The chilly and dark half of the year is getting closer and closer, so we all need a bit of extra warmth and light in our lives. Fortunately, human beings have the ability to do amazing things that lift up our spirits and make us warm and fuzzy inside. So to get you feeling like the world is a magical place full of wonder, Bored Panda has collected some of the most wholesome stories from around the globe.

Remember to upvote your fave ones, dear Pandas. Also, we know that 2020 has been a tough year so far, but we’d love it if you could let us know what positive things have happened to you in the comments. When you’re done with this awesome list, check out our latest uplifting posts here, here, and here.

Staying optimistic helps us deal with whatever storms might come our way and reduces the negative effects of stress. The New York Times puts it best when it says that optimism isn’t about ignoring negative feelings, but it’s all about being hopeful for what the future might bring. So you don’t have to smile if you don’t feel like it—all it takes is some hope. However, hope and optimism aren’t the same thing, as psychologist, priest, and published author Dr. Fraser Watts told Bored Panda. Scroll down for our interview with him.

#1 Today Oliver Stopped Me Dead In His Tracks And Turned Back Around To See This Picture That He Spotted! He Just Stared At It In Awe

He recognized another boy like him, smiling and laughing on a display at Target. Oliver sees kids every day, but he never gets to see kids like him. This was amazing! I am so happy that other kids that pass through here with their parents, will see this! There is a lot of focus on representing diversity, but representing people with disabilities is just as important

Image credits: Ollie’s World

#2 I Love You Mom

Image credits: ashleymcnamara

#3 Uncle Looks So Happy

Image credits: kennya_ramos

According to Dr. Watts, optimism and hope aren’t the same thing. “First, I need to make a distinction between hope and optimism, as Terry Eagleton does in his 2015 book called ‘Hope without Optimism.’ Optimism is more a matter of prediction. Hope is more a matter of attitude,” Dr. Watts explained the difference between the two.

“In the present situation, I don’t think there are any good grounds for optimism, and to be optimistic would be a retreat into a fantasy world,” he pointed out. “However, even in present circumstances, it is possible and really helpful to maintain a positive, hopeful attitude.”

Unfortunately, there’s is no single surefire way of keeping that hope alive when things are tough. “Practice helps. It depends on a long process of cultivating a positive mindset. It is useful to be clear that hope does not depend on believing that everything is going to be fine. It is more an act of will.”

#4 The Good Son

Image credits: _sjpeace_

#5 My Dad Hasn’t Painted In Over 30 Years. Now That He’s Retired He Decided To Pick Up A Brush Again

Image credits: Takayda0808

#6 Sadio Mane, The Liverpool Star Earning Approximately $10.2M Per Year Has Given The World A Lesson In Modesty After Some Fans Spotted Him Carrying A Cracked iPhone

His response is legendary:

“Why would I want 10 Ferraris, 20 diamond watches and 2 jet planes? What would that do for the world? I starved, I worked in the fields, I played barefoot, and I didn’t go to school. Now I can help people. I prefer to build schools and give poor people food or clothing. I have built schools & a stadium; we provide clothes, shoes, and food for people in extreme poverty. I give 70 euros per month to all people from a very poor Senegalese region in order to contribute to their family economy. I do not need to display luxury cars, luxury homes, trips, and even planes. I prefer that my people receive a little of what life has given me,” Mane said.

Even though most people don’t distinguish between hope on the one hand and optimism on the other, the internet is full of advice on how to keep your spirits up even if things seem incredibly challenging. One of the ways to stay optimistic even when times are incredibly tough is sitting down and thinking about all the things that you’re grateful for having. Gratitude journals can help out with this, even though they might sound cheesy.

There are other ways to maintain your optimism, too. For example, Select Health stresses that taking care of yourself is vital when things are hard. That means exercising, getting plenty of rest, setting time aside for your hobbies.

And, yes, that even means treating yourself from time to time: whether it’s sinking into a hot bath after a long week at work or sneaking in an hour of video gaming in between doing homework (we won’t tell if you won’t). When you do what you love without guilt or shame, suddenly the world feels brighter, doesn’t it? As long as you don’t overindulge, of course.

