Positive Comments = $$ To Charity

On Friday, March 20th, I put out a video challenge.  The idea is simple.

Despite the craziness going on, I’m seeing a lot of good happening in this world and people rising up to shine a light. I want to spread that positivity.

Here’s how it works:

1) Comment (or dm me) a bright side you’ve seen in the current situation.

2) Each person = $1 donation from me to a charity in need

3) Ongoing blog post with updates on the good news being shared, below.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

Let’s make positivity louder.

What’s the silver lining you’ve seen in the world?

1. I’ve spent hours “prospecting” customers by calling them, or leaving them videos and just wishing them well.  Not trying to sell to them at all.  And I’m having a blast.
2. Katie Pouch says: “Love this post! I have been going outdoors for hikes/runs/ and reading and writing to diversify my day so I can more clear-headed.  Definitely checking in with old and new colleagues, clients, friends, and my family on the daily. I also made chocolate chip cookies this morning which I wish I could share!! Who doesn’t like a cookie for breakfast?”
3. Rich Stone says “Super thankful for more time with my family & living on the coast as well as a very dedicated team who continues to get after it while WFH 🙏🏻⚡️”
4. Jed Collins says “Teaching “PE” or gymnastics with my young daughters I have learned how to do a handstand!! Also #yourmoneyvehicle has already been helping some folks who are sending my messages.”
5. Brian Dowling says “I’m looking forward to having dinner with my wife and kids every night. The truth is I usually get home from work after they’ve all eaten. Now we’ll be able to have family dinners.”
6. Chris von Huene says “Belal Batrawy was kind enough to jump on a Zoom chat with me today and walk me through his amazing pricing strategy… I’ve never seen anything like it.”
7. John Vulopas says “Tommy, love the shirt!  Since my gym is closed I have been going on morning or nightly runs (ok walks) to keep the blood flowing…been meeting a lot of great people in my hood…crazy what happens when you slow down a bit.”
8. Daniel Zychlinski says “We’re fostering (and probably going to adopt) a puppy! Many shelters need our help during this time to find loving homes for these animals. On a personal note, this is an incredible opportunity to get your mind and body right at home! Here are some practice/tools that have helped me: meditation (Headspace or Insight Timer apps) and free follow-along workouts on YouTube (Funk Roberts MMA) is my favorite trainer.”
9. Olivia Costello says “Being able to connect with people on such a different level showing more vulnerability than normal and remembering what is really important. And seeing how much our team has each others backs, unreal. LFG”
10. Jackie McAninch says “Participating in virtual dance classes/ workouts to help continue to support businesses that were forced to close their doors. It’s been amazing to see how much people have come together to make sure they can re-open their doors after this has passed”
11. Cathleen Alaimo (hi mom!) says “Restaurants here are open for carry-out and delivery. Strong advocates on Next Door reminding everyone to support local businesses. Shout out to NicoleTaylors Pasta Market. She’s giving away frozen pasta which is the best around. No kooks or gimmicks, just doing her part to support her neighbors.”
12. Madeline Klimm says “facetiming some of my team to see how their days are going / getting new ideas from them, being on the Cape for longer than usual, going down to the beach, spending more time with my family and my brother in college. LFG.”
13. Charla Bunton-Johnson says “Company, Allbirds , giving free shoes to healthcare workers!”
14. Brett Malboeuf says “Spending some time reflecting and also gave me a good excuse (not that you should ever need one) to talk to my grandparents!”
15. Max Altschuler says “Spending more time with my 6 month old!”
16. Emily Alaimo says “My township has delivered 40,000 meals to children in need.”
17. Bill Clarke says “As Brené Brown perfectly depicted in her video, it’s about seeing someone in a dark place and being able to crawl down in that hole with them and say, “I know what it’s like down here. And you’re not alone”. Providing empathy to someone going through a hard time is the most essential way you can support them.”
18. Mike Fraioli says “Seeing the world unite through social media despite the lockdown situation. Example: All the awesome videos of people singing and having fun on the balconies of their homes in Italy and Spain!”
19. Gurtej Gill says “Hosting group meditation sessions on Zoom to provide a medium for people to relax and socialize!”
20. Camille Stauffer says “The positives for me have been more time with my family, less time on the run commuting to work and doing errands, and more time to exercise and get outdoors. Also, I’ve been connecting more with distant family, friends to check in and see how they are doing through it all.”
21. Tom Alaimo Jr (hi dad!) says “1. Without usual trainers and gym, develop my own workouts and walk/runs 2. Create new meals that are healthy, you can freeze and take teamwork to make. 3. Get more rest/sleep. 4. Develop better hydration habits. 5. Consider how to take advantage of stock decline.”
22. Sam Bellingrath says “Reminder to zoom out and focus on what matters— family, friends and good health.”
23. Ben Bradley says “More time with the family. A refocus on life priorities. Slower pace of life. Believe it or not, more time outside than normal. More time to read.”
24. Sergio Aguirre says “I get to spend some time w/my two kids (both under 2), and grow my salt & pepper beard.
25. Courtney McCurdy says “Three good things that have come out of this past week: catching up on sleep (i never realized how run down I was for YEARS! this has been a great reboot in that sense. I’m giving my body the necessary time and attention that I’ve never been able to do to this extent before); deep appreciation for our first responders, doctors, nurses, child life specialists, and all hospital workers on the front lines (these are the real superheroes in our world!); catching up with at least one friend per day on the phone or on FaceTime–it is as important as ever to keep in touch, and support your people! everyone is being affected by this differently, so showing up and supporting your friends/family (even virtually) should be at the top of everyone’s priority list right now.”
26. Anonymous says “I love what Lyft is doing to help the community. They’re providing free rides to families in need of access to free meals. They’re also transporting medical supplies and providing medical transportation to low income individuals. The founders are paying for these efforts with their salaries. We all know that Josh and Logan don’t need the money but a heck of a lot of people do need their help!!”
