Remember 'Cursed Images'? Well, believe it or not, the internet can offer the opposite too. And no, I'm not talking about those fake TikToks where influencers "donate" thousands of dollars to a "complete stranger." No, I'm referring to the subreddit r/BlessedImages.
As its name suggests, this online community is dedicated to wholesome pictures that spread the best vibes. From a dad losing it over an alpaca to a dog showing up at a uni class, it's like an online safe haven. So continue scrolling and get your smile on.
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Blessed Meeting
Blessed Google Maps
These pictures come as a nice break since the pandemic has been cheating us out of all the good times we live for—the weddings, the vacations, the graduations, even the concerts.
"It disrupted a lot of things that naturally make us happy," cognitive scientist Laurie Santos said.
But do we have the right to smile when the world is facing so many difficult challenges?
"We feel guilty because [we think] ... we don't deserve to be happy because there are people who are experiencing trauma or people going through these bad times" Santos explained. "I think that gets to some kind of misconceptions about how happiness works, that it's this like, zero-sum game." But it's not.
Blessed Ashes
Blessed_sign
Blessed_babies
"Social scientists tend to find happiness in kind of two parts. So they tend to think of happiness as being happy in your life, and being happy with your life. So being happy in your life is having these moments of joy. Whether that's chatting with the barista at the coffee shop, paying attention to the beautiful fall leaves outside," Santos said.
"It's just these moments of true joy, positive emotion in your life. That's not to say that there's no negative emotion. It's just that if you have negative emotion, you want it kind of balanced with these moments of positivity. That's kind of being happy in your life."
Blessed_halloween
Blessed_arrest
Blessed_news
It's something like this that should break the Internet! Good doggos
But the scientist highlighted there's also the sense that happiness is about being happy with your life. Basically, it's the sense of meaning we have. It's the answer to the ultimate question: 'All things considered, how satisfied am I with my life right now?"
"It's worth noting that those two forms of happiness can dissociate," Santos said. "One of my deans had a baby recently, and I often use the example of her. Because I think in her life she's so happy, this new meaning that she has with this new bundle of joy. But with her life there's poopy diapers and less sleep and things like that, right?"
Santos thinks we all know someone who has the opposite dissociation, where they have all the worldly comforts possible in their life but are actually feeling really empty inside. So the trick of getting by is basically finding a way to bump up the both of these. Because if we do, we could be actually living a pretty happy life.
Blessed Guinea Pig
Blessed_community
That's why I'm doing my ela social issues argument on homelessness and how it can possibly be tyed to unfair pay
Load More Replies...Better than nothing. Hopefully they are getting mental health support as well as anything else they need
This program also provides employment assistance, counseling, and social programs for the vets
Load More Replies...I saw that Arnold Schwarzenegger recently did that here in the US. Not a fan of his in general, but what a great thing to do!
In 1995 I was a Police Officer in North Carolina. At that time an extra squad would be working doing lots of ridiculous assignments. One day we were assigned to some tiny houses which had been built for the homeless. We planted flowers in front of the house that day. This did not work as the insides of these home were destroyed. Holes were punched in walls, toilets smashed. The people assigned to the homes urinated, defecated and to sum it up, trashed the homes.
I know that is frustrating. It makes it seem like they are ungrateful; and, maybe some of them are. But they have issues. My husband is a combat veteran (three tours), and he would often have flashbacks, and hallucinations. He put a few holes in our walls, broke a door, and threw a coffee table across the house once. He was not abusive, and it was not directed at me (he wasn't even aware that I was there during those episodes). It took a combination of medication, therapy, and time to get him straightened out. The most common (and frustrating) issue that I've run into working with veterans is the way they self-destruct. They can be on the path to self improvement one minute, and the next minute they f*ck it up in the most colossal way imaginable. This causes most people to abandon them; which I understand. Most people just can't deal with it. Since We've been through that, We've been helping other veterans who are in the same self-destructive cycle.
Load More Replies...We now have two tiny home villages, one in Calgary and one in Edmonton. There are plans to build them in every major city across Canada.
And they aren't just places to sleep. There are social programs, employment assistance, and counseling services available for the veterans as well.
Load More Replies...This is such a great thing that they are doing to help people. I hope they continue building more of these little homes. People dont need hugs houses. As long as you have a bathroom bedroom and somewhere you can cook, life is good. I couldn't imagine living out in the snow!
Shipping containers are SO cheap, once they are no longer viable for shipping, there is no reason why we can't do this with them everywhere- homeless people are PEOPLE, simply people- people who suffer from mental illness or who just can't cope with the 9-5 grind, not everyone can- no one WANTS to be homeless, think about that when you avert your gaze next time- there but for the grace of your good mental health and fortitude go you, to re-work the old phrase... It doesn't have to be this way, folks, it really doesn't- stop making money more important than human life, money is a construct and we can change any system we create, stop acting like this is written in stone, and take your lives back... (I am not a communist, maybe just a free thinking anarchist- things have to change, this isn't life, working for someone else all your days and having money dictate how you move in the world isn't life, it's a survival system, and it's cracked, and we can do better, and I know it...)
