Weekly Uplifting Stories - January 30th, 2023

This week in our roundup of positive and Uplifting Stories, we glimpse into the happiest country in the world, a TikToker helps raise money to help a senior WalMart worker to pay off her mortgage, a missing cat comes home, thanks to microchip technology and a giant bridge is being built to help save the mountain lion from extinction. 

We post five heartwarming stories every week for you. Let us know if you love them in the comments below. Have a beautiful week everyone! 

If you need a visual boost to start your week, check out our video on Removing Negative Thoughts.

1. Finland has the Happiest Citizens in the World - 5 Years in a Row

For five years in a row, Finland has been scoring the highest in the World Happiness Report. Each year the UN releases a World Happiness Report, which looks at factors that contribute to safety, equality, social support, life expectancy, generosity, and absence of corruption.

So how do people in Finland maintain such a high quality of life? 

Finnish psychology expert, Frank Martela, PhD has a few key points on this: 

• Finns don't compare themselves to their neighbors 
• They understand the crucial role nature plays in our lives
• They trust each other, relying on their community to be honest and truthful

You can read the whole story here. 

2. TikToker Raises $186K to Help 81-Year-Old Walmart Worker to Pay Off Her Mortgage

TikToker Devan Bonagura managed to raise $186,000 for 81-year-old WalMart staffer Nola Carpenter, to help her finally retire by paying off her mortgage. 

After getting to know Nola at a New Jersey WalMart, Devan uploaded a TikTok video, showing her exhausted in the break room with the caption, "Life shouldn't be this hard."

Everything happened quickly after that, with millions of views and comments from people wanting to help. 

Over 13,500 people contributed to the GoFundMe Devan set up, sending thousands of well wishes and happy comments. Congratulations Nola! 

You can read the whole story here.

3. Building a Giant Bridge to Save the Mountain Lion in Los Angeles

The 165-foot-wide Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will connect the Santa Monica Mountains with the Simi Hills.

The bridge is designed to give mountain lions and other animals safe passage in and out of the Santa Monica Mountains, in an effort to save the animals from extinction. To mitigate the sound of traffic, the crossing will be surrounded by trees, bushes, and sound barriers.

The corridor is being developed following 20 years of studies from the National Park Service that found roads and urban development are deadly for animals trying to navigate the Los Angeles area. - CBSNews.com

The crossing is expected to be complete by 2025.

Read the whole story here.

4. Lily, the Missing Cat Reunites With Owner After 6 Years, Thanks to Microchip

One of the scariest things you can go through is losing a pet. Not knowing where they are, are they scared, are they safe? But sometimes, miracles happen - and they are actually found. This is what happened for Jessica Kinsey, whose beloved kitty, Lily, just didn't come home one day. 

After 6 years of searching, wondering and hoping Lily was safe and being taken care of somewhere...Jessica got a call that Lily was taken in at her local SPCA! Thanks to Lily's microchip, and to Jessica smartly updating her contact information throughout Lily's absence, they were able to identify the cat and return her to her grateful owner.

"That's the best way to get your animal identified without a collar or tags that may get lost or stolen or removed. The most important thing though with those microchips is that the information stays up to date." - Jamie Larson, the Director of Animal Services at the Sacramento SPCA. 

You can watch the video here.

5. Who's Your High Five? Movement Inspired by a Sweet Friendship

Friendship can blossom in unexpected ways.

A friendship between a young girl and a grocer inspires a movement called “Who’s Your High Five?”

This campaign aims to highlight stories of kindness and compassion from all over the world. Inspired by the friendship that bloomed between her 6-year-old daughter Fiona, and local grocer Gilnet, mom Rachel Smith decided to start a charity called "Who's Your High Five," to recognize people you meet in your childhood who leave a lasting impression. 

"People can submit stories about people who've positively impacted their lives the way he's positively impacted ours." - Rachel Smith

You can submit your own stories on Who's Your High Five? here. 

Read the whole story here.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash