In an era where 24-hour news cycles continuously bombard us with appalling events happening throughout the world, we are increasingly prone to compassion fatigue, and may in fact become numb to the endless shocking headlines and images. Many polarising events and human tragedies—from Brexit to the rise of far right extremism, the Yemeni civil war to the Rohingya refugee crisis—show a world in flux, in turmoil and unhinged. Because of this, for our own sanity and peace of mind, we need, more than ever, to find reasons to be cheerful.
One of the most memorable good news stories of 2018 was the Thai cave rescue, when twelve boys from the Wild Boars football team and their young coach were saved from the flooded Tham Luang cave system in northern Thailand. The successful rescue of the boys and coach caused a worldwide sensation—it was a reason to be cheerful, to find faith in humanity. Moreover, it offered a lesson in the power of shared responsibility, as nations across the world gave their help and support.
As we approach a new year, you may be striving to find reasons and ways to be cheerful. At LZF, we don’t pretend to be a cheerfulness guru—we simply want to offer a few ideas.
Find out who you are and do it on purpose!

Dolly at 24. She found out who she was. And did it on purpose.
Read a real book

Photo by César Viteri on Unsplash.
Do your bit for the environment—however small

Photo © Surfrider Foundation.
Get involved in a peaceful protest

Photo by T. Chick McClure on Unsplash.
Embrace positive education

Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash.
Treat yourself

LZF’s Escape pendant by Ray Power, living beachside in Marbella, Spain.
Practice gratitude

Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet (created by English author A. A. Milne).
Be kind to others
