The world might be a grim place right now, but hey, young gorillas in Rwanda are learning how to disable poachers’ traps.

That story, which describes a fascinating interaction between a Rwandan park ranger and two young gorillas in which the gorillas systematically disabled a snare trap, is a bright spot in an otherwise bleak lineup of news about the future of the planet. Other bright spots include the fact that in 2017 the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica was at its smallest since 1988, the United States now has 50 percent more trees than it did in 1963 and scientists have learned how to breed and transplant new coral into the Great Barrier Reef.

This year has shown some dark parts of the country and government, but there is a lot of hope to be had, too. Texas and Georgia have increased their early voter turnout for young voters by 500 percent. Some analysts are predicting that early voting turnout in those states might surpass total voter turnout for the 2014 midterms, and more women are running for office than ever before.

I know I’m not the only person who is nervous for the upcoming midterm elections, but there is a lot of good coming out of them already.

Moving away from politics, there is so much good to be seen in small acts of humanity, like when a UK tennis player stopped playing mid-game to help his teammate get through an anxiety attack brought on by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Paul Guest and Edwin Vermetten, both veterans, were playing in the 2018 Invictus Games in Australia this week when a helicopter flew overhead and caused Guest to be overcome by an episode of PTSD. Vermetten immediately stopped play and ran over to embrace and talk Guest through the episode before he delivered the game-winning point.

Or the story about the “Robin Hood” restaurant, which opened in Spain in 2017 and operates as a regular restaurant for breakfast and lunch before opening its doors to the homeless for a free dinner every night. The restaurant is run by a man named “Padre Angel,” and was booked every single day for the first four months after opening.

This is all just to say that no matter how important it is to be informed about reality, equally as important is taking a break from the grim and disheartening to focus on the good in the world.

It’s still out there, far as it may seem sometimes, in the smallest steps towards progress, a new scientific advancement or in simple stories of humanity. Sometimes it’s too easy feel like the world is ending, so instead of giving up hope, log off of Twitter. Listen to The Gratitude Podcast or your favorite songs for an hour. Read some words of encouragement and don’t let your heart get too heavy.

All of the terrible things going on in the world and our country can be motivation to fight for change; don’t let yourself lose that anger or drive to make a difference. But don’t let your heart become too heavy either. You need at least a little hope to carry on through despair.

And after all, it’s always darkest before the dawn.