“Very Important Positivity”: If You Are Feeling Down, These 50 Wholesome Posts Might Make Your Day
Interview
Autumn is nearly out in full force already, and many of you Pandas might be feeling a bit blue. Meanwhile, some of you might be under the weather, others might be worried about the rising cost of, well, everything, the war, and the ongoing pandemic. That’s on top of all the stress you might be facing at work, school, and home. However, life isn’t all completely dreary—there’s a lot of beauty and kindness out there, too. You just have to look closer.
So, in order to give you a well-deserved break from all the problems of the world and to bring a bunch of hope back into your lives, today we’re featuring the best of the best from the ‘Very Important Positivity’ Facebook page. It’s a celebration of everything good about the world, from altruistic people to happy pets, and everything in between.
Now, pick your favorite metaphor, and let’s go find that silver lining and/or remember to turn on the light, shall we? It’s almost impossible not to smile. Upvote your fave pics, and pop down by the comment section to tell us about the best thing that happened to you this week. Oh, and if you know someone who could use a good pick-me-up, be sure to pass this post along to them. There’s practically nothing better than spreading happiness.
Bored Panda reached out to the founder of 'Very Important Positivity,' Elle McGann, who kindly answered our questions about her project. "Initially, it [the page] was created to inspire by sharing people's achievements, allow people to share in the joy of the happy moments in life, and to be an alternative to the negative news and attitudes that can seem all-pervasive in modern life," she told us. Scroll down for our full interview about happiness and optimism, Pandas. And if you enjoyed the posts, make sure to follow the VIP socials.
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Also, not every divorce is due to people hating each other or something. Sometimes a divorce can save a relationship, heck, good friends of mine divorced only 2 years ago and they are best friends, better of than during their marriage.
Yep, staying together for any other reason than genuinely wanting to will always result in a negative outcome on some level. If you don't want to be with them then you effectively guarantied to build some resentment towards them. Now "wanting to" does not always have to be a romantic based "wanting" but can be a more practical one like financial, but the key is that both genuinely want to stay together.
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Absolutely. If you’re getting serious with a romantic parter, watch how his/her parents treat each other. You’re going to get a good idea what your getting into if you marry.
I get this. My ex was gay, (sadly deceased now). We got married young, tried to stay together for the kids. Finally it was like, yeah. We both like women. This isn't going to work. Still friends until she passed.
My first husband. second husband and I twice went on week-long boat delivery trips for my second husband's sailboats. I was divorced from both of them, but we all had good relationships with each other. (Looking back, we were behaving like adults and all our kids could see it.)
I always take my son shopping for his mom’s Xmas and birthday, I invite her, her current boyfriend and her friends out boating a lot. Not only does it strengthen all of our relations, his mom has cute friends, so it’s a win-win situation 😉
To be fair, this is a great gesture only IF his ex-wife wants all that from her ex-husband. I'm kind of uncomfortable with only reading his, seemingly virtue-filled, account of something that might look very different from her point of view. If she'd be trying to move on or sth., it overwrites her agency, and on her birthday, too! My best friend's ex-bf always congratulates her on her birthday, wishes her a merry Christmas etc. Great, huh? Until I tell you they've been apart 6 years, he ends all his messages with "I love you" and frequently tried (sometimes succeeded in) emotionally coercing her into sex, even though he's been with another woman for years. He won't let her move on, and she's unable to go NC. Yes, you've got to teach your children how to treat other people, but the first rule is to check what people need, not to act on your expectations of their feelings.
Most people don't think that far ahead. They're too busy worrying about themselves to think of the example they are setting.
I still live my ex (he's gay) we have 4 children, our eldest has recently moved out and we work together - we're with each other nearly 24/7. We very rarely argue and still make each other laugh on a daily basis. Also, our respective in-laws still welcome each of us with open arms.
That is like my ex-husband. In fact I always tell people just because we got divorced didn't mean we stop being family.
First grade teacher for decades. At back to school night the most important thing I wanted parents to know was this...be the adults you want your child to grow into.
I wish more fathers would lead by your example (mothers, too!)! My daughters’ father felt that badmouthing me to them was appropriate. Meanwhile, I would still take them shopping for birthdays, Christmas, and Father’s Day, even if he didn’t deserve it.
It‘s not only that. He also teaches them not to be petty or even malicious just because he fell out of love with their Mom. AND it seams the kids stay with their Mom, so they are attached to her. If he had been mean to her or talked bad about her to them, they either would have started to dislike her themselves or dislike him for talking trash about her. That would have also affected their relationships in the future. It might even have made them cynic or bitter. And it takes a long time to see that you behave badly and that you do it because of your parents bahavior to each other. (My parents divorced when I was around 11 and they were not cordial to each other).