27. Anonymous says “My husband and I placed a to-go order for Binkley’s tonight, when he picked it up they brought him the food and a $15 gift card as a thank you for supporting them. They didn’t ask for anything in return, but we had to give them a shout out for being so kind. We wanted to share the love, please try to support local restaurants and businesses at this time!”
28. Anonymous sent this link: In Indiana, a neighbor’s small kindness saves a life.
29. John McGrath says “My wife and I have been exercising more on the treadmill daily and incorporating walks around the house into changes of dealer in Gin Rummy hands.  Snow today but we took a 40-minute walk outside on a nice day last week.”
30. Michele Kuehr Allgier says “Love seeing everyone give tips on working from home. I work remotely, anyway. Nice too see that I’m doing things right!”
31. Krista Macomber says “I now have a pretty sick mini home gym setup 😎 Hear that air and water pollution is declining and am encouraging my household to be mindful of waste!”
32. Liz Austin says “My list is long but breaking news…Rita Wilson is feeling better. Hip hop hurray!”
33. Dave Alaimo says “More are starting to realize the fundamental flaws in our inhumane healthcare/ prison systems, wage gap.”
34. Colleen McGrath says “As a healthcare worker in the community, my company is offering free delivery of prescriptions for all patients.  When a patient forgot to add an over the counter cough medicine to her order, one of my technicians paid for the cough medicine and drove it to her house so she could stay quarantined.  And because I’m already out in the public for my job, I have been shopping and delivering goods to anyone who asks or needs it, especially those who are high risk/immunosuppressed.”
35. Kevyn Garcia says “The shelter in place has had me refocus on the importance of supporting small and local business! Not just in times of economic stress – but always.”
36. Kassie Sweeney says “Taking this time to be more creative and share that creativity with friends/fam!!”
37. Mareena Bartelli says” Dance Mission Theater”
38. Debra Bernier says “My hat goes to all the nurses, cleaners & staff who keep the hospital running, Doctors who fight to save lives and do so unselfishly.”
39. Chris Clarke says “Painting, cleaning, fixing around the house.  Have not murdered anyone yet.  Lots of new people needing food pantry, consider donating.”
40. Danny Ballesteros says “I now have my students for 1 hr a day live on Google Meet.  We all really cherish that hour of getting to see each other.  We make the most of the hour and always start off with a little prayer and some reflections on how everyone’s doing.  It’s actually brought us all much closer.”
41. Abby Gilmore Grant says “For me personally, it has allowed me to rediscover music I haven’t listened to lately, and take on other projects I have been putting off. Also, connecting with my far-away family via Facetime, which we haven’t done in ages.”
42. Jon Sanders says “Being in isolation has given me a chance to really take a step back and appreciate everything I have in my life and correct any bad habits I have gotten into.”
43. Austin Martin says “Pollution is way down, crime is way down as well.”
44. Ryan Warner says “I love having time to get back to working out consistently.  I’ve slipped big time when it comes to working out lately and that ends during this break!”
45. Kelly O’Connor says “I’m looking forward to spending time with my amazing boyfriend.”
46. Gerard Tierney says “Taking the opportunity to learn more about investing.”
47. Tom Buckley says “More time to read with no sports on TV.”
48. Tom Bellio says “More time to cook new things and train for a half marathon.”
49. Jeff Gagnon says “Less pollution all over the world.”
50. Nick says ‘It brings me closer to my loved ones.”
51. Colin Campbell says “Over the weekend, I got tired of news and I put the phone down. I originally just did it out of exasperation, but I realized a whole new sense of freedom on my weekends because of it. I did a puzzle, smoked a pork shoulder (12 hours sitting on the porch with the dog), spent more quality time goofing around with my wife, and started re-learning Spanish. I was actually thinking of you, Tom, and your month without social media (except LinkedIn). Now that “normal” is different, I’m finding this is the thing I like most – I’m forced to actually make decisions about how I use my time, not just continue with the same old habits.”
52. Brittany Tucker says “Salespeople everywhere are being told to lead with empathy when they engage in prospecting efforts. Coworkers are being told to trust each other and assume the best. My CEO told us to check in with each other often and ask how we can help each other. It just feels like kindness and being human is really taking a front seat right now across all professions, and that is a huge silver lining that will continue once we are over the worst of this.”
53. Lauren Casey says “Though what is happening is extremely tragic and will likely have lasting negative effects, it may leave us with some positive food for thought too.  For example: – Pollution averages are down in China lower than they have been for a long time.  – Venice canals are running clear, populated with swans and fish for the first time that most can remember.  – With kids being homeschooled, perhaps we as a society will now better appreciate the work our teachers do for our kids and our communities & rethink their pay.  – The medical community is actively voicing their concerns, and communities under stress with new medical response needs. Perhaps we take a look at our healthcare system and think through the challenges we may be able to solve there.  – And lastly, with everyone working from home, maybe companies will rethink their work from home policies. This not only provides flexibility for better work life balance, but will also begin to minimize commuting back and forth which could have a positive impact on the environment.  As Martin Luther King Jr. said so eloquently: ‘Only in the darkness, can you see the stars.'”
54. Lindsey Jones says “First, more time with my family, as well as seeing the positive impact on the environment that is happening from the lack of human activity. Seeing the world heal itself in some ways is just incredible, and I hope we can make changes going forward that help keep it that way!”
55. Lyndsey Donahoe says “One positive thing from me- I personally have been reminded to reach out to the people I care about. Sometimes we become so busy in our day-to-day- it’s critical to re-focus on what/who is important in our lives. One small text, call, etc. letting someone know you care can do a lot of good. “
56. JT McCormick says “HUGE positive that I have seen, is all those in education rallying to ensure those kids that rely on free lunch still have food to eat while the schools are closed.  For so many kids, free lunch is the ONLY meal they have each day.”
