Welcome back to another week of Positive DONUT, where we all come together to take a mental break and remember that there's still some good in our world. Let me know which sections of the newsletter are your favorites, I love hearing from you!

Have a fantastic week 🥰

–Kailyn

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s newsletter should be a ~2.99 minute read (796 words).

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I welcome what is, I welcome what comes.

If you've ever felt like people don't know their neighbors anymore, one North Carolina preschooler has a pretty compelling counterargument.

Every morning, 4-year-old Roman Butzlaff stands by the front door of his family's home in Concord, North Carolina, ready to wave and say "hey" to anyone passing by. 

Whether it's a delivery driver, a garbage collector, or someone walking down the street, Roman rarely lets anyone go by without a greeting.

His cheerful routine hid a tougher reality

After Roman's parents separated a year ago, his father moved to Florida while his grandparents remained out of state. According to Roman's mother, Anna Butzlaff, the outgoing little boy had become quietly lonely.

That is, until the neighbors started waving back.

It began when Wade Fulgum, who lives across the street, introduced himself to the little boy who greeted him every day. Before long, the pair were spending time together. Other neighbors soon joined in, stopping to chat, cheering Roman on as he raced his bike down the street, and becoming regular faces in his life.

The friendships only grew from there, as Roman started inviting his neighbors, many of them retirees, to his soccer, basketball, and baseball games, swimming lessons, preschool open house, and eventually his birthday party. And they kept showing up.

The biggest surprise is how the new friendships extend beyond Roman himself. His neighbors say they barely knew one another before he came along. But today, a dozen former strangers now regularly wave, talk, and spend time together.

• Roman's refrigerator is now covered with photos of people who have become like extended family.
• His mom says the loneliness that once weighed on him has disappeared.

For a neighborhood that started out as a collection of strangers, all it took was one child who never stopped believing a simple ”hello” was always worth the time.

Don't wait for a special occasion to use the products you really love. From the towels that start your morning to the sheets you sink into at night. Laundry Sauce brings fragrances crafted by the world's top perfumers to the comforts you experience every day.

From the velvety sweetness of French Saffron to the bold, coastal-inspired notes of Italian Bergamot, ultra-concentrated pods pair high-end fragrances with high-performance clean that keeps your favorite fabrics feeling as good as they smell.

👆 This specialty Florida license plate first hit the roads in 1998, courtesy of the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Since then, the license plates have raised $8 million for Florida’s Sea Turtle Program.

🚦 SmartBlink is an adaptive traffic light system created by high school senior, Yaejoon Jung, that adjusts signal changes based on pedestrians crossing, rather than prioritizing car traffic patterns. He got the idea after seeing his grandparents struggling to cross busy intersections in time.

🌏 Meet the dad who walked the equivalent of the entire world’s circumference in 5,900 separate walks and ~55 million steps over the past 14 years. He crossed the “finish line" with his dogs in his driveway.

🥤 A small town Georgia company is creating one of the World Cup’s biggest souvenirs.

🙏 Pay it forward: The wildfires in Canada have already displaced thousands of people and burned 7million acres of land. See how you can help those affected.

I've been working on creating some positive affirmations for myself lately. Affirmations, when repeated regularly, can greatly impact our lives.

Let's do an exercise together. At the end, you should have your very own positive affirmations, completely personalized to you.

1. Take a few moments to identify any negative beliefs you may have about yourself (Ex: "I'm always late to everything")
2. Write the opposing statement or positive belief ("I am always on time")
3. Make the statement as personal as possible to your specific situation ("When I have plans with people, I always give myself enough time to get there early and relaxed")

Keep your affirmations positive, personal, and to the point. Enjoy!!

As they say, consistency breeds excellence. Write down your affirmations on sticky notes, then hang them on your bathroom mirror, desk, fridge, etc.—wherever you'll consistently encounter them.

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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 in our community.

Big or small, there’s something to celebrate every day. Check out the win we received this week!

🎉 Robin W. from Modesto, CA is one proud Mama:

• “I am so proud of my adult children! My daughter Angelina is a VIPS (volunteer Police officer) and she wants to go to the academy and be a police officer. She does this while working full time. And my son Alex is in the Coast Guard and he is only 19. When he is out, he wants to be a Sheriff. I am so incredibly proud and grateful to have such wonderful children. And also, I am going back to School to get my master's degree! I will be the first one in my family to get a Masters! and I am also a daughter of immigrants, so it just makes it that much better!”

🙏 As a toddler mom deep into solid food introductions, having a LifeVac in the kitchen gives me major peace of mind. LifeVac is a simple airway device that can be used to remove something obstructing an airway in the event of a choking emergency. Receive an exclusive discount on LifeVac. ✨

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1. What was Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury's birth name?
2. Which disco group sang "Stayin' Alive" in 1977?
3. “Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you” is the opening line of which popular Oasis song?

If you take a moment to slow down and recognize the good things in your life, you'll notice there really is always something to be thankful for.

• And if you feel compelled to share, let us know what you're feeling especially grateful for or proud of.
• Nothing is too small or insignificant to celebrate, and we promise to be your biggest hype-people.😎

Submit your win (or a loved one's) for a chance to be featured in next week's newsletter.

1. Farrokh Bulsara
2. The Bee Gees
3. "Wonderwall"

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