#7 The Left One Is My Art. Found The Drawing On The Right In My Little Brother’s Room One Day

Image credits: Jojoes Art

#8 Thanks Frankie’s East Aside Restaurant For Doing The Right Thing

Image credits: noahsygg

#9 Helping Out Kids Without Fathers

Image credits: FaisalTreShah

Things are always easier to bear when you’re surrounded by loved ones, Forbes points out. So even if you’re feeling down in the dumps or as blue as a Smurf, take some time to connect. Give your siblings a call or arrange to meet with a pal you haven’t seen in some time.

This whole end-of-the-world business doesn’t seem as scary when you’re laughing and having fun with awesome peeps. Meanwhile, we hope that these wholesome stories will be enough for now.

#10 Spotted In Manchester, UK

Image credits: lizzlenizzlemizzle

#11 Well Done IKEA

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#12 It’s The Little Things

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#13 Dr. Mohamed Mashali Was A Well-Known Doctor Based In The Northern Egypt. He Was Awarded With The Title “Doctor Of The Poor” For Serving His Community For Over 50 Years

Mohammed Mashali once found a child that suffered from diabetes and needed insulin shot but couldn’t afford them, so he asked his mother to buy him some. Sadly his mother could not afford them either and the child passed away. After this, he moved to one of the poorest countries and began treating medical patients free of charge. He passed away on July 28, 2020. Days before his death he was still helping everyone he could

Image credits: MyNameIsPer

#14 The Docs Gave My Son A 10% Chance To Survive His CHD. He Is 6 Months Old Today And Thriving

Image credits: spontaneousbootay

#15 Don’t Forget To Appreciate Your Grannies

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#16 I Told My Grandma I Was Bisexual A Few Weeks Ago And Today She Gave Me This. My Grandma Made Me A Rainbow Sweater

Image credits: sunatjexd

#17 Me In First Grade Pre Surgery vs. Me In 2020 

Had several surgeries due to birth defects. Just completed the dental treatment (which included having my jaw wired shut for several months). Very happy with the results

Image credits: Ipsi

#18 I Live In My Van. Found This On My Windshield This Morning

Image credits: ryannefromTX

#19 Wholesome Old Black Lady

Image credits: thatgirl_stacey

#20 He Guarded A Bird With Broken Wing Under My Truck For Four Days Before It Could Fly Off

Had to bring them both food and water because he refused to leave its side day and night, very proud of him

Image credits: MasturbatingMiles

#21 Hearing The Words From Love

Image credits: reddit.com

#22 My Little Brother Has Autism. He Turned 17 Today. I Came Home From Work To This Note

Image credits: -TheOnlyOutlier-

#23 During Her Battle With Cancer And After She Beat It

Image credits: flexing_after_cancer

#24 I Work With The Same Doctor That Delivered Me 21 Years Ago

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#25 Passengers Stay Seated So Dad Can Get To Daughters’ Dance

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#26 After Almost 2 Years Of Dealing With Traumas And Depression I Finally Got The Motivation To Clean My Room Entirely

It almost took 9 hours, and 2 trash bags full with plastic bottles, pizza boxes and other trash. I’m proud of my work

Image credits: used_air

#27 My Son And His Best Friend, Both Told Their Survival Rate Would Be Around 2%, Walked The Stage And Graduated Tonight

Image credits: Timfrostyo

#28 I Asked My Mum To Make Me A Face Mask. I Guess Even After 40 Years I’m Still Her Little Boy

Image credits: Andy_Cohen_1979

#29 My 101-Year-Old Grandfather Threw A 100th Birthday Party For His Best Friend, Bob

Image credits: Lourdez01

#30 A Wholesome Flex

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#31 Cracking Little Builder

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#32 Not All Heroes Wear Capes

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#33 Same Bike, Same Place, Same Girl. 71 Years Difference

Image credits: RoloTonyBrownTown-

#34 Doctors Told Us To Make Preparations For Losing Her, But After 5 Brain Surgeries My Baby Had Her First Disney Trip At 3 Years Old

Image credits: Veatchdave

#35 Autism Be Damned My Boy Can Work A Grill

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#36 Lost My Car Key While Jogging On The Rail Trail, Went Back Looking For It And Stumbled Upon This. I Owe My Whole Soul To Whoever Did This

Image credits: Eliza Calverley

#37 My Cat Ripped Open His Favorite Toy. This Is My Grandma Sewing It Back Together

Image credits: andthenhestabbedme

#38 Was Born Without An Arm So I Built Myself My Own Eletronic 3D Printed Arm. This Is Me Holding An Egg