57. Aaron Bergeron says “I’ve actually had a ton more time to install/fix things in our new house.”
58. Tracey Stone shared some great artwork from her daughter.
59. Cappy’s Boxing Gym live streams.
60. 10 Positive Updates on the COVID-19 Outbreaks From Around the World
61. Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch
62. Imari Adams sharing some humor on Facebook. 
63. Pat Sweeney says “Les time stuck in commuting traffic.”
64. Liz DePalma says “Living in the moment and enjoying precious time with family in person, via phone call or FaceTime.”
65. “Enjoying the beauty and peacefulness of nature.  Warm, spring sunshine yesterday and snow, sleet and cold today – relishing in the now!!”
66. Collin Akers says “Yesterday before the lockdown in Sydney went into effect we stopped by our favorite local shops to pick up something small and put a little money back into small business.”
67. Pat Garlock says “Your shirt is electric! A colleague of mine @ IMS is doing her part as she works from home. With the shortage of N95 masks for healthcare professionals she has turned to making her own (sewing) and distributing locally. The hope is that they will be better than nothing!”
68. Jacqueline Lucas says “my company today donated extra masks, gloves and antibacterial gel to a local hospital as well as keeping in touch with neighbors helping out where we can.”
69. Isa Almy says “My positive lining is that this forced slow down is allowing time for the earth to heal. “
70. Josh Brown says “Awesome idea – in general some positivity is getting to see how people are coming together and doing such great things (such as yourself). On a more personal note – a positive is that I get some more quality time with my daughter.”
71. Chris Martin says “A guy in our community is supporting local restaurants that are closed for sit down, but still doing take out, by buying gift cards.  He’s then subsequently handing them out to homeless individuals so they can get meals.”
72. Andrew Kayata says “Having my little sister home from college is a positive I can take from this. It is a great chance for me to spend time with her during a time of year where normally she would be at school and we are lucky to text each other here and there. Also, more time at home with my parents allows me to see my dog more, too!”
73. The following until #91 are from 5th graders at Our Lady of Visitacion School. Adrian says “I have seen people pray more so we can survive these hard times and stop this virus from spreading. I have seen people give food to others to stock up for emergencies if this virus gets worse.  I have also seen people give up their own time to play or help someone do homework that is hard. I have seen people donating masks to the hospital so they don’t have to reuse masks. I have also seen businesses step up to apply things that can stop the coronavirus all over the USA. I have seen people tell others to stop meeting up in groups to slow down the Coronavius from spreading. I have seen doctors try their best to recover people with the coronavirus. “
74. Calliope says “Finding positivity can be hard during this period of time. I still try to be thankful and grateful for what I have. When I was walking at Rockaway Beach in Pacifica I saw a group of men surfing together and having fun, while they were still practicing social distancing. I have heard and seen doctors trying to help people and find cures. My family and I are trying to do Mass at home because we cannot go to local Churches. I have also seen on the news that people in Italy sing out of their apartment windows together. My family and I are careful of spreading the virus to others, especially the elderly. We are on the fence of visiting my grandparents in April because we don’t want to get my grandpa sick.”
75. Cecilia says “During this challenging time, I have seen people be kind to one another more often. For example, I have seen people give their family, friends, and neighbors resources. People give each other things like face masks and hand sanitizer. I also noticed that some people are going to their relatives house to stay during this time although being close to a lot of people can be bad. But since it is better to stay home these days, I think it is helping families spend time together. They might cook or play board games together or do something fun.”
76. Dahlissa says “Some positive things I have seen is someone riding a bike and dropping their backpack and someone helping them by picking up the backpack. And someone fell off their scooter and someone helped them get up. I helped my cousin with his homework. A lady came from a flower market and had a bag of sunflowers and she wanted to get a ticket to ride the train and she asked me if I could hold them and I did. I helped my father push a car that could not drive.”
77. Dat says “We pray a lot more now. My family stays together and helps out each other when they need help.”
78. Emily says “I went to my church last sunday and I saw a homeless guy on the way, so I asked my mom if I can help him. My mom said yes and told me I can give him $10. I was really happy and when I gave it to him all the man said was, “Thank you and God bless you.” I think that it is good that you treat others the way you want to be treated.”
79. Fetu says “A lady unloading her truck, which had a lot of groceries, so I asked if she needed help and she did so I helped her. My aunt needed help taking some food out of her car so my cousin and I helped. My Grandpa fell down and he couldn’t get back up so my aunt and I helped him get back up. I also mopped the floor.”
80. Glory says “I have seen a lot of positivity around the world lately. A lot of people have been helping the homeless out when they can. Some things I did that were nice, were helping my mom clean up around the house because she is struggling with work. I also helped my friends cheer up because they sometimes feel sad and tell me their problems.”
81. Haoyu says “I helped carry groceries from Costco. My dad is drinking a lot less now.”
82. Jennifer says “I think people help other people by appreciating their work. People are thanking each other more. I’ve seen people writing meaningful things to each other. I’ve seen people making care packages for the homeless. I’ve seen people teaching others a skill they know.  And a way I can help others is to pay attention to others around me and do what I can to try to make their lives a little better.”
83. Kenny says “I think love and kindness is important especially during these times, when lots of people are sick. Although this virus is less serious to children but they stay inside so they don’t get it to affect their family’s. I’ve seen people give food and other things that you need to survive to those in need. I’ve seen others go through hard times but they are still grateful for having life and talk about it more.”
84. Linh Chi says” I helped my mom cook food. I helped my dad wash the dishes. I carried the groceries for my dad. I helped my mom clean up the dinner table. I helped my dad set up the couch.”
85. Isabella says “Right now I think positivity is hard to maintain. I have seen people being nice to each other though. Some people in my neighborhood are handing out food to the homeless in the streets. At my mom’s job, some of the medical assistants are setting up a daycamp for kids that are stuck at home. Also doctors are getting less time on the job. More kids are helping at the house. My church is setting up shelters for a lot of people who can’t afford the rent because they are not getting paid.”
