Happy Tuesday to you, and welcome back to another edition of Positive DONUT🥳.

Can you believe it’s June already? Where did the first half of 2024 go?! Here’s to longer days, summer barbecues, and time in the sun☀️.

Have a fantastic week!

- Kailyn 🥰

Ready, Set, Go: Today's newsletter takes ~3.42 minutes to read (910 words).

I have everything I need inside of me. I am enough.

In the early 1960’s, President John F. Kennedy declared that he wanted an African American in NASA’s astronaut corps. And a young Ed Dwight, who trained at the Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, could've made that a reality.

After passing through the initial round of training and being declared a star student, however, Ed was sadly not chosen as an astronaut. A few years later, he resigned from the Air Force and decided to go into the arts instead, becoming a professional sculptor for the rest of his career.

• Ed loves his art, but for sixty years, he has wondered what it would be like to travel into space like he always dreamed of.

Now, at 90 years old, his days of wondering are over. Ed was part of a recent commercial Blue Origin rocket launch, blasting off into space for about ten minutes along with five others – fulfilling his lifelong dream to soar above Earth's atmosphere.

• While the other five crewmates were believed to have purchased their seats (at ~$500,000/pop), Ed’s ticket was sponsored by the non-profit Space for Humanity, with support from the Jaison and Jamie Robinson Foundation.

A weight(lessness) off the shoulders

According to CBS News, the 10-minute sub-orbital flight accelerated the capsule to more than 2,100 mph at an altitude of 185,000 feet, before releasing to continue coasting up to an altitude of ~343,000 feet (~65 miles). The crew had about three minutes of weightlessness above the atmosphere before returning back to Earth.

• "There was a part of my career that wasn't quite fulfilled,” Ed shared with CBS. “And here's a grand opportunity at this late date to fulfill that."
• "I didn't think I needed this in my life," the ecstatic nonagenarian said after climbing out of the capsule upon touch down. "I lied!"

From passed-over to record holder: After completing the flight, Ed claimed the world record for the oldest person to ever travel into space.

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Five years ago, the Washington S.T.E.M. Elementary School in Lynn, Massachusetts, partnered with Stop & Shop, a supermarket chain, to open a food pantry on campus. 

The school was one of the first five campuses to join Stop & Shop's initiative. Now, 235 schools across the Northeast host the pantires for students and their families.

⚾️ To celebrate the 5-year anniversary of the program, Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas stopped by the school and surprised students and staff alike with 500 tickets to a game a Fenway Park.  

The move fits the... bill🧢. The Red Sox proudly host the "Strike Out School Hunger Program." For every strikeout thrown at Fenway Park, the team donates 10,000 meals to kids in need through the school pantry initiative.

🌊 The power of the sea... Alaskan inventor Lance McMullan has been on a 14-year mission to harness the power of the moon and tides into usable energy. Think of it like solar power but from the sea: "It’s just so much power, and it’s not being touched,” he said. “I feel like I have almost a responsibility to bring it to reality.”

🧪 Algae no more... A new tool to fight harmful algae blooms is getting a first run in Utah. The scientists behind it say they're getting breakthrough results.

🎨 Art = life... You probably wouldn't think of picking up a paintbrush or sitting at a piano to treat health conditions – but maybe it's time to start. A growing amount of research indicates that art can radically improve both physical and mental health in effective and measurable ways. 

🐢 Save the turtles... Hawaii high-school senior Maddux Springer graduated this past weekend with $10,000 in his pocket, thanks to his study of the relationship between high wastewater levels and fatal tumors in green sea turtles in Kāneʻohe Bay.

You know what they say – we're often our own worst critic. And in a world full of social media and constant stimuli, it's easy to fall into the game of comparison and beat ourselves up over the small things. 

If this sounds familiar(guilty!), I challenge you to try out this 11-minute meditation for some radical self-acceptance and love. 

The simple act of sitting and intentionally breathing can have some incredible effects on our overall well-being. I'll be honest with you DONUT fam, I've been struggling today with some anxiety, and this meditation practice helped me re-ground myself and give my heart the space it needed to calm down. It's like a big 10-minute hug to yourself🥰.

What are you waiting for? Try it out here . 

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Sadly, we didn't receive any What's Your Win submissions this week (cue tiny violin 😭🎻). Not to fret, however; I've rounded out some wins from newsletters past to feature this week. No matter how much time has passed, it's never too late to celebrate🥳. 

Check out this week's (past) win roundup: 

❤️ Ashlyn M. from St. Louis, Missouri, is celebrating her better half...

• "Not my win, but my fiance's because he never brags on himself; on our way to a concert, he received a call saying that he got a job promotion at his company, and then later received an email that he passed his cicerone test!"

🧵 Shelley F. is starting a new hobby...

• "I am working my way through my first quilt. Learning a new skill at 58 has been challenging – but exciting as I see it coming together."

🍼 Michelle B. from Pretoria, South Africa, is tackling motherhood like a pro...

• "I became a first-time mom a few months ago. I was woefully unprepared, and the first four months were extremely challenging as my baby was very colic-y. However, this past month, he stopped crying the whole day. He is now a very happy and content baby who sleeps through the night. I am enjoying this phase so much. :)"

👏 Tyrone T. is proving that "one step at a time" pays off in the end...

• "Before 2013 I was having trouble with my life. Then, in July 2013 I sat down and developed a slower than molasses plan to become a better me. For 10 years I have kept a place to stay, kept the bills paid, fixed my health status, learned to not care about what people say or think about me, and found a way to pay for college. I have learned to cope with the hand God gives me. Everything is going good, and the slow pace of getting there helped a lot. I have more to do and that makes me smile. Because happiness and stability is achievable for me. I like the feeling of a win!!!!"

Whether you had an energizing conversation with a friend, beat a sickness, met a milestone at work, or even just booked a dream trip, we want to hear about it.

There is always something to be grateful for, and no win too small. And who knows? Sharing a bit of positivity from your own life could inspire someone else to recognize the good in theirs🥰.

Submit your wins here for a chance to be featured in next week's newsletter. We want to celebrate you!

Share your accomplishments – big and small – here.

Put your thinking caps on, and take your best shot at the visual rebus puzzles below.

(keep scrolling for the answers)

👆 Check out the referral prizes you can get, just for introducing people you know to little old us. 

What to do: Copy your unique link below, then send it to anyone who you think would like Positive DONUT. Once you hit each milestone, you'll get an email with a link to claim your prize.

Start referring.👇

1. Up for grabs
2. Long time no see 
3. Travel overseas 

How many did you get? Hit that reply button and let me know! 

Hit that reply button and let me know, I read every response. Have a great week!🥰

–Kailyn

P.S. Enjoying this newsletter and want to support my work? It'd mean the world if you told a friend or two about Positive DONUT. You can even win sweet, sweet prizes for each person you refer using your unique link (found two sections above).