How I feel knowing you’re about to read this newsletter and feel your mood rise instantly:

We have a jam-packed newsletter full of good news from around the globe. No matter how this email finds you, I hope when you close it, you can breathe just a little bit deeper.

Let me know which stories and sections are your faves, and thanks to everyone who responded with kind words last week! I love hearing from you.

Have a fantastic week 🥰

-Kailyn

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I am capable of my abilities and trust myself. I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.

In Addis Ababa, the sound of progress isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s as quiet as the rumble of skateboard wheels on uneven pavement.

Say hello to Ethiopia's first generation of female skateboarders. These young women are turning empty parking lots into arenas of self-expression in a country where skateboarding—and women’s sports more broadly—are still exceedingly rare.

It started with a little curiosity... Until recently, skating in Ethiopia was mostly a boys game. But following a civil war that devastated the country until 2022, Edomawit Ashebir and her friends turned to skating as a way to find fun, release, and freedom.

• The women learned from online videos and word-of-mouth lessons. Now, Addis Girls Skate is an official group that's adding members by the day.

For the women, it goes beyond grinds and kickflips. In a conservative society where girls are often expected to stay on the sidelines, skateboarding offers freedom in motion and a little rebellion. Their skateboards can become both a vehicle and a voice, in a nation where mobility is often restricted.

• “As a girl, you carry so much responsibility. You can’t just be with your friends without worrying about something,” said Makdelina Desta, one of the founders of Addis Girls Skate. “But when I skate, I’m not pretending to be someone else. That’s when I’m truly myself. I don’t feel judged."

But challenges remain: They include limited access to gear, skepticism from older generations, and social pressure to “act proper.” Still, the community keeps growing, buoyed by social media clips that have made Ethiopia’s skater girls a global inspiration.

Just in time for Halloween, Fat & Weird Cookie is giving away a prize pack valued at $1000. It’s generously stuffed with goodies just like their world-renowned cookies…

Prize pack includes:

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🎺 Sound the trumpets… because a second healthy elephant calf has been born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium this year, marking a major win for the endangered species’.

• Asian elephant Phoebe, 38, gave birth to her healthy male calf last Tuesday, who weighed 222 pounds upon arrival. The pair will be on display once baby is a little older.

🏊 Two world records were broken at the 2025 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Toronto last week. Hungary’s Hubert Kos dominated in the 200-meter backstroke, while Canada’s Josh Liendo delivered a historic win in the 100-meter butterfly.

🧠 When music meets medicine: A groundbreaking brain surgery for Parkinsons disease allowed patient Denise Bacon to play her clarinet for the first time in years. Denise picked up her instrument and serenaded the operating room as electrodes were placed into her brain.

❤️ Read the story of Tara Nova, an abandoned cat who’s currently on a journey to her new home in the UK after surviving for two years in a run-down Abu Dhabi bathroom. “She was always a treasure, just waiting for someone to see her. Rescuing starts with noticing.”

Meditation is a simple and effective way to take care of yourself. The act of mindfully sitting with ourselves and our breath can have some amazing effects on our brains and bodies.

🥰 So, what are you waiting for? Try out this quick self-love meditation for an instant boost of acceptance and love for yourself. There's a good chance you'll feel amazing when it's done.

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Welcome to What’s Your Win, the section of the newsletter where we celebrate all of the good news happening right here within our Positive DONUT community.

Sadly, we didn’t receive any win submissions this week (cue tiny violin 🥺🎻), so today we’re featuring the wins from this same week in 2024. Because it's never too late to celebrate!

👇 Check them out below

🙏 Megan H. from Virginia is finding hope for the future…

• “My father was diagnosed at 59 with a rare terminal lung disease called Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis which has no cure or known cause. He has never smoked and the life expectancy of this terminal illness is 3-5 years. As a small business owner with private insurance, he will not live to reach Medicare coverage. This has been devastating on my family and he has had to use the money from his retirement funds to pay for these experimental treatments. He was one of four participants accepted last week into a clinical trial at Duke for this disease which covers his medication, treatment, travel, and expenses. We now have hope that he will take part in finding a cure and prolonging his life.”

❤️ Dawn A. from Illinois is making a major comeback…

• “Towards the end of last year, I'd fallen back into a deep depression, and immediately fell into my comfort of food, eating & drinking what I wanted, when I wanted, and how much I wanted. I ended up putting on over 60 pounds in no more than 4 months, and my health was affected immediately & I had to begin taking more medication than ever before. On top of that, I had a short hospital stay due to a case of diverticulitis (my first) that became severe due to my ignoring it until I couldn't any longer. Fast forward to this week; I've lost about 22lbs since the beginning of the year, I've lowered both my A1C & Glucose to where I'm no longer diabetic (pre, but working on it!), and my appetite has all but disappeared so I don't want to eat constantly anymore. Medication has helped my tiredness & weakness, and this is my favorite season! I knew I could bounce back...again...and I did, without even really thinking about it.”

Welcome to Positive DONUT Recs, where myself, the DONUT team, and subscribers like you recommend some of our favorite finds across different categories each week:

🐥 Just because it’s cute… My heart almost exploded when I saw this adorable video of a group of ducklings finding the courage to join their mom in the water. See the bystanders cheering the little fluff balls on.

☕️ Between juggling busy work schedules, to-do’s around the house, and early motherhood, my coffee machine has become one of my most-used kitchen items. I love the Keurig-Mini to ensure the coffee supply—and my sanity—keeps flowing. It’s tiny, portable, and a great addition to any kitchen. Check it out here.*

*Note: This section uses affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my corner of the internet.

It’s trivia time. Today’s theme is general knowledge. How many can you get?

1. The art of tie-dyeing comes from which continent?
2. Which English word holds the record for most definitions?
3. Who composed the ballet "Swan Lake"?

🥹 Can I be real with you? "What's Your Win" is my favorite part of the newsletter. When I started brainstorming Positive DONUT four years ago, this section was one of the first things on my vision board; I wanted a place where people could feel safe and supported to share their day-to-day wins with a community of like-minded and positive individuals. How special is that? 

However, we've been struggling lately to get new submissions. So let me know—is there anything we could do to this section to improve? 

• Would it be helpful to submit your wins anonymously?
• Maybe a specific prompt would be more helpful to get those creative juices flowing?

We'd hate to scrap this section—but we need your help to revive it! 

🙏 TYSM in advance. I read every response and appreciate any feedback you may have🥰. And, while we're on the topic, submit your wins here to be featured in next week's newsletter. 

• It can be something as simple as cleaning your room, all the way up to a work promotion or engagement. Like high-stakes poker, the win limits don't exist! 

Submit your win(s) here.  

1. Asia
2. Run
3. Pyotr Tchaikovsky

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