86. Noah says “Some positive things I can find in the world right now are that a lot of people are willing to help out if a family member needs food. I also notice families spend a little more time together.  I also saw that some people at my church are willing to help buy food for other people at my church. I also noticed that people in my church set-up an online church so more people can pray more often.”
87. Rodrigo says “My family and I  pray the rosary every night at 6 pm.  We pray a decade of the rosary for all those in need.”
88. Rosette says “My mom and sisters hang out a lot more now. We played cards and watched Moana. That normally doesn’t happen that often.”
89. Taliyah says “Some positive things I have seen or done was my mom helped me with my homework when I was having a hard time. I helped my dad bring in the garbage cans inside. I also helped my brother with his homework because he did not understand a question. I helped my dad clean around the house by wiping down the windows and fixing up me and my brother’s room a little bit. When I went to my grandma’s house I helped her bring all of her groceries inside of her house.”
90. Andres says “I’m happy that I am with my family because I know that they love me. I am happy that my mom is safe because she is a nurse and works everyday. I like that I have no school right now. I like that I can stay up a little later than usual. I like that I am with my dad and he cooks and takes care of me.”
91. Eden says “People are being more careful and respectful of each other and their surroundings.”
92. Chase Rosa says “It’s an incredible opportunity for people to practice and enjoy mindfulness, gratitude and creativity.  I believe a lot of people will come out of this with a renewed sense of what’s most important to them.”
93. Felicia Knary says “Yesterday our family bought a bundle of Juice Bar drinks from a local Nashville TN business. When they delivered it, inside the bag they had a personal handwritten thank you note to us. It’s us that need to thank them for what they do every day and quickly acting and thinking out of box to ensure their success ❣️”
94. Eric Ringstad says “The sense of community support for local businesses and each other has been stronger than ever despite the lack of in person and community interactions.”
95. Taylor Whitcomb says “There’s a mom and pop cafe in my town that started offering a free sandwich and soup to any student who couldnt’ get to the school during the Time the school provides meal pickups.”
96. Swifty says “Not being able to use ‘I don’t have time’ as an excuse anymore.  Actually been going for a run most days, reading a lot more, and doing a bunch of small tasks at home and the business that I’ve been meaning to do for who knows how long but kept getting pushed to the back burner.”
97. Emily DePalma says “Maybe this could encourage all of us to take animal welfare seriously.  It’s a reminder that we are animals and are part of nature and we need to consume respectfully and responsibly.”
98. Claire Quigley says “Learning dance routines with my kids.  Making memories.”
99. John DePalma says “Great time to get stuff done at work that you never have time to do.  Trainings, proposals, inventory adjustments.  All the little stuff you put off but will help you when it gets done.”
100. Court Haig says “My (almost) 3 year old son learned while we’ve been quarantined for a week that we need to stay home because there is a virus that is spreading and hurting people.  This morning the first thing he said to me was ‘mama, I’m a doctor and I’m going to help all of the people.'”
101. “Spending time with my boys,  Life will get busy again and we will again have little time for things we wish we had.”
102. Courtney Crocker says “I’ve been able to swap commuting time for working out time!’
103. Ryan Gallego says “Even amid this situation my company is having the best month of it’s life.  Manifestation works!”
104. Fran Dillon says “I’m enjoying two activities while we are home bound. I am finally getting around to writing about my 49 years at Stonehill- 4 as a student, 45 as an administrator, mostly writing about the great men and women who helped make Stonehill the success that it is. And everyday, my wife and I FaceTime with our two grandkids, 4 and 1 and we read them a story from one of the books our kids read when they were little. Keep up the great work Tom. I love the Daily Momentum! All the best.”
105. Eli Lilly offers drive-thru coronavirus testing to Indianapolis-area health care workers
106. Adam Molda says “When we were forced to close last week, we put all the memberships on hold.  We have had 150 members tell us to keep their membership active and keep charging them.”
107. Luke Watters says “Video game sales and the number of people playing are way up with everyone inside. I’ve had a lot of time to chat with my buddies who I haven’t seen in a while, we’ve been yelling at each other quite a bit over Call of Duty, good to know we’re all still good competition to each other.”
108. “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
109. “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” – Kobe Bryant
110. Michael says “Here living in Spain and every night everyone goes out on their balconies and claps for all of those working in the hospitals, for all those fighting this, and for good health to all. It is one of the most special things to be a part of although given the circumstances. Grateful for this community!”
111. Donna Dixon says “All countries in the world are fighting together vs this covid19 pandemic”
112. Dave says “I woke up today, tired of the negativity and thought about ten positive outcomes from this awful virus. 1) I’ve spent a lot more time with my kids, understanding them, helping them learn 2) I’ve spent more time on the phone with family and friends 3) I’ve learnt to appreciate what I miss (list is long!) 4) I’ve learnt more about those I work with personally 5) I’ve learnt how valuable time for yourself is 6) Music is more important than ever to me 7) Too much sensationalist social media is terrible…learning to recognize it is critical to mental well being 8) Society needs leadership, not sure this has a positive…yet 9) Leaving the house is interesting, even to walk, to notice small things 10) how lucky are we to have technology that helps us learn, connect, do work.”
113. Helen says “On a personal level you definitely become more connected with your local community (not always the case in London!) and on a professional level it encourages us to think about new and authentic ways of communicating with clients, prospects and colleagues…. Many positive lessons to take from this as we return to ‘normal’ ways of working in the future.”
114. Leigh says “To those just beginning this journey, You will get through it. Listen to what you are told, follow the rules and look out for each other. There is light at the end of the tunnel”
115. Kelvin says “this is also a great time to reflect on bad habits and through introspection gaining insights into new productive patterns that can be applied through and after this current season!”
