Happy Tuesday, and welcome back to another edition of Positive DONUT. My goal by the end of this newsletter is to have you as happy as a puppy when it hears the words “hungry,” “walk,” or “treat.”

Let me know which stories and sections are your favorites; I always love hearing from you and appreciate the feedback. Have a fantastic week! 🥰

–Kailyn

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s newsletter should be a ~2.91 minute read (774 words).

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I am becoming the best version of myself every day

When Gregory Maassen was 51, a mysterious burning sensation spread across his body, eventually leaving him nearly bedridden and fearing for his life.

More than a year later, Gregory's neurologist diagnosed him with small-fiber sensory neuropathy, a rare condition affecting small nerve fibers. The treatment plan included medication, and one recommendation Gregory couldn't believe: exercise.

It sounded ridiculous to a man in constant pain. But realizing he didn’t have much to lose, he gave it a shot anyway.

After swimming and hiking proved too difficult, Gregory discovered e-bikes through a local cycling group. The pedal assist made riding more manageable, and within a few weeks, something unexpected happened: his pain started easing, and Gregory was hooked.

By 2022, Gregory had ditched his pain meds and traded short rides for a 4,685-mile journey from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. He averaged about 65 miles a day through snow, rain, mountains, and plains, all while pulling an ~80-pound trailer loaded with camping gear. Gregory ended up raising $179,000+ for neuropathy research in the process.

As if one coast-to-coast ride wasn't enough…This year, Gregory rode the ~7,250 miles from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Los Angeles, California, while raising $31,500+ for Johns Hopkins Medicine's neuropathy center. 

At 59, Gregory says it'll be his final cross-country trek, but not his final ride. Safe to say, his doctor's exercise prescription aged pretty well.

From beach days to long flights, summer travel can bring extra challenges for urinary health. Nature's Craft D-Mannose with Cranberry supports urinary tract, bladder, and kidney health with a powerful cleansing blend of 1000 mg D-Mannose and cranberry fruit extract.

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Don't wait until you're searching for a pharmacy in an unfamiliar town. Keep daily urinary tract support within reach.

👆 London artist James Cook creates stunningly detailed drawings using nothing but the keys of vintage typewriters. His latest masterpiece, a Wimbledon Centre Court scene, required 1+ million keystrokes and ~378 hours to complete, all with a single finger.

🐒 Zookeepers in New Mexico felt their hearts grow three sizes after observing a primate named Eve care for and protect a baby bird that fell into her enclosure. Staff members were able to reunite the bird with its mother, only after convincing Eve to end her cuddle session.

❤️ Sarah Shelke founded Mind4Youth when she was only 14. Three years later, the organization has grown into one of the largest 100% youth-led nonprofits focusing on teen mental health, particularly for teens of color. Read her remarkable story.

🦝 I’ll let the headline speak for itself: How Jimothy the racoon has absolutely taken over the internet.

I don’t know about you, but in the busyness of my day-to-day life, it's sometimes easy to forget to slow down and be thankful for everything I have.

My little gratitudes today? The joy in my toddler’s smile, my husband’s laugh, my long-time girlfriends who always have my back, and the simple pleasure of sitting out on the deck on a warm summer’s night. 

There’s so much joy to be found in smaller “everyday” moments, and I hope you can take a moment to slow down and remember it this week.

If you need some help getting your mindset there, check out this 10-minute Thankfulness Meditation. It’s sure to have you glowing with gratitude by the end.

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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!

❤️ One anonymous subscriber from PA is proud of their little one:

• “We took my toddler on a cave tour this week, and I was so proud of his reaction. He was very nervous about going in the cave, but he just kept repeating "I'm so brave" throughout the hour-long tour. And he was! He also kept everyone else entertained with his commentary 😂”

🎉 Maggie E. from New York, NY, pulled off the ultimate surprise:

• “My Dad, siblings, and I have been planning a huge surprise 60th birthday bash for my mom for over a year, and it finally happened this weekend! We had more than 100 people come out to surprise my mom, and we partied the weekend away. Karaoke, BBQ cook out, a bloody mary bar-brunch, live music, games… we had it all and she was SO surprised. I think she felt really really loved, which was the most important thing. Mission accomplished.“

📺 Looking for a quick watch? I’ve been working my way through Netflix’s limited series Big Mistakes, and it has me giggling on the couch every night. I’m not sure if “crime comedy” is a genre, but it’s the only way I can think of to describe this show. And it features one of my favorite actors, Dan Levy (oh my god, David!!). Check it out. 

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1. What's an English word that contains three consecutive sets of double letters back to back?
2. What odd number becomes even when you take away a single letter?
3. What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?

Big or small, there's always something to celebrate. And who knows? Sharing your day-to-day wins just may inspire someone else to notice theirs. 🥰 

Let us know what you're grateful for... Feel free to brag about yourself in the best way; we promise to be your biggest hype-people.

Submit a win.

1. Bookkeeper (and related words like bookkeeping)
2. Seven (take away the "S")
3. Short

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