Editor-in-chief Lucy Purdy introduces the latest issue of Positive News magazine, which is out now
Spring is nature’s way of saying: ‘Let’s party!’” said the late actor Robin Williams, and the celebrations are truly kicking off where I live. The trees are coming into leaf again, we’re back to spotting frogspawn on the school run and a family of long-tailed tits have made a dome-shaped nest in a bush in the garden. It’s a beautiful blend of lichen and cobwebs, which makes me smile every time I walk past.
‘Tis the season of mood-boosting natural spectacles, and they bring with them a sense of joy and abundance. As our readers help us to shed light on in the regular Our Community feature in this issue, having an abundance-based mindset can help us to fully embrace life, though it’s sometimes easier said than done.
A sense of positive possibilities isn’t something we acquire, but something we can tune into, suggests author Sumit Paul-Choudhury in our interview with him. There’s a fine line between optimism and delusion, and being optimistic can seem ludicrous in the face of global challenges. But this isn’t about passively hoping for the best, more developing a necessary belief that things can – and should – be better, which in turn leads to positive change.
I see abundance in a surge of creativity that’s rising up right now, as is often the case at times of rapid change. It roars in the music of the winners of the new Tune into Nature prize, it infuses the menu of the first vegan restaurant in the UK to win a Michelin star, and it zings in the ambition of community-led renewable energy groups, such as the one in south-east London that we profile this issue.
I see abundance in a surge of creativity that’s rising up right now, as is often the case at times of rapid change
This quarter, I’ve loved unearthing stories of people who see abundance where it could easily be missed. Where some see a decommissioned wind turbine, others spot a tiny home. Where some see a pile of old hot air balloon fabric, others glimpse beautiful bags. And where many see victims, others see survivors with much to offer, such as the Ghanaian youngsters we meet this issue, who are being helped to escape child trafficking.
At this time of unease in global politics, which dominates the rest of the media’s attention, it feels like a good time to counter the feelings of contraction it might bring by tuning into abundance. I hope this issue helps to get you started.
Cover photography: Sam Bush