116. Manish says “It is interesting to see how the current crisis is “humanizing” work. The artificial walls we have between our work and the rest of our lives are become more porous. A good trend in my opinion”
117. Patrick says “Given our schools are closed and the kids are schooling from home, I have been reminded that teachers are remarkable people. Such patience required to inspire kids to concentrate and have some purpose to what they are learning.”
118. Patti says “So thankful for this unexpected time with my kids home and so appreciative of my work family.”
119. Puni says “I’m grateful to still have access to positive vibes.”
120. Rebecca Richmond says “I have also really enjoyed spending 30 min blocks of time with my 6 year old daughter and soley focusing on what she cares about or needs to learn as part of home schooling. We even did a HIIT workout this morning that was so much fun :)”
121. Tim Dawson says “It’s been epic to hear how the environment has responded so quickly with human change – more marine life in the Venice canals, Deer roaming the streets in Japan, and blue skies finally showing in China. Hope is not lost in reversing some of our damage!”
122. Hayley Newton says “Taking the time to appreciate the little things that usually get lost in the madness and rush of every day life.”
123. Logan Mallory says “Between a global pandemic and an earthquake last week, I called my elderly neighbor to see if she was ok. She needed a prescription, but couldn’t reach her doctor and it was after hours. I was able to contact him and let him know about the issue. He had already left his office, but went back to make sure this woman was taken care of. It would have been really easy for him to have made up an excuse or told her no…but he did a kind thing. In billable hours (which is probably not how this particular doctor thinks), that wasn’t a cheap sacrifice.”
124. Alyssa Angers says “I feel so lucky to be able to spend all day every day with my daughter who is 6 months old. It’s like a bonus maternity leave (+ work haha) and I’m cherishing every moment!”
125. Chris Tully says “Being someone who loves my morning commute and going into the office, I have found joy in walking down to a local diner to get my coffee from there instead of Starbucks. Great way to start the day, replace that morning commute, and help the businesses around me.”
126. Mary Anne O’Bryan says “I have experienced my granddaughter not being able to enjoy her long awaited spring break in Florida,in deference to the many elderly who would be in her close company with acceptance and understanding.I am so proud she is able to be so mature about such a disappointment.”
127. Rebecca Richmond says “Spending more time talking to clients on the phone. Everyone going a bit crazy at home so most people fancy a chat and more people are calling me back…….which is great :)”
128. Ryan Rougeot says “Something I’ve noticed is people taking time to strengthen connections with family, friends, colleagues etc. Whether it be phone calls, texts, facetimes, video chats…doesn’t matter. People are taking the time to truly connect with one another, which is a powerful message in and of itself!”
129. Kevyn Garcia says “Good peeps like you!”
130. Brian Dowling says “My neighbor reached out to me yesterday to tell me he is organizing a “local restaurant take-out night” for our neighborhood.  The premise is this.  Anyone in the neighborhood that wants to take part can place an order to any of the 3 local restaurants in the rotation for the day.  You pay for your dinner over the phone and he is going to go and pick up from all 3 restaurants and deliver to your house.  The intention is to keep the local businesses afloat.”
131. George Whetstone says “Finding out a lot about significant others and strengthening our relationship through support and flexibility.”
132. COVID-19: Looking for Helpers in the Medical Hardware Community
133. 100 million mask challenge
134. Jess Carney says “eating much better food, Finding great online work outs, running outside more and spending more time with my parents.”
135. Christina Stone says “On a macro level it is great to see people come together again. After what seems like years of polarization I am hopeful that this tough time will bring America (and the world) together behind a common cause of putting people first.”
136. Kristina Antal says “While I’ve amped up phone calls, texts, facetimes, and virtual happy hours with my loved ones, I’ve been most worried about the lack of PPE for our doctors and healthcare professionals. Donated to BStrong/Global Empowerment Mission – they are looking to donate 1M+ masks and PPE equipment to hospitals and are taking real immediate action!”
137. Courtney McManus says “Joe and I were supposed to get married on May 8^th. It has been a very stressful week of postponing and moving things around. We moved our wedding to September 10, 2020. The silver lining : September is probably one of the best months of the year to get married AND our guests will have an easier time getting to Massachusetts to celebrate. We are so thankful our venue and the vendors were so understanding/accommodating. Now, fingers crossed everyone continues to follow the social distancing recommendation to kick this virus to the curb!”
138. Gianna Fischer says “More time at home with my dog, Brody”
139. Keeghan Lavin says “While we’re spending more time away from our loved ones, we’re growing closer in many ways.  Oh and more time to make new recipes.”
140. Christina Stone says “On a personal level I’ve been able to workout every day & get 8+ hours of sleep which has me feeling centered & thankful. Not to mention we have been able to spend more time on painting and home improvements.”
141. Dara Such says “This“
142. Eric McKellick says “Being at home forced me to finally set up my home gym in the basement and I decided to sign up for a 15K later in the year.”
143. Kevyn Garcia says “Picking up the phone more to have a conversation with someone, near or far.”
144. Kevyn Garcia says “Learning how to communicate and problem solve with Keeghan Lavin as we share the same space 24/7.”
145. Kevyn Garcia says ” Supporting local businesses and deepening my empathy for all people during this tough time.”
146. Annie Matthews says “Being present for my kids. The options are family and work and that is it. There is no list of endless weekend obligations, limited time primping for the day and commuting, and forced perspective. I’ve learned so much in just 1.5 weeks that would have never happened without the chaos that surrounds us.”
147. Sean Matthews says “Extra hours at home has given us more time to work on specific skills with the kids – so by April – we’re hoping our 5 year old will be a shoe tying, jump shop shooting, bike rider (sans training wheels).”
148. Lauren Bailey says “People are a LOT kinder consistently.”
149. Lauren Bailey says “I love seeing all the neighborhood family bike rides.”
150. Lauren Bailey says “I got FULL refunds for pulling my kids outta camp.”
151. Lauren Bailey says “I get to watch my CRO manage bubble time while leading strategy calls (and love him more for not LOSING his s#$t like I would).”
