I’ve been so busy thinking and writing this past week that I’ve run out of words to say, so I’m bringing you a few interesting links.
Being positive isn’t something you can force, although lots of people try.
You can invite joy into your life. I used to have an RSS feed of “happy things” that was mostly animalsdressedasotheranimals.tumblr.com (RIP). Now I have an Instagram account that’s dedicated to animals, plants, and fungi.
Other people make time for comedy specials and favorite tv shows. They play with their kids. They have dance breaks. You don’t need to fake happiness when you can conjure up the real thing.
NPR is here to help with its recently released joy generator.
What reliably makes you smile?
Some nonprofits use misleading tactics to get people to accidentally sign up for recurring donations — or, worse, make requests for donations look like overdue bills.
When people fear their family will decide they’re incompetent and take control of their finances, they're less likely to ask for help when dealing with things like confusing billing systems or disputing fraudulent credit card charges.
You can make it safe for your loved ones to talk to you about their concerns by bringing up the topic and showing just how prevalent these problems are.
Plenty of intelligent, capable people fall for scams and misunderstand confusing forms. Being the victim of a scam does not mean someone should lose their ability to decide how to spend their money or live on their own.
A photo that captures the essence of those rare (mythical?) creatures who manage to provide 24/7 care for decades without losing their mind:
The rest of us, when told by a doctor that we have to provide 24/7 care:
Speaking of desperate and out of ideas, if you’ve been following the drama of the latest Alzheimer’s medication getting FDA approval, you might find the latest issue of Out of Pocket interesting.