Yes - the tiny home villages work. Chronic homeless, and temporary/circumstantial need safe accommodations. A central rec/community center with services like basic medical, mental health, laundry, and even a shower room for those persons who would rather not be confined by four walls, perhaps a job training or placement center and a place with PO boxes so these folks can have an address. For those who say it's too expensive, well, look into Salt Lake City. They cut their per person cost to "deal with" homeless folks by $50K per year PER PERSON by doing just this. So, pay a lot and be heartless? Or pay a little and really turn some lives around while simply sustaining others. There will always be those who cannot do for themselves, and we should assist on some level - they are, after all, us.
What and where I live in Canada and have never heard of it? But Kudos to the community who did it!
That’s so sad to see, we need to build them homes and give them life. They risked their lives for our freedom. We need to get veterans off the streets into housing and get them set up with jobs.
The time to decriminalize poverty and homelessness is long over. I live in Florida, where the climate permits year round outdoor living. It breaks my heart that police and community officials have sweeps to empty and destroy homeless camps, rather than supporting the people forced to live that way.
This is great. Not only are they housed, but they probably have a lot in similar with each other which should help in recovery of all sorts (emotional, psychological, ecological, physical, etc)
Sadly, in the US there are many unhoused individuals who don't want to live anywhere there are rules. They want to abuse substances, among other things, and not attempt to gain skills which would help them find work.
Bless Canada for caring gor their vets!!!! We r too busy supporting illegals and handing them everything to be bothered to help those that protected r freedom!!!
The veterans never worked or die for your freedom, they were just pawns on check board. Wars have never brought anything positive except for the weapon industry and politicians.
Load More Replies...Blessed_rug
"We are not supposed to be purely happy right now. It would be a non-normative situation where your social connections are getting messed up," Santos said. "Your routines are getting messed up. Literally, people are dying. And to just be perfectly happy-go-lucky and not experience any negative emotion, that would be non-normative. It is the right thing to do right now to have your happiness be affected, to experience some negative emotions. The key, though, is kind of how you take care of yourself in the midst of that."
Ask yourself, do you beat yourself up over having these emotions and run away from them or do you find ways to allow them?
"This idea that, well, I'm not supposed to be happy ... it's for someone else, I'm doing something wrong. No, no, no, we're supposed to experience negative emotion, especially if you're in a situation of unemployment, or losing your job or something like that."
Blessed Owl
Blessed_happines Overdose
Boop! A greyhound of my acquaintance (a breed not noted for brains) wagged his tail so hard against the door frame it bled, then he carried on wagging madly all down the corridor spreading blood. CSI would have had a field day. And he never realised he'd done it. RIP Prince of my heart
Blessed_billboard
Santos thinks we sometimes forget that we're not necessarily supposed to be happy all the time. In fact, every now and then negative emotions are important. They can be useful. "The analogy I often use with my students is with physical pain. If you stick your hand on a hot oven, that's going to be painful. That feeling is telling you you need to do something. It's telling you you need to pull your hand away ... I think the sadness, the frustration, the anxiety we're all experiencing, it's telling you you have certain needs that aren't being met in the context of the pandemic."
But that doesn't mean that we must suffer all the time. That would just be pointless. So I hope this list and all of the blessed images in it will serve as a reminder that there's nothing wrong with feeling good.
Blessed Turban
Blessed Friend
Blessed_moo
Blessed Wool
Blessed Rat
Rats are amazing creatures, if you tickle them they actually laugh and will seek out your hand to do it amazing. So intelligent and loving!
Blessed Weighing
Omg, that bear is the cutest thing i´ve evr seen! (Look at his/hers ears. LOOK AT THEM!)
Blessed Grandma
Blessed_cracker
I cannot stop laughing at "unattended cracker". And a polite little lady.
Blessed_poster
Had to find out if it made it to day 52, went digging: "As far as the picture goes, a member of McDonald’s corporate office reached out and told them it had to be removed for renovation purposes, but it was going to be auctioned off and the proceeds would go to the Ronald McDonald House Houston charity."
Blessed Adoption
Blessed_duck
Blessed_toadgiver
Blessed_hispanic
Blessed_cow
Blessed_rain
Blessed_friends
Truth! I've met several of mine, and we're zooming now we can't fly to meet and such. :-)
Blessed_tweet
Blessed_mimic
Blessed Faceswap
Blessed Paw Prints
Blessed_rami_doggo
Insane - I was just watching “The Little Things”, and said the same thing to my husband!
Blessed_duckmother
Blessed_carry
Blessed_substitute
Blessed_sit
Blessed_bonk
Blessed_drain
Blessed_forgetfulcat
"Wait, it's all coming back to me...the climbing, the smashing glass, the screaming, the swearing..."
Blessed_statue
Blessed_belly
Blessed King
All hail your mallardjesty (yes I know he's not a mallard but I couldn't help myself)
Blessed Friend Operation
Blessed Shine
Blessed Round
Blessed Grandma
Blessed_lecture
Note: this post originally had 60 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Thank you, this is just what I needed. I might have to look at it on a daily basis though...
We just need more content like this!
Load More Replies...You've made my day with these- thank you for some much-needed inspiration!
Thank you so much for posting these. Each blessed my heart. Keep it up.
Thanks, I needed it after reading other articles that made me angry and sad.
Thank you, this is just what I needed. I might have to look at it on a daily basis though...
We just need more content like this!
Load More Replies...You've made my day with these- thank you for some much-needed inspiration!
Thank you so much for posting these. Each blessed my heart. Keep it up.
Thanks, I needed it after reading other articles that made me angry and sad.