It’s a habit that makes me smile most every morning. I smile even while the morning news blares the daily tales of liars, destruction, mayhem and disruption. However, there are days when it would be easier to stomp my feet and fret than slip into the smile-making habit.

Outside of my hyper-busy times with life, every day I make myself find good things that others do and post it on the blog The Daily Prism. Blame it on the April 2010 big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Blame it on the oceanography professor in an ocean science workshop I was taking, who called the spill an “ocean armageddon.” Blame it on my sullen mood. Blame it on the dark shadow that hung over me like the swarthy disaster in the Gulf. Blame it on Anne Curry when she interviewed His Holiness The Dali Lama.

Really, blame it on that interview. The reminder of the temporary status of “mischievous people,” as the Dali Lama defined those who lie, destroy, raise mayhem and destruction, dropped my blood pressure and brought my smile back.

This inspired The Daily Prism—a daily post of the tiniest sparks of light in the dark. These sparks of light come from you, your friends, strangers, family, nobodies and somebodies.

This January The Daily Prism celebrates five years. Is the world a better place? No comment! Yet, every, single day people in every corner of the world do something to make the world a better place. Sometimes the single weapon of mass good is accumulated good works.

The Daily Prism dwells on compassionate and generous behavior of others. It shares stories of environmental workers that range from kids cleaning a community park to technology wizards seeking a better way to keep our planet healthy. I find and post reports about billionaires sharing their wealth, cafeteria workers funding less fortunate, mountain climbers working for peace, and pilots who freely transport injured animals across the miles for treatment.

But as a blogger, I am mindful of what people actually read.

The most read post is “Blessed Are the Peace Makers,” an A-Z list of global peace action.

This year, animal rescue was the top read, with the most read post, “Protecting America’s Wild Horses,” about a 300-acre wild horse sanctuary; followed about a recent post about an injured and abandoned kitten, “A Kind Act for a Stray Kitten.”

The third most read piece this year was “A Compassionate Act at Life’s End,”–a simple post with a photo caption about a hospice patient taken into nature at his life’s end.

From what countries do The Daily Prism readers come from? The United States, with Norway, trailing by 10,000 views.

Does The Daily Prism negate the hideous news we hear or read? Judging by the talking heads in the background, maybe not. But we can’t wallow in the wickedness of others. We acknowledge those “mischievous people,” and move forward with will and determination to outwit their showboating cruise and likely collision into the craggy rocks of their tempestuous shoreline.

And if ever there was a time to share the spirit of all the holidays of December, it is now and everyday, because “Invisible in the dark, a light refracting prism catches the tiniest spark of light and brightens the daily good.” Winning!

As a child, I found great joy lighting the candles of Advent. It brought me a certain kind of inner peace. Tonight the first candle of millions of menorahs will light. And in another week, we light candles on the darkest day of the year because the Sun begins its return to light and warm the Earth. Light, peace, and miracles are December’s words

Must we end this theme the first day of hope when the new year begins?

Yes, we should know our world. And as we know our world, we know ourselves. This is why I attempt daily posts of positive news on The Daily Prism.

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Shonto Begay, known for his art and writing, posted this piece this morning. Like a fine wine paired with a special meal, “For the Shoe Game (Keshje’) Moon” pairs well with my thoughts today. It is written in both Navajo and English.

For the Shoe Game ( Keshje’) Moon

Hozho’go’ Kesh mish ada’doh L,iil, Ho’dilzin goh’
Celebrate Christmas in holiness and in the spirit of Love.
Dii’ Xhee’ iil, ni’ goneii’ na’de’ K,aii go’
As we once again approach the Winter Solstice.
Kesh je’ bi’yin , Ma’ii’ jol dloshi’ haa’ne’ bin’ye haash tde’adaa dol, ne’
As we once again enter the realm of the Shoe games and Coyote stories.
Dlee’ dine’eh’ il’haa’des dtaa doh ho’desh zhiizh.
When Night animals celebrated their victory in that first game.
Dle’ na’haaneji’ beh’ ha’o’dzii’go’ dissa’ dsaa’
when Strong voices echoed the great stories of Creation, through songs I hear.
“Aal, k,idda’jinni’ ,ha’ji na’ bi’daa de’ …..”
“In the very beginning, on the edge of Creation, the 4th world….”
N’l chii’ Tso’ , na’Xhaa’ , nihi’ diyin ba hadado’ ah’
For the Moon of the Big Wind, sing out the songs of the early Dawn Gods.
Chaa’o,l’ aa ged n’de. e’ ne’shodi aa ged n’de’ , Bi’yaazh aa ged n’de’
Free of sacrificial tree, free of missionaries, free of reindeer
Xhe’ iil’ ni’ ba’haadi’ dtaa’ , dil’zin anaani’ dle’
Reclaim our season, speak and sing for the Kinship asleep all around us.
Reclaim the real holiness, the sanctity of the Kesh Je’ Moon.
Ayoo’ada’hii noh’ ni’
Love one another.

—by Shonto Begay.