In a world where the news often feels like a non-stop reel of tragedy, crisis, and fear, it’s easy to believe that everything is getting worse.
But what if that isn’t the whole story? What if, alongside the pain, there’s also profound healing, meaningful progress, and breathtaking beauty?
This isn’t about ignoring the real challenges. It’s about balancing the scales. It’s about looking up and seeing that even as storms rage, the sun is still rising and so are we.
Let’s take a moment to celebrate what’s going right in the world, shall we?
Children Are Thriving More Than Ever
In the 1800s, almost half of all children died before the age of five. Today? That number has dropped to just 5% globally.
This incredible progress is thanks to vaccines, clean water, improved maternal care, nutrition, and health education.
Millions of children are surviving and thriving, experiencing birthdays, learning to walk, laugh, play, and become who they were meant to be.
But it doesn’t stop at survival.
Today, more children than ever are going to school.
Primary education enrollment is near universal in most regions.
Even in areas of conflict and poverty, international efforts continue to build schools, train teachers, and bring books and technology to the most remote corners of the globe.
And there’s a growing emphasis on emotional well-being:
Children’s mental health is being recognized as vital, with programs supporting mindfulness, trauma recovery, and social-emotional learning appearing in schools worldwide.
Parents, teachers, and communities are more aware of the importance of nurturing emotional intelligence and fostering safe, loving environments.
More children today are also growing up with access to technology and global perspectives, inspiring empathy, creativity, and innovation from a younger age.
Childhood today includes more voices being heard, more cultures being honored, and more space for every kind of identity to be valued.
Youth-led movements are leading climate strikes, cleanups, voter education, and storytelling platforms that center hope and action.
The idea of global citizenship—that we are all stewards of a shared future—is taking root across generations.
We’re raising not just healthier children—but wiser, kinder, and more emotionally resilient generations. Humanity has moved mountains.
15% of the Planet Is Now Protected
Today, 15% of the Earth’s land and 8% of oceans are legally protected. That means over 20 million square kilometers of wild, sacred earth is being preserved.
Forests, wetlands, savannahs, and coral reefs are now safe havens for biodiversity and climate resilience.
With the global 30×30 initiative, the world is aiming to protect 30% of Earth’s land and seas by 2030. And that’s not just a plan it’s a movement.
Countries are coming together to form cross-border wildlife corridors, indigenous land rights are being honored more than ever, and rewilding projects from Europe to Africa are bringing balance back to ecosystems.
We are learning to renew the Earth, not just exploit it.
Air Pollution Is Down—Way Down
In the past 35 years, air pollution has dropped by 50% in countries like the U.S. and parts of Europe. Public awareness and pressure are leading to cleaner vehicles, stricter regulations, and renewable energy, and are helping our skies return to blue.
And when the air gets cleaner, people live longer, breathe easier, and thrive. Nature notices too. Trees grow stronger. Birds return.
Some of the most polluted cities in the world are investing heavily in air purification, green public transportation, and urban forestation. The shift is not only technical; it’s cultural. Clean air is becoming a human right.
Rewriting the Narrative: Women’s Voices Redefining the World
From women leading nations to young girls standing up for their rights, gender equality is surging forward. More women are in leadership than ever before.
Girls are attending and graduating school in record numbers. The conversation surrounding various topics, including the fundamental rights of women, has now become a global issue.
Laws are changing, too. From equal pay reforms to protections against child marriage and domestic violence, legal systems are catching up to justice.
Not long ago, women were largely seen as functions, not full humans. Often reduced to roles of supporter, caretaker, or background character, they were expected to live in service to a male-dominated world.
Their contributions were minimized, their brilliance dimmed, their autonomy dismissed.
Patriarchal structures flourished by convincing societies that women belonged only in kitchens, behind curtains, or beneath someone else’s authority.
But no more.
Oil Spills Down by 90% Since the 1970s
Through regulation, innovation, and accountability, large-scale oil spills have dropped by over 90% in the past five decades.
The oceans are still threatened, yes. But we’ve proven that better systems mean cleaner seas. Pelicans, whales, and coral reefs thank you.
We’re also witnessing a rise in citizen science and coastal restoration, where local communities monitor and clean shorelines and protect marine habitats.
Natural Disaster Deaths Are Falling
Climate disasters are more intense, but we’re better at saving lives. Forecasting, early warning systems, emergency response, and disaster planning have drastically lowered death rates from hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods.
Access to Fresh Water Has Improved for 2.6 Billion People
Since the 1990s, over 2.6 billion people have gained access to safe drinking water.
It means fewer illnesses, better hygiene, more time for education (especially for women and girls), and greater dignity for millions.
Antarctica’s Ice Sheet Gained Mass
Antarctica experienced a net gain in ice mass between 2021 and 2023 in an unexpected shift—a rare and hopeful development.
Heavy snowfall over East Antarctica’s Wilkes Land and Queen Mary Land regions led to this increase, temporarily offsetting global sea level rise.
This marks the first time in decades that the Antarctic Ice Sheet showed such a rebound. Scientists attribute the gain to unusual precipitation patterns, tracked through satellite data from GRACE and GRACE-FO missions.
Rooted and Responsible: A Culture of Growth Is Blossoming
Over 60 countries have created or expanded national mental health strategies since 2020, many of them integrating trauma-informed care and youth outreach.
Mental health is finally having a global moment. People are learning the power of self-regulation, the importance of emotional intelligence, and how to set (and honor) boundaries.
Even more beautiful? There’s an emerging culture of accountability. We’re moving from blame and shame to reflection, repair, and growth. The inner work is no longer fringe; it’s becoming foundational.
Therapy is more accessible, mindfulness is in schools and workplaces, and culture are becoming the norm. Emotional hygiene is becoming as important as physical hygiene.
Earth Is Healing; Because We Are
Every tree planted, every species protected, every choice to reuse, reduce, and restore matters.
We are the generation waking up. The one learning to live in reciprocity with the Earth. The one reclaiming a relationship with nature that is sacred, not extractive.
Endangered species are returning. Rivers are being restored. Plastic bans are in place in over 100 countries. The circular economy is replacing wasteful models.
Tigers, pandas, rhinos, and wolves are recovering in parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe due to conservation laws and local community efforts.
Cities are creating wildlife corridors and even building “bee highways” and hedgehog lanes.
Mother Earth is not a lost cause. She’s responding to every act of care.
A New World Is Emerging; Quietly, Steadily, Beautifully
This isn’t naive optimism. It’s informed hope.
When we look closely, we see a world that is healing. A humanity that is growing. And a future that, while uncertain, is still very much ours to shape.
Regenerative farming and permaculture are gaining traction, healing soil and sequestering carbon in the process.
Fashion, tech, and housing industries are increasingly adopting sustainable, circular, and ethical practices (finally!).
The language of “unlearning,” “enoughness,” “repair,” and “right relationship” 2slowing down” is replacing the consumer culture of endless growth.
What’s going right in the world isn’t just worth noticing—it’s worth building on.