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#39 I Too Got Vaccinated Despite Having Anti-Vax Parents. Finally Got My Last Immunization Shot

Image credits: PKBeNess

#40 I Love You

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#41 This Kind Gesture

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#42 In Memory Of My Father

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#43 Never Too Late, Never Too Old

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#44 Love You Dad

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#45 As A Teenager She Had A Domestic Accident Which Left Her Chest, Neck And Arms Severely Burned. Today, 10 Years Later, She Managed To Heal In A Way She Never Imagined

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#46 Wool Vest That My Mother Started To Make, She Never Finished It. Died At The Age Of 78 Before She Could Finish It. I Framed It As She Left It And It Will Be With Me As Long As I Live

Image credits: primatology

#47 Single Dad In Thailand Wore A Dress To A Mother’s Day Event For His Sons So That They Didn’t Feel Left Out

Image credits: kornpat.sukhom

#48 My Brother Was The First To Graduate With A Master’s In My Family. My Dad Couldn’t Stop Crying

Image credits: Jay_no_pho

#49 Father And Son Pilots Got To Fly Together On Dad’s Last Flight. He’s Retiring After 41 Years With Air Canada

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#50 Role Model Mom

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#51 My Nana Knitted A Blanket For A Baby Elephant Called Khanyisa In South Africa, It Arrived Yesterday From The UK After 4 Months And She Is So Happy

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#52 This Is The Cutest Thing I’ve Ever Seen

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#53 And All Of Those 12 People Are Happy For You

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#54 Such A Wholesome Sister

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#55 Why Am I Crying?

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#56 The ‘Helpmefind’ Community Came Together To Reunite A Young Boy With A Stuffed Cat He Lost 3 Years Ago, Which Was Given To Him By His Deceased Father

This is him opening the box today, overcome with emotion

Image credits: dmariem

#57 Kind Heart

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#58 Good Boy

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#59 Great What This Father Did After His Daughter’s Head Was Opened For Surgery

#60 These Teens At The Skateboard Park Treating My 5-Year-Old Like He’s One Of Them

Image credits: passingglans

#61 There Is Always Someone Who Cares About You

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#62 Two Years Ago, The World Watched With A Heavy Heart As A Mother Orca Carried Along Her Dead New-Born For More Than Two Weeks. Now, That Same Orca Is Pregnant Again

Image credits: CNN

#63 Making Dreams Come True

Image credits: A Walk On Water

#64 OMG, Just Look At You

Image credits: Advil

#65 My Son Asked My Dad If He Knew A Wizard Who Could Tell Him Where To Find Magic Treasure. My Dad Hid Magic Treasures Around Our Property And Took Him On A Treasure Hunt

Image credits: thelastremake

#66 My Brother Spent Months Digitizing Reel-To-Reel Videos Our Dad Took Of Us As Kids. Even Though He’s 90 And Now Has Dementia, Today Dad Got To Relive It All

Image credits: dontexpect2much

#67 The Best Way To Get Smiles On A Motorcycle

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#68 Wholesome Police Officer

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#69 This Is Amazing

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#70 He Is Passionate About His Job, As You Can Tell By These Photos

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#71 My Grandfather Is A Champ

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#72 Relationship Goals

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#73 Awesome FedEx Driver

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#74 After Seeing These Signs For Months, I Finally Found Some Good News On My Walk Today

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#75 Thanks To This Wonderful Dutch Ambulance Wish Foundation Which Fulfills Last Wishes. This Terminally Ill Lady Enjoyed Her Favorite Painting In The Rijksmuseum In Amsterdam

Image credits: Stichting Ambulance Wens Nederland

#76 Love Never Dies

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#77 Grandad Of The Year Award Goes To

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#78 The Taxi Business, Often Gets Bad Press, But In Reality It Does Have Some Extraordinarily Kind And Generous People

Image credits: MichMerrigan

#79 Living The Dream

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#80 I Got A Note From A Seller On Etsy After I Was Their First Customer. Made My Whole Heart Smile

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#81 Teamwork

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#82 This Lady Works At Walmart, Poses With Its Products For Store’s Local FB Page

Image credits: Walmart North East

#83 German Circus Uses Holograms Instead Of Live Animals For A Cruelty-Free Magical Experience

