The Bright Side: One Small Morning Change Can Boost Mood And Sharpen Focus
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Welcome to the Bright Side, a weekly roundup of all the good news and ideas you might have missed from the past week.
The weather is beginning to warm up in Nashville, which makes me want to spend every night on a restaurant patio somewhere, sipping something from a stem glass and listening in on other people’s bubbly conversations. The air smells sweet with honeysuckle blossoms, the birds start chirping before the sun comes up, and I’m determined to get to know the local groundhog a little better before I give him a name.
I’ve also been warned that this “fake summer” belies the oppressively buggy humidity of the upcoming months. Still, I’m determined to soak up the fleeting moment. If you’d like to freshen up your news feed with a little spring sunshine, grab a pool noodle and dip a toe into these soul-soothing snippets from this past week.
A quote to elevate our perspective:
“While spacewalking I realized something, I used to think I was scared of heights but now I know I was just scared of gravity,” NASA Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman said. He just completed his most recent mission, but in 2014 he observed how his own weightlessness outside the International Space Station eliminated his fear of falling. Imagine what you could do if you knew you couldn’t fall — or fail.
Why home is where your pets are:
Sticking with the space theme for a minute, Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch’s dog Sadie pulled off a welcome home greeting for her favorite astronaut that was so joyful, I’ve watched it 17 times already.
The wiggly tail wag, fetching her favorite toy, and then running through the waves by the beach? Koch’s sweet pup reminds us that when you’re with your favorite people, there’s no place like home.
The easiest, most comforting weekend pasta recipe:
As fresh basil takes over the farmers market this summer, “I Dream Of Dinner” author and recipe developer Ali Slagle’s five-star, one-pot cottage cheese basil pasta checks every deliciously creamy, herby, noodle-y box.
After tossing long pasta in a sauce made from fresh basil, cottage cheese, baby spinach, garlic, and parmesan, all you need is a finishing drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Lighting a candle for the table creates the kind of New York City restaurant energy that makes it slightly less awkward when you charge your family for seconds.
Turning toddler musings into music:
“I’m interested in the musicality of the world,” college music professor and composer Stephen Spencer says. But he went viral for creating energized earworms out of his three-year-old daughter’s hilarious stories. “Little Tall Prince” is an inspiration, and you’ll be queuing up “Apple Man” on repeat.
Spencer keeps his daughter’s identity private, but her imagination won over the internet. When she learned the word “regular,” he flipped her conversation into lyrics: “There was one just regular rabbit, she had regular ponytails just like me.” You’ll be regularly singing “Regular Rabbit” the rest of the day.
It’s never too late to realize your potential:
She loved to jump rope as a kid, but now that she’s 82, Annie Judis is the undisputed 12-time Guinness World Record-winning oldest female competitive rope skipper. She starts every day by jumping rope for five minutes, then strength training for an hour with her trainer. Previously, she worked as a film actress and beauty queen, but she’s finding her purpose these days in motivating others to stay active.
Boxers and other professional athletes have long loved training with a jump rope for its strength and cardio benefits. But the same goes for fit-minded octogenarians who hope to maintain bone density, balance, and coordination.
“Once you dream it, you can do it,” Judis says, claiming to be more fit than she was years ago. But while her accomplishments are impressive, her mental game is an inspiration, too. “I think joy is so important in your life. I try to spread happiness around people around me.”
A moment of gratitude inspired by people who have it all:
It’s easy to shake your head at the lifestyles of the extremely rich and famous. But the revelatory morning routine of Amazon power couple Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, who were married in June 2025, is worth a quick mention. Or 26 pages in the New York Times.
“On a typical day, the newlyweds wake up around 6 in their new, roughly $230 million compound on Indian Creek, an exclusive private island in Miami often called ‘Billionaire Bunker,’” the profile read. But this was the part worth sharing: “They don’t touch their phones. Instead, they begin each day by listing 10 things they’re grateful for — and they can’t repeat what they named the day before.”
A daily thankfulness practice can boost your outlook by reducing anxiety, depression, and stress. It can even help you sleep better and improve the health of your heart. Rising and shining by not immediately jumping onto X or Instagram, and instead spending a little time focusing on the important things in life, sounds like a great way to start the day.
We would love to hear about the things currently brightening your day! Share a comment or email me with your favorites, and help us spread the joy! — Lauren
Originally Published at Daily Wire, Daily Signal, or The Blaze
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