152. Meredith Torres says “Focus on family and slowing down. We usually have some kid activity every night of the week and on weekends. We’ve played board games, taken walks with the dog, and had family movie nights where we actually all agree on the movie!”
153. Jon Brown says “The air is much, much cleaner than it has been in years.”
154. Janice Tong says “I finally managed to finish the main storyline of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.”
155. Janice Tong says “Oh! Despite the toilet roll hogging, I’m seeing more random acts of kindness around me. I am unapologetically putting compassion first, be it with others or ourselves.”
156. “My family”
157. DeeDee Angers says “This is a great idea!”
158. Ameya Kapre says “I think it has been great for the environment and wildlife. I hope it is also making us realise that we do not need a lot to survive.”
159. Colin Campbell says “My local restaurants – esepcially my favorites – have been buoyed by take-out, delivery, and curbside pickup orders. The community has come together and purposefully sent orders to our local eateries to keep them in business as long as we can. To the point that my favorite local joint actually had to close just so the staff could take some time off.”
160. Barb Giamanco says “for anyone wanting to help local restaurants that may be in forced shut down or not making enough via take out… here is another way to help. With some cash.”
161. Business Insider reports on how swift action and widespread healthcare seems to be stemming the tide to an astonishingly successful degree.
162. As Fortune reports, Iceland’s unique demographics make it a global leader in testing and indicate that the spread of the virus may be far greater than previously thought.
163. The New York Times reports on how Sweden’s approach to containment has made it an outlier among Scandinavian nations.
164. Amy Mitchum says “One of my high school classmates was placed in the hospital early on.  I set up a chat with about 10 of my classmates to find out the situation and to pray.  We have gradually added several other of our classmates to the discussion.  We have continued to pray and think of him through this chat.  I have realized that although we graduated almost 35 years ago, these people are still like family…we all care very deeply for one another.  Today we received some good news about him.  Although we will continue to pray, we feel hopeful!”
165. Anonymous says “Life is short… forgive quickly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably… and never regret anything that made you smile.”
166. Tom Alaimo Sr. says “From The New York Times: The Moral Meaning of the Plague – The virus is a test. We have the freedom to respond. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/opinion/coronavirus-meaning.html?smid=em-share“
167. John McGrath says “Sheila and I FaceTime Bert O’Bryan and spoke with him for an hour.  His long term memory was pulling stories out from the 50’s and 60’s about his younger brothers and the times their mother drove like crazy to get them patched up at the Emergency Room in Lebanon.”
168. Sheila McGrath says “What a great way to be able to read through 159 positive comments!  This helps me quite a bit with my thought!”
169. Jerry O’Bryan says “I think when this is all over… we will all be better for it.. reminds me when my dad would punish us for doing something wrong (and boy he did).  We all came out a lot better.”
170. Carol Jones says “My daughter and I are sewing a dress together. We would probably never have taken the time to do this project together if not for the mandatory quarantine.”
171. Kristen Hadeed says “I saw that you can “adopt a grandparent” and Zoom together to keep elderly folks from being lonely!! I mean WHAT! How sweet is that!”
172. Mia Martinez says “being alive.”
173. John says “My wife”
174. Olivia says “Your podcast task seemed to fit my current life realizations.
     My name is Olivia and I just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.
     I also suffer with mental health and along with that I’m not very liked by many people. In order to change my attitude and perspective of things, I decided to change my view of life to positive. Things are going pretty well right now but I realized that no matter how hard things get, to see light in every situation. My son keeps me motivated to be the most positive person I can be. I find myself being more productive. Being positive has improved my mental health so much that I feel like a fresh new individual who’s capable of overcoming any obstacle with using my positivity. My dream is maybe one day people can see how much positivity has helped me and Be influenced to be a happier person. Thank you.”
175. Tom Alaimo Jr says “I woke up and started a new day.  Clean slate baby.”
176. David Dulany says “Didn’t scream at anyone or storm off and slam a door!”
177. Chris von Huene says “Yesterday I was talking to my colleague who is truly struggling, I told her that she’s my “ray of sunshine” and that it’s my turn to be her “ray of sunshine.” That immediately put a smile on her face.”
178. Chris von Huene says “Today: I’ve had multiple people DM on here and tell me how valuable content is. That I’ve given them hope when they doubted themselves and that my posts are actionable and they are seeing positive changes”
179. Chris von Huene says “Today: I sent a new friend a message saying how amazing they are and that they’re stuck with me for life because when I meet people like that I make an effort to keep them in my life”
180. Chris von Huene says “Today: My IG story has a simple ask, every interaction that you have with someone, end the conversation by saying “how can I support you?” That’s what I do and I love the relationships that are getting built because of that.”
181. Chris von Huene says “I send random love bombs, ghost hugs, and funny memes to anyone that pops up in my mind.”
182. Mike Hook says “I’ve had time to read books I was putting off, get back to my initiative of re-learning guitar and had zoom conversations with people from all over the world I otherwise might not have to talk business and life”
183. Charla Johnson says “Darrin P Johnson, MBA and I are donating money to Second Harvest Food Bank in the Bay Area, SF-Marin Food Bank, and Hawaii Food Basket https://www.hawaiifoodbasket.org/ for those in need (who have lost their jobs etc.)”
184. Brandon Morrisson says “For anyone missing sports or wanting a distraction, NFL game pass is free through the end of May”
185. Allan Ramsay says “Without my commute, I have been able to walk 5 miles/day.”
186. Kathleen Slattery Booth says “One of the best things I’ve seen… Stacy Willis and Britt Schwartz, both full time working moms (one of whom is pregnant) just started Every Face Covered (https://www.everyfacecovered.org/) to connect manufacturers who are shifting their production to make PPE with healthcare facilities that need it. They are AMAZING!”
