With autumn blues slowly creeping into our cooling homes and days getting shorter, it’s easy to feel a little down. You may feel a little more sensitive, irritated or generally dissatisfied with the world around you.

And it’s understandable. With the cost-of-living crisis, gloomy post-pandemic reality, Russia’s war on Ukraine, barely affordable housing and ever growing inflation, few things make us joyful these days. And since bad news has penetrated all layers of media, we prepared you a heartwarming antidote – Bored Panda’s compilation of strictly wholesome and feel-good stories, pictures and events that people shared online.

After you’re done, be sure to check out our previous positivity-induced features here, here and here and don’t forget to share them with others in need of a little pat on the back!

#1 I Don’t Have Anyone To Celebrate With But I’m 8-Years Clean Of Heroin Today. Yay Me

Image credits: ThumbUpMyJapsEye

#2 The Owners Asked To Superimpose The Image Of Timber, Their Recently Departed Dog, Into The Photo As They Spread His Ashes Into A Pond. This Is The Result

Image credits: thoresenphotography

#3 Boy Reunited With His Cat He Had Lost While Crossing The Polish – Ukrainian Border

Image credits: GemEgregor

No one said life was going to be easy. In fact, it can be downright tough at times. But despite the challenges we face, we can remain resilient. In fact, some people seem to be much better at it than others.

So to find out more about resilience and the power of positivity, a while back, Bored Panda spoke with Susan Petang, a certified divorce coach and the creator of “The Quiet Zone Coaching,” who teaches people how to stop feeling overwhelmed and start waking up happy in the morning again. Petang argues that the very first step towards building mental resilience is instead of viewing these unfortunate moments as “failures” or “misfortunes,” view them as learning opportunities.

#4 A Single Dad Adopted An 11-Year-Old Teen After His Adoptive Family Dropped Him Off At The Hospital And Never Came Back

Image credits: fosterdadflipper

#5 Ladies And Gents Out On The Beach

Image credits: Swn-y-Mor Care Centre

#6 It Has Been Amazing To See How AIDS Has Been Controlled, Definitely A Win For Humanity

Image credits: Matthew_Hodson

It’s important that we sit back and consider a couple of things about any difficult situation we’re in at that moment. “What can we learn from this? How can we use this to become a better human being/worker/parent/partner?” Petang said and added that crucially, it’s all a matter of mindset.

#7 It May Not Seem Like Much, But After Two Years Of Struggling, My Fridge Is Finally Full Tonight

Image credits: Skiddulz

#8 Before And After Beating Cancer. 2019 – 2020 – 2021

Image credits: l_ouanne56

#9 Good To Be Open

Image credits: reddit.com

Meanwhile, some people are more naturally resilient than others. “It’s because they learned to think positively at a young age,” Petang said. It turns out that our attitude towards life – the good, the bad, and the ugly – is formed earlier than we think, way before we go to kindergarten.

“Positivity isn’t about putting your head in the sand and singing ‘lalalala’ when bad things happen; it’s actually just the knowledge that we’ll be OK no matter what,” the life coach explained.

#10 Such A Wholesome Moment

Image credits: ShadyG

#11 1001 Days Sober. 4-digit Club. Was An IV Drug User For 10+ Years

Image credits: DaddyWright05

#12 Someone At The Purrfect Day Cat Cafe In Louisville, KY Filling Out The Paperwork To Take This Kitty Home

Image credits: mac_is_crack

What’s interesting is how closely positivity and resilience are, in fact, related. “Positivity is the understanding and belief that you’ll be able to bounce back from anything; resilience is when you actually do it,” the life coach argues.

“I teach my clients to use The Power Questions. It’s a great way to interrupt the spiral of emotions when everything is hitting the fan!” They are as follows:

“How important is this, really? Don’t make mountains out of molehills.

What is something positive and constructive I can do about this? Be solution-oriented instead of blame-oriented.

What emotions am I feeling right now? By identifying and labeling them, we shrink their power over us.”

#13 He Used To Be In A Coma, I Used To Be A Fat Guy. Now We’re Both Recovering

My son is recovering from a brain injury.  We have a deal now…if he’s standing, I’m running.  He’s up to 90 minutes and I’m down 70 lbs.

Image credits: stinkeye

#14 The Famous Actor Met A Young Couple In A Hotel Bar In Northamptonshire. They Invited Him To The Wedding, And Keanu Reeves Could Not Refuse

Image credits: MrsNRoadnight

#15 To Promote NASA’s Artemis Program I Regularly Set Up My Telescope On Busy Street Corners To Show Passerby The Moon

Image credits: __Augustus_

#16 A Kindergarten Classroom At Gatewood Elementary School In Minnesota Was Learning About Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A Teacher Captured This Precious Moment

Image credits: Kronyzx

#17 After 9 Years, I Am Me

Image credits: SlanderousLici

#18 I’ve Been Traveling Through The 50 States In Memory Of My Best Friend. Today I Visited Alaska, Completing My Journey

Image credits: Stuyvesant1994

#19 I Went To A Community BBQ Tonight And Sat By Myself. A Few Minutes Later This Kid Came And Sat Down Across From Me. He Shyly Asked, “Sir, Do Know How To Play Magic?”

