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Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
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Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
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When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
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What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
Happy Monday 👋
It’s a new year! The perfect time to shed old bad habits and embrace the new you.
Yet, family stressors, environmental concerns, and never-ending chores can make it very easy to get bogged down with the negative…
So, today, I would like to share an event with you that celebrates the positive aspects of life and encourages you to embrace new opportunities!
Here are the impactful insights that I have for you today:
- Launching a positive 2026 🎉
- How science is preserving ancestral knowledge 🐝
- Why fool’s gold could be the key to sustainable batteries 🔋
- Discussion of the week: intentions for the year 💬
- And more… 💚
🎉 Event of the Week: Celebration of Life Month
👉 Did you know that the month of January is Celebration of Life Month? This is a time of new beginnings, giving us the opportunity to reflect on our lives and celebrate the positive aspects.
1️⃣ The big picture: Celebration of Life Month was first proclaimed in January 1984 by Ronald Regan as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. Its purpose was to recognize the importance of life and advocate for anti-abortion policies. Today, the holiday has taken on a different meaning. Each year, people are encouraged to reflect on their lives, celebrate the positive parts, honor the memories of loved ones, and make plans to live life to the fullest. The month provides an opportunity to appreciate life’s moments and the people you meet through various activities involving gratitude and personal growth.
During Celebration of Life Month, you may focus on your well-being and the happiness and health of those around you. From working on your relationships to going on new adventures, there are countless ways to honor and celebrate life.
2️⃣ Why is this important: Life is hard; wars rage, chores seem never-ending, we are constantly bombarded with family stresses, and the dire state of our natural world. So, it can be easy to get bogged down with the negative. January is a time associated with new beginnings, making it the perfect time to remember the good things in life and make changes for the better. Evidence shows that positive thinking can improve outcomes, benefit mental health, increase resilience, and even enhance brain function – what’s not to like?
3️⃣ How can you get involved: You can get involved in Celebration of Life Month by appreciating your blessings through journal writing, volunteering to help others, starting a new exercise routine, or simply spending more time outdoors. You can also promote this holiday on social media using the #CelebrationOfLife hashtag or by organizing a positivity-fuelled event in your community.
Below are our favorite charities that are especially relevant for this awareness event:
- 9 Best Charities That Advance Mental Health
- 9 Best Charities That Promote Health and Well-Being
- 10 Best Charities That Fight to Protect Our Environment
If you are looking for additional inspiration, you can find a wide range of charitable causes to support in our charity support blog.
📢 Three Good News
🐝 First indigenous Asháninka scientists publishes groundbreaking bee research:
- Indigenous Asháninka researcher Richar Antonio Demetrio became the first from his community to publish in high-impact scientific journals, combining traditional ecological knowledge with scientific methodology to document sustainable stingless bee cultivation practices.
- Asháninka communities can identify more than 14 plant species used by stingless bees to build nests, demonstrating their sophisticated understanding of local biodiversity and sustainable honey harvesting techniques.
- His work not only preserves ancestral knowledge but also demonstrates how meliponiculture (stingless bee farming) can serve as a conservation tool against threats like deforestation.
🔋 Fool’s gold provides new hope for sustainable battery metal supply:
- Researchers at West Virginia University have discovered that iron pyrite (fool’s gold) in Appalachian shale rocks contains surprising amounts of lithium, a critical metal for batteries that power everything from phones to electric vehicles.
- This discovery suggests that pyrite could serve as a marker mineral for lithium-rich shales and potentially allow for lithium recovery from mining waste and leftover rock that already sits on the surface.
- Recovering lithium from pyrite-rich shale waste aligns with circular economy principles by extracting value from materials already disturbed by industrial activity.
🐙 Octopus numbers reach 75-year high in UK waters:
- The UK Wildlife Trust has officially declared 2025 as the ‘Year of the Octopus‘ following unprecedented octopus numbers in British waters.
- Scientists believe that milder winter temperatures may be responsible for this population boom, creating favorable conditions for octopus birthing seasons.
- Commercial fisheries caught 12 times more octopus in 2025 compared to previous record years, jumping from 200 metric tons to approximately 2,400 metric tons without significantly impacting prey species populations.
💬 Discussion of the Week: Intentions for the Year
Welcome to our new section, where we spark meaningful discussions about everyday topics that can create a real positive impact in our lives!
This week’s discussion topic: What intentions do you like to carry into the year ahead?
- What value or feeling do you want this year to be guided by?
- Why do these intentions feel meaningful to you right now?
- What’s one small way you could live your intentions this week?
Share your intentions and you might inspire us to begin our year with more clarity!
For our founding community members, keep the conversation going in our forum here.
Want to join our community when we reopen? Just reply to this email—I’d love to personally add you to our waitlist so you’ll be the first to know all about it 💚
🤝 Three More Important Awareness Events
🥜 January 5, George Washington Carver Recognition Day:
- This day honors the legacy of George Washington Carver and his contributions to the field of agriculture and American History.
- Carver’s innovative crop-rotating method created nutrient-dense soil that saved southern agriculture and ensured sustainable farming practices.
🦜 January 5, National Bird Day:
- Millions of birds are captured from the wild or bred in captivity for commercial profit each year and forced to live in conditions that stifle their natural instincts.
- The Avian Welfare Coalition created this day to raise awareness of the plight of captive birds and how we can work together to improve conditions for them.
💬 January 5, National Day of Dialogue:
- This day was created to encourage Americans to engage in peaceful dialogue with people who have different views and experiences.
- The idea is to strengthen democracy by working across differences to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
Related: You can discover all the 82 most important awareness events (for the month, days, weeks) in our awareness calendar for January 2026!
📜 These Days in History
🎸 January 5, 1973: American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Bruce Springsteen released his debut album. Since then, he has released 21 studio albums and become known as one of the world’s best-selling artists.
🌉 January 5, 1933: Construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge, which connects San Francisco with Marin county in California. When it was completed in 1937, it was the tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world.
♀️ January 5, 1925: Nellie Tayloe Ross assumed office in Wyoming, making her the first female governor in the United States.
💭 Quote of the Day
“The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with.”
― Bruce Springsteen; American singer, songwriter, and guitarist
Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society together!
Stay impactful 💚