187. Pete Selley says “Great book I am reading at the moment for anyone struggling with work 👍”
188. Luca C says “One positive of this: being able to take some time to reflect on myself, my ambitions, and reconsider my patterns of thinking in order to prepare myself for the wonders of world after social distancing is over. Love this idea, always great to be able to find light in times of darkness for so many.”
189. Rami Rajani says “I’m loving the fact that every week my diary is filled with virtual coffee’s with new people from across the world!”
190. Matthew Toth says “Seeing my two and a half year old son for lunch every day and being “home from my commute” in time to play outside in the sunshine (hopefully it gets warm here soon) is everything right now!”
191. Juozas Statnickas says “Having the opportunity to connect with your colleagues from across the ocean 🌍☎️ I never really found time to do this as often as I would have liked to when in the office and now it’s a new norm when working from home! 🗓 Today’s call got interrupted by.. turkeys? 🦃 I don’t know? 🤷🏻‍♂️Either way, there was like 10 of them and Matt couldn’t pay his attention to anything but them for a few moments 😂 I take this as a positive any day! ☀️”
192. Anna Bianca Lewis says “I love the 2 hours back that would be spent commuting…”
193. Anonymous says “Can you imagine if this was 1920’s and no internet? Glad we have the internet to stay connected.”
194. Abigail says “I see some people giving other people toilet paper.”
195. Abigail says “I see more people walking and exercising which is good.”
196. Abigail says “I see people helping their elderly neighbors get food and house necessities since it is a higher risk of elderly getting sick.”
197. Abigail says “We get to spend more family time.”
198. Abigail says “It is a good time to clean your house and go through your clothes
199. Eva says “The police came are helping the homeless people and giving them clothes, food, and blankets. I think that was very nice of them because they are helping our community.”
200. Hannah says “The pollution has gone down a lot because no one is going outside and using their cars and factories aren’t being used.”
201. Harrison says “Some positive things I see are family gatherings. Every week or two we go over to our grandma’s house to have dinner. It is really fun going there because I get to see my cousins again. We always have a good time and we stay for about 4 hours. It is really nice seeing my grandpa, uncles, aunts, and grandma.”
202. Heidi says “Some people have been sharing things such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer.”
203. Heidi says “Some people are getting together more as a family.”
204. Heidi says “The people that do have jobs are working extra hard to pay their bills and support their family.”
205. Ilonzo says “Pollution rates went down because people aren’t going outside.”
206. Ilonzo says “People are praying a lot more because we are in a bad situation. Life but it will get better!”
207. Isabella says “I find it positive that my friends and I are talking more to each other! My friend and I talked yesterday, not for that long, but we talked! And it just felt nice because even when we’re not together, we can still talk to each other like how we do at school. We talked about our friends and just about missing school. It reminds me that even if we might be socially isolated, we still have each other. Even in times of crisis, there’s still friendship and laughter.”
208. Issac says “In these hard times I have seen people come together in communities and families to help each other. Families can spend more time with each other because a lot of jobs are getting cut. families that don’t have enough other family’s help them with what they need.”
209. Issac says “Also for homeless people there are shelters so they can stay and not be as muched exposed.”
210. Issac says “Some families get to spend more time with their pets and their pets probably like that because usually they’re at work or school.”
211. Kai says “Schools are stepping up and so are many companies to help stop the virus.”
212. Kai says “ People that due evil acts aren’t allowed out of their houses anymore, so that’s good.”
213. Kaleah says “One positive thing I’ve heard about is that in China, they have seen clearer skies while the COVID-19 outbreak.”
214. Kaleah says “Another one was that in Italy, dolphins have “returned” to the waterways. And in Venice, the canals are turning clear!”
215. Kaleah says “One thing I’ve seen is a young adult who gave an elder couple some of her supplies.”
216. Kaleah says “And one thing I’ve done, is donating money to the unfortunate.”
217. Kaylin says “Some positives are that some people in the world are giving homeless supplies like hand sanitizer, tissues, food, water, anything else necessary.”
218. Kaylin says “Some other good things are that it’s bringing families together by keeping them inside with each other.”
219. Kaylin says “It’s also good because we get to take a break from things.”
220. Kaylin says “People are also giving away their own supplies to help others.”
221. Miles says “So some good things in the world right now are social media because it can make us laugh and update you daily and also give facts and opinions of current happenings.”
222. Miles says “Family, since we are staying home we are around family more.”
223. Miles says “Friends If we stay in contact with our friends they could talk to us.”
224. Miles says “More Video games to entertain me.”
225. Nicole says “Some positive things I have seen is that the amount of cars outside and that can help reduce air pollution.”
226. Nicole says “Families have been getting closer and using less technology because it’s so slow and they are spending more time together”
227. Nicole says “People are being more compassionate and helping others by passing out necessities to bad communities or to the homeless.”
228. Nicole says “There are less people going on the street and there is less trash out on the streets.  It looks decent now and people can walk out if they actually need to go and they don’t really need to worry about the trash and germs outside.”
229. Niyarra says “I have seen people passing out coronavirus supplies to people who cannot afford or find any supplies.”
230. Niyarra says “I have been spending more time with my family like playing board games, playing video games, and having dinner together.”
231. Niyarra says “Scientists have discovered a new bigger planet that we might be able to inhabit.”
232. Niyarra says “The cure for polio might follow.”
233. Niyarra says “We are now able to listen in on what’s happening in space”
234. Pearl says “Families are spending time together now because they are in the house with each other.”
235. Pearl says “Schools are now going in meetings and still having time to talk to students.”
236. Pearl says “Friends are still keeping in contact with each other and facetiming and calling.”
237. Pearl says “There is less pollution in the world because there are less people outside.”
238. Pearl says “People are freeing the animals in captivity.”
239. Trevor says “Positive things that are happening right now what I’m seeing is my family and I pray the rosary everyday.”