I agree! A great relationship between parents is so important. Me and my ex split when our Boys were 3 and 1 (now 17 and 15) and we've always celebrated Christmas, birthdays and other important things together. We both attend pta meetings, doctor/dentist appointments and for mothers day He always helps my Boys make my day special. And of course He and his girlfriend was guests at me and my husbands wedding - as I consider him one of my closest friends.
I agree with all of these comments. I still get things for my ex-wife because she's the mother of my two little monsters, and now that they're growing up, I make sure that I get their input on her birthday or mother's day gifts. My ex-wife and I have a very good relationship. Like BP says, we're raising little women and men and teaching them how to treat others. There is no need to be raising or teaching hate. That just isn't there for me, towards my ex-wife. She's getting remarried next week to a good guy and he treats her well and the kids well, so I truly couldn't ask for anything more.
My first husband left me for my (then) best friend. I don't mind admitting that I absolutely despised him for a good 3-4 years, then I met someone and realised if I was putting all this energy into hating him, what was left for me? Long story short, we get on so amazingly now, we go out for birthdays, Christmas, he even takes my other son who has autism and can be difficult swimming when he takes our 2. He has helped me out financially a LOT over the years and we
*all have dinner together at mine once a week. I think it's so important for the kids to understand that we've both moved on and although we're both remarried now (him and my now husband get on really well, as do i with his partner, we still love them the same.
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I saw some good advice to the effect of: don't have kids with someone you wouldn't trust to respectfully co-parent with if you ever separate
Amen, you are raising men PERIOD. WE need more like you because ya'll divorce doesn't mean you not civil.
"I definitely share a broader range of things than I did initially - I realized a momentary break from the world to enjoy a meme, a tweet, or something random that sparks joy really helps nourish the soul," Elle, the founder of the page, told Bored Panda. She revealed to us that she started 'Very Important Positivity' years ago to "stay connected to my audience after leaving my previous page," which was called 'Wholesome Memes.'
Bored Panda was curious to get the VIP page founder's opinion about the reason for the content's success. "I think content that feels good resonates with the joy that exists within us. When we create and share our experiences, it makes them bigger than ourselves—there is no better feeling than making someone laugh, feel lighter, or remain hopeful," Elle said.
"After coming home from Iraq, Tyler's dad had nightmares so bad he feared closing his eyes. Tyler designed a smartwatch app to detect their onset and disrupt them with a gentle vibration. It just won FDA approval to treat PTSD-related nightmare disorders. Wholesome Moments"
"People enjoy content that allows them to forget about negativity, current events, and politics, and enjoy things that make them feel calmer and happier."
According to the creator of 'Very Important Positivity,' the secret to happiness and optimism during tough times is to stop looking for something hidden.
First picture "What are you doing? Get it away from me!" Second picture "I swear, if you so much as lay a finger on my little marshmallow, I'm going to ruin your favorite shoes!"
"I find when I look within and face my pain, stress, or sadness, I’m able to create something that helps myself as well as others, it makes my life worth living. Tough times open the door to peace when you radically accept yourself. You already have what you need inside—joy, optimism, love are an accessible part of you, and when you let them take over, you’re unstoppable. Simply be!"
Over 600k people follow the ‘Very Important Positivity’ Facebook page for a source of laughter, wide smiles, and truly heartwarming content. Life’s never easy, but some periods of time are tougher than others.
How sweet! I know what this is like since I'm autistic, and people are kind enough to treat me like a regular human being.
The past few years, in particular, have been very difficult for a lot of people. Naturally, many folks might be feeling exhausted not just physically but also emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually. And while some soul-healing memes aren’t the solution to all of life’s problems, they might just restore a bit of your faith in humanity and make you feel better about the state of the world for a few minutes. Heck, they might even inspire you to be kinder than usual today.
Here at Bored Panda, we genuinely think that laughter and (realistic) optimism can help people get through the darkest of times. It’s about finding a balance where you’re hoping for the best and taking actionable steps to make things better, while avoiding toxic positivity and total pessimism.
It’s fine to be realistic about what we can and cannot change. Healthy, even. But it’d be wrong to equate that to feelings of powerlessness. Small acts of kindness reach farther than we might expect them to. Kindness begets more kindness. And small collective actions towards a brighter future add up very quickly.
When we give others a helping hand, we’re also taking care of our happiness at the same time. The friendly team at ‘Action for Happiness’ explained to Bored Panda during an earlier interview that there are 10 keys to happier living: “Giving, relating, exercising, awareness, trying out, direction, resilience, emotions, acceptance, and meaning. We are likely to be happier if our lives have direction, meaning, and purpose and if we are part of something bigger than ourselves.”
