Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Positive DONUT. It's finally starting to get colder in my NYC home, and I can't help but think about the end of this season and start of another. Winter always makes me turn a bit more internal, enjoying my own company and the coziness of my home on a chilly day. How about you?

Whatever season of life you're in, I hope this winter brings you good things and an abundance of gratitude🥰. 

Have a fantastic week! 

- Kailyn / @kailyntoussaint

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today's newsletter takes ~2.29 minutes to read (610 words).

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I exhale doubt, I inhale peace.

When Courtland Savage finally achieved his dream of becoming a pilot, he couldn't help but notice the lack of diversity in his industry. "I was one of the two African-Americans in the entire squadron," Courtland recalled to Good Morning America of his time as a pilot in the US Navy. 

• Courtland hoped to see other young people of color chase their dreams into the sky. Upon leaving the Navy and getting a job as a commercial pilot, he launched a Charlotte, North Carolina-based nonprofit called Fly For The Culture.
• "I wanted to just showcase other African Americans that are pilots so other young people could see someone that they look like in order to potentially be inspired to pursue a career in the aviation industry," Courtland said. 

Fly for the Culture has gone on to introduce countless young people to the aviation industry. According to its website, the organization takes students on introductory flights for free "to show them what being a pilot is really like." Upon completion, Courtland's students are given support and direction to help them take their next steps in becoming pilots or pursue other professions within the aviation field.

✈️ Bottom line: Courtland hopes his career path inspires young people like him to chase their dreams. "I'm a part of the young generation, also a person of color," he told GMA. "So sometimes I believe with young people, you gotta see it to believe it."

+Editor's note: This story was initially published in March 2024. It was so sweet we had to share it again.

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If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? And would you stay somewhere like this?

The BBC put together a list of eight of the most extraordinary capsule hotel rooms from around the world. From a suspended tree pod in Canada to rooms behind cupboard doors in Amsterdam, there’s a little something for everyone.

Check it out here.

🌊 Our beautiful Earth… The National Geographic Pristine Seas team found the world’s largest coral colony last month during an expedition in the Solomon Islands, an archipelago in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Believed to be a shipwreck, the team was shocked to find 112 ft. x 105 ft. of healthy coral hidden beneath the surface.

🍠 Welcome to the Yam Jam… Duke Energy, a North Carolina organization, is donating $500,000+ to over 50 feeding programs throughout the Carolinas in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Most recently, the company joined Mill Village Farms, WYFF, and Bon Secours Wellness Arena in hosting a “Yam Jam” in Greenville, SC, where 170 volunteers bagged ~50,000 lbs of sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving food boxes.

🦸‍♀️ Heroes all around us… CNN is currently hosting its Hero of the Year awards, which honors everyday people like us doing some extraordinary work to make a difference. Today’s spotlight is on Rachel Rutter, an immigration lawyer providing critical support to unaccompanied migrant children in the US. She’s already helped 1,000+ young people start new lives and thrive in their new homes and country. Check out the other finalists here.

Believe it or not, the holiday season is already underway (where did 2024 go?). And while they’re the “most wonderful time of the year,” it's also normal to feel some sense of anxiety or stress going into a month of family visits, gift buying, and shorter and darker days. 

If you’re feeling a little bit of the holiday blues, try out this seven-minute meditation to recenter yourself before Friendsgiving or your office holiday party. You’re guaranteed to feel at least a bit more merry afterwards🎄.

Try it out here.

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Welcome to What’s Your Win, the section of the newsletter where we celebrate all of the positive news happening right here in our Positive DONUT community. Big or small, there’s always something to celebrate and be grateful for. Check out the wins we received this week!

💪 Terrie S. from Texas is thankful for her health…

• "Celebrating ten years since I completed active treatment and kicked breast cancer’s butt!!"

🍼 One anonymous subscriber is getting ready to welcome a little miracle…

• "I found out last month that I’m expecting! It was unplanned, but I am grateful and excited for this new journey with my amazing partner. Here’s to new chapters starting in 2025❤️."

There's always something to celebrate. Whether it be a new job, a heartwarming conversation with a loved one, crossing an item off your bucket list, or simply enjoying your day a little more than usual, we want to hear about it.

Sharing is caring: Submit your day-to-day wins with us here to be featured in a future newsletter. Who knows? Sharing the positivity in your life might inspire someone to recognize the good in theirs🥰.

Share your wins here.

1. Why is Europe like a frying pan?
2. How can you drop a raw egg from a height onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
3. Paul's height is six feet, he's an assistant at a butcher's shop, and he wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh?

(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. Because it has Greece at the bottom
2. Concrete floors are very hard to crack!
3. Meat

Source: S/o to goodhousekeeping.com for the riddles. 

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).