7 Moments that Restored Our Faith in Humanity this Year l Feel-Good Stories of 2016 l People Doing Positive Things

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There is a reason that people desire to hear and read about the good in the world. We know society can be full of chaos, violence and hate. Social media and the news networks are constantly pumping us full of information and most of it is negative. No wonder Americans are depressed as we are a country that is suffering from information overload! However, more media outlets are making room for good news for their readers. Outlets like the Huffington Post and Beliefnet have created sections for just inspirational stories to bring hope and unity. There is a reason for this. Researchers are finding there is a number of health benefits associated with the feeling as well! All sorts of neat physiological changes happen when we are happy like the release of endorphins. This hormone is released when we laugh too! So with all the yucky news out there we need to know that human decency still exists. Have no fear as there are good people in society. Here are 7 stories that will restore your faith in humanity.

Phil Powell

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One night Phil Powell made someone very happy when he was working as a greeter at Wal-Mart in Atlanta, Ga. What caught a customer’s eye was the greeter had no shoes and was wearing pink socks. The reason was he gave his shoes to a homeless man. According to FOX 5, the store manager was told by the same customer about the act of kindness exhibited by the teen. There was a bigger back-story as Powell was homeless until the 11th grade and understood the man's plight. “It's not an easy life style. I was homeless from 3rd grade until the 11th grade it was just in and out of hotels, shelters and cars,” he explained. There was a reason for the pink socks. Powell dyed his socks and sneakers pink to spread breast cancer awareness.

Laura Harrington

Lora Harrington wanted to become a cheerleader ever since she was a toddler. Born with Down syndrome, people might see a disability—but the coach saw the possibilities. To make it fair for all people, the cheerleading coach Aarika Guerrero worked with the athletic department to make the program more inclusive at West Salem High School in Oregon. Harrington stunned the coach with her abilities and was made an honorary cheerleader. Guerrero was also impressed with the reception from the other students. “I really honestly couldn't have dreamed they would be as warm and receptive as they've been.” In the off-season Harrington will work on her routines. In the meantime, the school just embraced their new cheerleader.

Dr. Bill Thomas

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One doctor broke the law to create a better place for people at a nursing faculty. Dr. Bill Thomas moved from the emergency room to take a job in a nursing home. He found the place dull, depressing and isolated. It was no wonder patients were in decline. The doctor decided he could revitalize people with animals, plants and flower gardens. Having animals in the facility broke the law, but Thomas did it anyway. He found that caring for the animals helped residents leave their rooms and they became more respondent to treatment. He also discovered that caring for the animals created autonomy and the death rates plummeted. People also became happier since they had something to look forward to.