism: 

This next story involves two of my favorite things: running and charity! There was a 5k race in Brielle, New Jersey. 600 racers were lined up in order to assist people with Autism who have grown out of local community resources. The point of this run was to show support and love towards people with autism and help ensure they still receive the proper education needed! The fact people were able to band together for a single important cause shows that there is still good in our society and we need to cherish these moments of pure goodness. 

Well, looks like a lot of positive events happened around the tri-state area. With so much negativity in the world it is imperative that we look at some more positives in order to benefit our own mental health. Actually, speaking of mental health, May is national mental health month! This month revolves around making sure you take care of yourself, both mentally and physically to be the best version of yourself. 

As discussed last week, the way to be happier is by having a more positive mindset. However, let’s also discuss how you can help the people around you. To make someone’s day a little better you can do things like…

• Compliment someone-it could be something like saying you like their shirt or it could be something as small as  saying “good job!” when they get a question right in class. 
• Flash them a smile in the hall. 
• Help them out-if they drop something pick it up! If they need help with a math problem, offer assistance!

Most importantly, make sure to never judge or make fun of someone. You never know what is going on in their personal lives! 

Moving on, it is a new month. Set some reasonable goals for yourself now. Next month I’m going to follow up and see if you go through with them…so DON’T QUIT! 

However, if I’m making you set goals for yourself, it is only fair that I set a goal for myself as well. I think this month I am going to try and compliment at least five people I don’t know very well. This can be a complete stranger in a store or it can even be someone in the halls of school. This definitely is not a large goal, but it is still something to get me out of my comfort zone and talk to new people. Remember, whatever reasonable goal you set needs to be in YOUR best interest, not anyone else’s! You can even take a look at the image below to help you think of a smart goal!

I’ll give you five more seconds GO! 5…4…3…2…1! Did you set your goal? Let’s hope!

Anyways, I think it is about time this month’s article comes to a close. Hopefully everyone who read this took something away from it or even just smiled at one point or another. 

Remember to make the most out of your month and reach for your goals! See you all June 1st! 🙂