After Amy Schmitt of Woodhaven, Michigan, rushed her son Jacob to the hospital for a medical emergency, she learned that they would need to stay in the hospital for several days, including for one of their favorite days of the year, Halloween. She had the wherewithal to find time to rush home to place a sign in front of the house saying they were at the hospital and there was no candy, so kids wouldn’t be disappointed when nobody answered the door during trick or treating. What happened next should challenge any negative narratives you may have about kids these days.

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I had planned to honor veterans today with a story or two about heroic veterans, but I changed my mind. It’s impossible to celebrate Veteran’s Day without mentioning the immense challenge we face in dealing with veteran suicides. I did hesitate talking about it, since there are some studies saying that we may be making it worse by consistently talking about the issue, but I have to think not talking about is worse. To call what is happening among post-9/11 warfighters a mental health crisis isn’t quite capturing the severity of the issue; what we’re dealing with is a full-blown epidemic.

In this episode I briefly share the statistics, and compel listeners to do more than just donate to a veterans cause this Veteran’s Day.

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Hello Fridays. Where have you been all my life?

The invention of the Blackberry years ago marked a shift for workers worldwide. With our office suddenly fitting in our pockets thanks to technology, work began coming along with us wherever we went - and it’s only gotten worse. But there is hope on the horizon for anyone who feels like they can’t get away from the job. Thanks to Four-Day Week Global, and the Four-Day Week Campaign, we are closer than ever before to the tipping point in the quest to have employers across the globe adjust the work schedule to a four-day workweek.

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Some things in life just seem to fit together perfectly…almost, mysteriously. A few weeks ago in Kansas City, the owner of KC Flower Company had a customer purchase an arrangement of flowers, and then hand them right back to her. What happened next was heartwarming, and it renews your belief that some things are larger than mere luck.

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As we enter Election Day, changing our routines to fit voting into our day, sometimes questioning whether it’s worth it, we look back at the history of voting rights and just how much people sacrificed so we can freely walk into a polling station and cast our votes. While it doesn’t seem like much now, we can all be thankful for the system we have that respects all Americans and their vote.

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Do you feel like you’re cynical, and there’s nothing you can do to change it? If so, there’s good news. Changing is much easier and faster than you think, and the benefits of being less cynical are worth fighting for. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an idealist, just make some small changes and prepare to see your future in a brighter light.

In this episode I reference findings from Dr. Jamil Zaki, Director of the Social Neuroscience Lab at Stanford University, which he shares in his new book, Hope For Cynics.

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Not everyone keeps their savings in a bank account. In some cultures, it’s customary to keep it in cash and carry it with you. Van Ha, originally from Vietnam, is a woman in her 70s who keeps her savings with her at all times in an envelope. Well, she did, until a few months ago, she lost it one afternoon while shopping at a Boston-area Market Basket. Luckily, she was in good hands. This story reminds us that we should believe in the people around us to do the right thing.

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Did you know the game of Monopoly was invented for political reasons in order to teach the dangers of capitalism in real estate? I dive into the roots of the game, the transition, and how it ended up in the form it is today. No matter the original intent, it’s still fun to have a board game that gives us a chance to slip into a cut-throat mindset, bankrupt our loved ones, and dominate the real estate landscape.

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Saving the Blue Whale is something I haven’t thought much about. It wasn’t until I learned about how close the largest animal to ever roam the earth (larger than dinosaurs) came to extinction recently, because of humans, that I stopped to pay attention. The real magic in this story, is how humans brought the Blue Whale species back - and what that means about our power and our future, as a human species, when we work together.

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You never know when you’re going to make an impact on someone, and at the same time, on a community. Larry Farrish, Jr., a bus driver for Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky did just that when he went way out of his way to help one of the kids on his bus. Mr. Larry, as the kids call him, didn’t think much of it, but very quickly news spread, and two days later, they were on the Today show.

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