In this reflective YouTube episode, Sally Koering Zimney ("Sunshine Sally") opens by admitting she struggles with dark, fearful feelings about current events, her children, and the world. As an Enneagram 7, she identifies as an eternal optimist who usually runs toward pleasure, but she finds herself unable to summon joy right now. She questions how to move from darkness to joy, describing joy as an act of resistance that feels out of reach. Sally proposes kindness—small, local gestures and human connections—as a manageable glimmer of hope. She shares personal anecdotes: authors sending her books, warm welcomes at a conference, a rainbow pin symbolizing authenticity, a bucket of champagne, and a photo of someone reading her book at a Boy Scout event. These moments of generosity reinforce her belief that goodness persists. She urges listeners to hyper‑focus on tiny acts of kindness, to smile at strangers, and to be the kindness they seek, arguing that accumulating these small gestures can rebuild belief and eventually lead to joy. The episode ends with a call for viewers to share the little things that move them, emphasizing that collective, accessible kindness can counteract the louder, negative voices dominating public discourse.
Chapters
I just don't do the dark thing very well. I don't. But right now it is dark. I am here to not just like bring us all down. I do have a thought about what is perhaps maybe a glimmer of light and hope that I am hanging onto right now. And that is kindness. Growing up, they called me Sunshine Sally Koering Zimney. Ah, and not just because of my blonde hair or kind of naturally, ah, bright disposition. I am an Enneagram 7 and we are eternal optimists, believers in the more, the fun, the better, the woo-hoo-hoo-hoo. I will say we run from pain towards pleasure. There are pros and cons with all of this, but part of that is just just this up, joy, energy, fun. I just don't do the dark thing very well. I don't. But right now it is heavy, dark. It's hard to show up. I had to kind of shut everything down a little bit here in the last few weeks, and I know I'm not alone on that. And it's alarming what is happening in our country, between each other. I'm afraid. I'm afraid for my kids, for the world. I'm like, ah, because it's all so weird right now. This bright, sunshiny Sally, not feeling super sunshiny these days. And I have been wrestling with something, you know, the phrase that is jumping in my head is, come on, Sally, joy is an act of resistance. And I, that's probably true. I believe that, but I'm just having trouble getting to joy. Anybody else? What's the baby step between dark days and joy as an act of resistance? What if we don't just have enough in us for joy right now? As my amazing friend Jen Whitmer says, joy is this deep, deep sense of happiness, intense happiness. Well, I am not there and I just don't have enough energy for joy today. And dang, man, resisting feels like something we need to do, but I will get bowled over right now. I am here to not just like bring us all down. I do have a thought about what is perhaps maybe a glimmer of light and hope that I am hanging on to right now. And that is kindness. Kindness. I can do kindness. I can like hyperfocus on the local and what's around me and the person near me whose political affiliations I don't know and just smile at them. I can do that in hopes that it softens our connection. These little glimmers of kindness and hope given, received. I've received way more than I've been giving them, but it just builds some belief, builds some belief that we're gonna be okay. These moments of kindness are, are, are helping me believe in my own dreams. What is really possible. These little glimmers keep me going on days when I'm like, does it even matter? That there is still goodness threading through this world. Cuz the truth is, when you're feeling dark about the world, it's really hard to believe in the possibility and the goodness of this dream that you are bringing to life as well. It kind of tamps everything down. And that I cannot stand for. So let me share with you some of these moments that have given me hope, and maybe it can help you see the glimmers of kindness and hope happening right around you as well. Some amazing authors have sent me their books recently, and I mean, it's a gift. Glimmer. I walked into this amazing conference last weekend. I knew hardly anyone there, and I was greeted by love and smiles and generosity. The rainbow pin on our server's apron. I thought, oh, look at you living your truth. I love you. And then he brought us a bucket of champagne. That was amazing. We did purchase it, but still, getting sent a picture of someone reading my book in the middle of a Boy Scout event, that was a highlight, a moment of belief, building back my belief through these moments of kindness, watching some incredible people be brave enough to take the stage, to say hard things, to make big leaps, because the more that I see these I do moments of kindness, the more I will see the kindness. I will see and build the belief. I really need to build my belief right now. And maybe you do too, in just the littlest things. Let's just hyper on the little things and get as connected in and love up the people around us as much as we can. And just be, as my friend Tiff says, just be. Be the kindness. We're looking for it and we're gonna be it. And maybe, maybe that is just enough. Maybe we can't get to joy right now. Maybe we've gotta build up to the belief, the kind of joy that we need for our own possibilities, for making things better, for feeling truly connected, and that we are going forward, we are not going backwards. So the small gestures, the human moments, the evidence that people are good. Ooh. And just remember, a lot of people who have the microphone right now, they're not the majority. They're just loud and they've got a lot of attention. Believe in the good. Doesn't have to be grand or revolutionary. It just has to be real, accessible, and right there. So let's build up to joy. Let's build up to belief in the little things, through the little things. This moved me today, and I would love to know what are the little things that are moving you. See you next week.
