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'It's OK to be scared' and 9 other messages we all probably need to hear right now.

If the news lately is getting you down, you're not alone.

From the Supreme Court to the refugee crisis to climate change, a lot of really big things are happening right now. These topics feel as though they're out of our control, making it easy for despair and apathy to settle in.


By now, we all know the drill: Vote, support organizations that share our values, and cultivate meaningful human relationships. Still, cynicism cuts through it all — or at least it can, if you let it.

But across social media, people are sharing powerful messages of hope and inspiration.

With the aforementioned assortment of anxieties affecting the world, let's take a look at some of these motivational messages.

1. Progress is a marathon, not a sprint.

Civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis (D-Georgia) called on people not to lose themselves in a "sea of despair" following disheartening news about the Supreme Court. If anyone would know about doing the right thing and overcoming challenges, it'd be Lewis.

2. It's OK to be scared, but remember that history is made up of scared people who changed the world anyway.

Writer John Paul Brammer offered an important reminder about fear and channeling it into progress.

3. Keep your eyes forward.

Hindsight is 20/20, and "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda relayed an important message about looking to the past for inspiration about your own progress, not to stay within it.

4. Take a deep breath and know that others stand with you.

Newscaster Dan Rather shared some poignant thoughts on his Facebook page, calling on people to "turn to your left and right and see the long lines of fellow citizens" who share your drive to create change.

The Supreme Court! It is the scene of what is in essence a coup led by Mitch McConnell, who flaunted democratic norms to...

Posted by Dan Rather on Wednesday, June 27, 2018

#steady #courageFor decades, Republicans have been able to have it all ways. Promise a radical reactionary rethink of...

Posted by

Dan Rather on Wednesday, June 27, 2018

5. It takes patience and impatience to create change in the world.

Let America Vote founder Jason Kander shared some words of wisdom from his time as Missouri's Secretary of State, touching on the importance of being impatient enough to resist complacency while still remaining patient enough to see your goals through to the end.

6. Hope is a choice we make — and so is despair.

Writers Ashley C. Ford and Steve Marmel simply reject the ideas of despair and hopelessness. You can, too.

7. Never stop fighting, even when the outcome looks certain.

Commentator and podcast host Erin Gloria Ryan offered a word of caution to people claiming the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade case is in imminent danger, sharing a bit of history from 1992.

It's entirely possible that a more conservative court will move to overturn the ruling, but we shouldn't give up hope just yet.

8. If you lose hope, you lose. That's what your adversaries want.

Writer Alex Steffen reminds people that giving up on hope is the first step towards giving up altogether. "Embrace defiant optimism," he wrote.

9. Don't dismiss the whole as the result of a few. Small acts of good add up over time.

Author Celeste Ng asked her Twitter followers to promote inclusivity whenever possible. You may not win everyone over, but you'll surely find success with some.

10. The world sometimes takes two steps forward and one step back. If we stay focused, we can step forward once again.

Brittany Packnett believes people should look to the past — just not our own. "I come from people not meant to survive," she wrote.

As individuals, we might not be able to change much.

But as a unified force, we can make all the difference in the world.

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Health

Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.

Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.

Elya/Wikimedia Commons

Should you hang the toilet paper roll over or under?



Upworthy book

Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.

The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a "correct" way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.

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Family

A recently-deceased mom became a celebrity after her kids' published stunningly clever obituary

“I finally have the smoking hot body I have always wanted… having been cremated.”

The Hamilton Spectator

RIP Sybil Marie Hicks

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Sybil Marie Hicks, from Baysville, Ontario, died on February 2, at the age of 81, but it'll be a long time before her name is forgotten. Her children have turned her into a posthumous celebrity after writing a hilarious first-person obituary for her that was published in The Hamilton Spectator on February 5, 2019.

According to her daughter, it was fitting tribute.

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Brielle Asero lost her job after 2 months.

TikTokker Brielle Asero, 21, a recent college graduate, went viral on TikTok in October for her emotional reaction to the first day at a 9-to-5 job. The video, which received 3.4 million views, captured the public’s attention because it was like a cultural Rorschach test.

Some who saw the video thought that Asero came off as entitled and exemplified the younger generation’s lack of work ethic. In contrast, others sympathized with the young woman who is just beginning to understand how hard it is to find work-life balance in modern-day America.

“I’m so upset,” she says in the video. "I get on the train at 7:30 a.m., and I don't get home until 6:15 p.m. [at the] earliest. I don't have time to do anything!" Asero said in a video.

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I told a kid a riddle my dad told me when I was 7. His answer proves how far we've come.

This classic riddle takes on new meaning as our world changes for the better.




When I was 7, my dad told me a riddle.

"A man and his son are driving in their car when they are hit by a tractor-trailer.

Photo via iStock.

(We were driving at the time, so of course this was the riddle he decided to tell.)

The father dies instantly.

The son is badly injured. Paramedics rush him to the hospital.

Photo via iStock.

As he is being wheeled into the operating room, the surgeon takes one look the boy and says:

'I can't operate on him. He's my son.'

How is that possible?!"

Without missing a beat, I answered:

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