A Blueprint for Kindness

I’ve been struggling lately with my health and usually this would get me down. I’ve insisted on new patterns in my life. I don't want to return to my old ways of allowing what ails me to determine my outlook. I knew it was time to create a new blueprint. One that would create new patterns and behaviors. To get unstuck.

One of the best ways to indirectly boost your own mood is to focus on those around you instead. I learned this after the kindness project I completed this past summer (Kind Over Matter – An Opportunity for Kindness). Focusing on others can bring joy to the lives of all involved because it feels so, so good to do random acts of kindness. After seeking much inspiration from the Brave Girls Club, I knew I needed to work on a new kindness project.

I simply decorated cardstock with paint, stamps, and glitter and cut into cards (I’m not one to measure). I then added phrases and words of wisdom for the recipient and attached with DecouPage. Once dry I used a Stabilo pencil and Tulip Crystals dimensional paint to outline the text.

Deciding where to leave these is the most fun! I personally didn’t want to physically hand them out to people. I like the thought of a person stumbling upon exactly the right words they need at exactly the right moment. I mostly hit up bookstores for this past summer’s project and thought that would be a great place to start. It’s fun to match up the cards to what book they might be looking for.

I left cards at other places as I ran errands like Michaels and Joann’s Fabrics. My absolute favorite place is on the mirror in the bathrooms. Everyone looks in the mirror and this is when we usually need the most encouragement. You could also leave them in newspaper stands, soda machines, on a clothing rack, on a street sign – the possibilities are endless.

(Aren't you starting to feel better already?)

“In every person's story there are unknowns – struggles only they know about, fears they've tried to overcome but still harbor, disappointments and sorrows they bear.” ~Jane Clayson Johnson, I Am a Mother

Oh, by the way. There are no rules! Just show a little love, share a little kindness – in whatever form that manifests for you. It will be exactly what the recipient needs.