If you’d like to invite more kindness into your life and don’t know where to start, you can always the people closest to you. Perhaps you might be able to help your neighbor with something. Or volunteer in your local area. Start off small, focus on the things you’re grateful for, and look for opportunities to lend someone a helping hand.
“When we do things for others it activates the reward center in the brain, so when we give a gift it feels the same as receiving a gift," the team at ‘Action for Happiness’ told us earlier, adding that kindness is the “social glue that keeps us together” as a society. Humans are a very social species after all.
Some ideas for being altruistic range from giving money to charity and donating to a food bank to volunteering for a cause or leaving a food package or a cheery note for an elderly neighbor. It all depends on the time and other resources you have available.
"Father overhears his son telling his boyfriend he plans to come out, so he left him this note..."
“All of these actions help others and boost your own happiness and if we are happier, research shows we are even more likely to help others,” the AfH team said.
It’s perfectly fine to ‘fake it till you make it’ if kindness doesn’t come naturally to you or if you constantly think about the rewards of helping others. It’s a skill that you can learn.
Same with my aunt. Died last year at the age of 80 but she's forever on Google checking the mail while taking a break from mowing.
Six people were a match and here is an update. "Oscar had been receiving treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia since 2018, initially at Birmingham Children's Hospital, before the family made the decision to go to Singapore for the CAR-T therapy, which was not available to him on the NHS. The treatment is specifically developed for individual patients and involves reprogramming their immune system cells, which are then used to target their cancer." (they received £500,000 through crowdfunding in order to do this and have since returned home - he has additional treatments going forward. June 2021)
“Maybe at first, you start out doing things to help others only to get attention and praise, but you will find that doing things for others helps you feel good and when you see people’s responses. Once you see the difference you can make in the world and to your own happiness and altruism can grow naturally.”
"I noticed a guy on Fb that was better than me at mounting TVs so instead of hating on him, I reached out and offered to pay him to teach me how to perfect my craft. He didn't accept the money, instead we formed a partnership and the rest is history. Brothers don't hate, we elevate each other."
This one always bugs me on the rare occasions I go clothes shopping. The exercise stuff, or leggings or sports bras…never go up to plus sizes. Gimme something I can wear to my physio appointments!
A clear red flag back when I was dating (been married nearly 20 years) was anyone who mocked my hobbies and collections or said anything about how I should get rid of them or ‘grow up’. My husband has his collections, I have mine, and we make space for each other’s even if we don’t understand them.
"My sister had her first son today, I caught a rare moment between two fathers"
"My uncle and grandma on their way to a pride parade in the '80s"
Oh this, this really got to me. What a beautiful picture of love and support. Don’t judge others if we’re LGBTQ, just accept we’re as much people as you are.
Note: this post originally had 125 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
I don't care of some of these are reposts. It's just so good to read heartwarming things because I get so sad at some of the depressing things we see every day.
With all the idiotic nonsense and c**p that goes on... sometimes I wonder if these posts should be less closely "culled" or curated ... (noting the "This post used to be 125 images" note at the bottom). It's nice to have a feelgood post to "deal" with the built up negativity other things incur.
Here's my positive moment: During the serious part of the pandemic, I was out shopping when some stranger approached me smiling. I could tell he was smiling because he wasn't wearing a mask. He says with a grin: "You're a gullible idiot for wearing a mask! They cause cancer, and I bet you got vaccinated too! You know those are a plot to wwwheeeeeeg!!!". That last bit was the sound he made when my foot got introduced to mr. crotch. Seemed pretty positive to me.
You violently attacked a stranger for having a different opinion to you. And you think this belongs in a 'wholesome posts' article.
Load More Replies... I don't care of some of these are reposts. It's just so good to read heartwarming things because I get so sad at some of the depressing things we see every day.
With all the idiotic nonsense and c**p that goes on... sometimes I wonder if these posts should be less closely "culled" or curated ... (noting the "This post used to be 125 images" note at the bottom). It's nice to have a feelgood post to "deal" with the built up negativity other things incur.
Here's my positive moment: During the serious part of the pandemic, I was out shopping when some stranger approached me smiling. I could tell he was smiling because he wasn't wearing a mask. He says with a grin: "You're a gullible idiot for wearing a mask! They cause cancer, and I bet you got vaccinated too! You know those are a plot to wwwheeeeeeg!!!". That last bit was the sound he made when my foot got introduced to mr. crotch. Seemed pretty positive to me.
You violently attacked a stranger for having a different opinion to you. And you think this belongs in a 'wholesome posts' article.
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