240. Trevor says “I see Father Thuan filming the mass so people at home could watch mass.”
241. Trevor says “Well instead of my mom staying home, she is refixing her shop to make it look better.”
242. Trevor says “We’ve been cleaning our house during this time. I have been helping more.”
243. Vincent says “During this time I have seen people carry groceries for each other.”
244. Vincent says “Also during this time I have seen people pay for other people’s washing machine”
245. Vincent says “Also I have seen people overall stay together more because they are encouraged to stay home.”
246. Vincent says “Also because people are staying at home, people may actually be able to eat dinner as a family as many families don’t do that as much on modern days.”
247. Vincent says “Also I have seen people conserving water and supplies more.”
248. Tom Alaimo Jr. says “I’m actually reading a book!”
249. Julia DePalma says “”I saw a woman handing out warm sandwiches from a beautiful basket for homeless people on the street 🧺 🥪. She didn’t just make any sandwich she said she roasted a honey ham and made them with it right out of the oven because people who sleep outside in the cold DESERVE something warm to eat!”
250. Julia DePalma says “We’re seeing parents balancing work and being moms and dads on Zoom calls and I think that it’s inspiring since it opens the conversation about work life balance and further blurs the line of work vs. personal. Plus it’s nice to change the conversation from just women being asked about work life balance to people talking about in general. Kids are seeing their parents working and I think that is inspiring them too!”
251. Julia DePalma says “We’re getting to support our community and try amazing food at the same time! I love the idea of food as a way to support and heal!”
252. Julia DePalma says “We get to spend more time together!”
253. Julia DePalma says “Lots of people have time to workout or be more of themselves while otherwise they’d be commuting to work.”
254. Julia DePalma says “People have more time for self care and are hopefully reminded that they need to care for themselves!”
255. Julia DePalma says “There is no pollution in China for the first time in a long time!”
256. Julia DePalma says “We’re reminded we don’t need to constantly CONSUME as much as we think we do!”
257. Julia DePalma says “People are coming out of the woodwork to check in on each other!”
258. Julia DePalma says “We’re eating more homemade nourishing food and taking breaks during the work day to go for a walk in the park or eat without being at our desks/in the office/rushing between meetings!”
259. Julia DePalma says “I’ve read there is wildlife returning to the shores of Italy and Venice in particular for the first time in years”
260. Julia DePalma says “We’re talking to our family and friends more”
261. Julia DePalma says “There is a unifying topic of conversation that everyone can agree with and discuss”
262. Julia DePalma says “There are many opportunities for people to ban together, be innovative and support each other – causes such as mental health awareness and suicide prevention are extra important right now!”
263. Julia DePalma says “Many people who do not normally understand or are empathetic to people being anxious are more aware and kinder”
264. Sergio Borjas says “I’ve been able to brew more beer aeeee!”
265. Sergio Borjas says “And also spend more quality time with loved ones”
266. Maddie Yott says “Positive thing: Life has slowed down lots which has been nice. I’ve been able to focus on making working out a priority and I’ve made some great progress! 💪🏽💪🏽”
267. Chris Ellis says “Positive thing: law school is online now so there’s more time to read and be in nature 💪”
268. Sami Martinez says “Though we’re being asked to physically distance, during this time I’ve been able to do more socially connecting with friends and family I don’t usually talk to on a regular basis through Zoom and FT.”
269. Meg Gotsell says “I’ve used my free time to work on my personal training certification”
270. Caitlin French says “It’s kind of hard to read the sign but this is a local skilled nursing facility in Michigan. The sign says “heroes work here”. It’s great to see this building recognizing its hard working employees!”
271. Rachel Hawes says “Inspirational fence in Plainfield, IL with homemade signs❤️”
272. Jess Torma says “I know someone who made packs with food and money and gave it to homeless people.”
273. Sam Stone says “Reese Witherspoon is giving away free dresses from her Draper James collection to teachers.”
274. Jed Collins says “Had 2 new School Districts implement hashtag#yourmoneyvehicle into their distance curriculum!!”
275. Miriam Auer says “I talk to my friends and family back home more than I have before. I live in Toronto since 6 years and not once did we have a group zoom call until now. And the commute to the office is about 10 seconds.”
276. Rachael Graening says “I’m enjoying quality time with my fiancé and awesome pup while making more of an effort than I have in the past to connect with old friends and family.”
277. Rachael Graening says “I hope when we get out of this, everyone will be more connected and try to stay that way. I live in a different state than my family and most of my friends yet I feel closer to them now than I ever have before. Seeing my grandparents navigate technology and bringing our family together is so important. We’re all in this together!!!”
278. Christopher Herrera says “Connecting with friends I don’t with all the time”
279. Christopher Herrera says “long morning walks with my fiancé and our dog”
280. Christopher Herrera says “honing my dance skills for our wedding later this year”
281. Lindsay Williams says “Connecting with those near and far with the technology we have available and getting creative with my counseling skills via telehealth.”
282. Lindsay Williams says “We are being forced to look at things in a new way and become more innovative daily.”
283. Anthony Franzoso says “With the time I’ve saved from not having to commute, I’m able to do other things with my family- watching movies, making dinner, and unfortunately discovering that we had a karaoke machine in the basement that hadn’t been used (microphone broke after 3 songs).”
284. Tom Alaimo Jr. says “Granted another day by the chief upstairs. It’s up to me to return the favor to others.”
285. Christina Stone says “The sun was out in Boston! Took a long walk with the pup. And more sun in the forecast for today.”
286. Kim Kaminski says “Love this idea: One “silver lining” I’ve seen is my team has become even more productive while working from home. Our results have been incredible!”
287. Corey Field says “Its definitely made me value the little things I took for granted before. Though I knew true wealth was about relationships and personal contact before, this has really solidified my view in that.”
288. Susan Rogers says “Getting to know my neighbors as we are all walking in our neighborhood since the local trails are closed. We are always standing across the street from each other but nice to put faces to my neighbors.”

LAST EDITED: Tuesday 4/7 at 8:00 am PT