I told him that I’d played as a teen. He pulled out two decks and challenged me. How could I say no? It made my night.

Image credits: JephriB

#20 Sometimes It’s Ok To Slow Down

Image credits: dad_on_my_feet

#21 I Saw This Man And His Dog Whilst I Was Crossing A Bridge In Prague. It Was -4°C Out And He Used His Only Blanket To Wrap Up The Dog. A True Act Of Love

Image credits: everyonelse

#22 After A Five-Year Wait And Three Attempts, I Finally Got Gay Married To My Gay Husband

Image credits: derploma

#23 My City Has Begun To Change Any Russian-Related Public Road Names To Reference Ukraine Instead

Image credits: Pricey182

#24 The Housekeeper Deserve A Raise, They Must Love Their Job

Image credits: chocolatadisco

#25 I Made A Decision That Will Define My Life. I Will Not Study Political Science. I Will Study Fine Arts In Italy. I Will Follow My Dreams, No Matter How Unreachable They May Seem

Image credits: AnisJerbi

#26 My Daughter Was Born With A Terrible Lung Disease And Was On Life Support For Her First Four Days On This Earth. Before vs. After

Image credits: Excellent_Care_1118

#27 I Was Assaulted Last May And Attempted To Take My Life In November After Losing A Close Friend. A Few Weeks Ago I Took Senior Pictures With My PTSD Service Dog In Training

I didn’t think I’d make it this far

Image credits: paytonc0510

#28 This Guy Managed To Photobomb His Girlfriend For A Whole Month, By Taking Engagement Ring Pictures Without Her Having Any Idea About It

Image credits: eokoro1

#29 The Speed Camera Lottery In Stockholm, Sweden. Drive At Or Under The Speed Limit And You’ll Be Entered Into A Lottery Where The Prize Fund Comes From The Fines Speeders Pay

The average speed was reduced from 32 km/h to 25 km/h (a reduction of 22%).

Image credits: neroina

#30 My Wife And I Put Up Our Own Candidate This Year

Image credits: ahent

#31 This Soldier’s Body Armor Has Additional Protection. In Addition To The Armor Plates, There Is A Drawing Made By His Daughter To “Protect Dad From The Evil Russians”

Image credits: DefenceU

#32 A Portrait To Commemorate My Best Friend Arden, Who Passed Away Earlier This Year After A Long And Adventure-Filled Life

Image credits: jjakk

#33 Got Married To My Favorite Weirdo Yesterday

Image credits: ravenwantsfire

#34 My Dad Lost His Job During Covid. He Drove School Bus. He Recently Got His Old Job Back And Stopped Driving. A Boy From His Bus Stopped By The Other Day Just To “Talk Birds”

They connected on his bus route talking about birds.

Image credits: TheBigRedBeardo

#35 My Little Cousin Did His Last Chemo Treatment And Is Now Cancer Free. It’s Been A Long Battle But Look At That Smile. That’s My Hero

Image credits: Jackacak

#36 I Use My Bike To Deliver Medicine And Food During The War In Ukraine

Image credits: edamov

#37 Moved To Japan, Met My Neighbor

Image credits: theresa52

#38 My Sister’s Husband Stepped Away From Her During Their Wedding Ceremony To Say Some Vows To Her Girls

Image credits: pinklunch

#39 I Turned A Bunch Of Wood Sticks Into A Meter Long Flying Dutchman Ship

Image credits: bartolo2000

#40 Before I Met My BF, He Hated Small Dogs, And My Dog, Maisie, Was Terrified Of Men. This Picture Was Taken Two Weeks After They Met

Image credits: MyCatIsFamous

#41 After Three Long Years, I’m Happy To Announce That I Will Be Exhibiting My Works To The Public Again

Image credits: wagnerkuroiwa

#42 I Cleaned My Depression Closet

Image credits: Puguccinos

#43 They Are Just So Cute

Image credits: blaiseit420

#44 This Ambulance Has Stork Decals, One For Each Of The Babies Born In The Back

Image credits: Man_of_Aluminum

#45 My Dad Was Admitted To The Hospital Right Before Christmas. We Didn’t Know If He Would Make It Home At All. This Is My Parents Slow Dancing To “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”

Image credits: king12807

#46 People Protesting In St. Petersburg, Russia. The Placards Read “You Are A Bloody Dictator, Not A Freedom Fighter” And “No War”

Image credits: sajidhaque10

#47 Nice Employee

Image credits: sharidunawaymd

#48 Paul Rudd Being Friendly With A Fan

Image credits: thewilderthings

#49 Sofía Jirau, The First Victoria’s Secret Model With Down Syndrome, Says She’s Dreamed About A Career In Fashion Since She Was A Little Girl

Image credits: sofiajirau

#50 In The Men’s Locker Room At My Gym

Image credits: johndepp22