Image credits: boredpanda.com

#84 Wholesome Model

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#85 Most Adorable Announcement Ever

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#86 I Sprained My Ankle, So My Cat Decided To Elevate Her Paws In Solidarity

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#87 Today My Oma Turns 100

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#88 Elderly Woman Born On Feb. 29, 1920 Celebrates Her 25th Birthday

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#89 My Dentist Brings His Dog To Work With Him Everyday To Help With Anxious Patients

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#90 Gotta Take Care Of The Plants

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#91 My Girlfriend’s Brother Is On The Spectrum. The Only Time We’d Spoken Was When We Spent 3 Hours Doing Jigsaws. After A Christmas Jigsaw, I (Right) Asked Him To Help Me Decorate The Christmas Tree

Image credits: MethodicallyCurious

#92 Had Her For A Week, I Think He Loves Her

Image credits: reddit.com

#93 My Dad Meeting My Son For The First Time Yesterday. I’ve Never Seen My Dad So Happy. Feels Real Good, Man

Image credits: tripdiesel91

#94 Saw This Guy At Wal-Mart Buying All Of Their Remaining Santa Hats. He Said “I Do This Every Year After Christmas And Donate Them To Children’s Hospitals For Next Year”

Image credits: banginbowties

#95 My Kid Said Her One Birthday Wish Was To Wake Up To Some Balloons. The Door To Her Room Is On The Other Side, Waiting To Be Opened

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#96 Amazing Dad

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#97 Told My Step-Dad I Prefer The Orange Jelly Beans, This Morning I Came In To Him Sorting Them Into A Jar For Me

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#98 I Found A Secluded Spot In Colorado To Propose. Her Answer: “I’ve Been Waiting Since I Was 14”

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#99 Service Dog Receives His Master’s Degree In Occupational Therapy From Clarkson University After He Attends Every Class With His Owner

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#100 Everything Gets Better

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#101 Guy Turned His Life Around After Quitting Drugs

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#102 My Grandpa Mac, 92 Years Old, Just Got New Security Cameras Around His House. He Sends Us Random Messages Through The Cameras

He has my cousin, Aaron, and I on the online login (he’s not too computer savvy) so we can see what’s going on.

Image credits: inquisitooor

#103 My Grandfather Emails Me A Virtual “Lunch Note” Daily Because He Used To Pack My School Lunches. I’m 31 Now

Image credits: chocandcholl

#104 My Boyfriend Is Legally Blind And Got To “See” The Liberty Bell Today

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#105 Otto Is A Little Bit Doddery And Farty, But – To Be Honest – So Is My Dad

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#106 I Am 16 Months Clean From Drugs Today, For The First Time In A Long Time I Can Smile And Mean It

Image credits: vince_of_hearts

#107 My First Day Of Kindergarten 30 Years Apart

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#108 A Concerned Old Lady Left This Note

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#109 Fireman In My Town Saving A Kitty From A House Fire

Image credits: but_why_is_it_itchy

#110 Meet Lady In A Fur Coat, Or Lady For Short! DCHS Staff Member Crocheted Her A Lovely Ear Bonnet To Keep This Lady Looking Stylish

Image credits: Dane County Humane Society

#111 Made Me Smile During A Traffic Back Up

Image credits: sunnydaffodil1

#112 My 11-Year-Old Daughter Has Insisted On Checking The Mail The Last Couple Of Days. Today, I Checked It. This Is What I Found

Image credits: BallCoach79

#113 Walking Down South Street In Philadelphia, This Man Was Giving Free Haircuts To The Homeless

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#114 High School Club Sponsors A Free Necessities Board For Students Including School Supplies And Hygiene Items

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#115 Dad Makes A Personal Graduation Ceremony For Daughter

Image credits: JeremypierreFOX

#116 That’s The Cutest Story Ever

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#117 -20° F The Other Morning In The High Rockies Of Colorado. Some Kind Soul Left These By The Bus Stop

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#118 One Of The Reasons To Believe In Destiny

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#119 A Good Samaritan Giving Away Face Masks Due To The Ashfall In The Philippines

Image credits: Ranzkylebaby

#120 I Found A Bee Collapsed In The Sun So I Gave Him Some Of My Pancake And Some Sugar Syrup Now We Are High Fiving

Image credits: Fropitz

Source: boredpanda.com