hello beautiful!

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Hello Beautiful,

There is so much I want you to know.  Like how proud I am of you and how deeply I adore your wide open heart.  You shine a light in this world like no other and I am grateful to be within it's rays.  

I honor the journey you have traveled.  How grateful I am to have had the opportunity to watch you grow.  I wish you could see yourself through my eyes.  

I see your strength.
I see how hard you try.
I see the way you show up.

You are determined.  You chase after your dreams with wild abandon even when you do not know where you will end up.  You lean deeply in and follow your heart.  You take risks and jump into the great unknown. You are braver than you ever give yourself credit for.  

Stop for a moment and look around.  Did you ever think you would end up here?  So deeply loved.  In a kind and caring relationship.  Unearthing your passions.  Adored by your nieces and nephews and spending so much divine time with family.  You have really come so far.  

I know, I know.  There is so many more roads you are looking to travel.  I understand that and appreciate your hunger.  But do not allow that hunger to blind you from all that you have accomplished and all that you have made it through.  

Your patient and tender heart encourages others to open up their own hearts.  Your calm and gentle soul slows people down and reminds them to savor the moment.  Do not ever stop being who you are.  Embrace your quietness.  You connect with others through your thoughtful words.  Know that you never have to pretend to be somebody else.  

I love you.  I cherish your curiosity and passion for adventure.  Keep running.  Keep riding.  Keep moving your body and navigating your own path forward.  You know as much as I do that you were never meant for the conventional path.  It just isn't in you, and that is ok.  What is wonderful is that others see that in you.  They know that you shine your brightest when you step boldly into yourself.  Keep stepping into yourself, always.  

And remember you are loved.  So deeply loved.  

xoxo Love,
Your Biggest Fan!

{Inspired by the Love Notes Postcard Project first writing prompt.  I encourage you to write a love letter to yourself.  Begin with the words .. "hello beautiful" and love on yourself deeply!}

love notes is back with special guest Mindy Tsonas

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The Love Notes Postcard Project is back and I am thrilled to announce that we have a very special guest!  Mindy Tsonas with Embody Love Movement will be providing the weekly writing prompts.  I received a peak and they are so good.  I can't wait to share them with you!  We begin July 9th, sign up today!

Embody Love Movement is a global non-profit organization founded by Dr. Melody Moore, created to empower girls and women to celebrate their unique inner beauty and push back against harmful media standards, commit to kindness and contribute to meaningful change in the world!  ELM offers in-person workshops, events, and online experiences and education, dedicated to helping each of us discover our real beauty within.  

I feel that this is the perfect collaboration because Love Notes is all about spreading kindness and lifting up each others spirits.  We do this through handwritten notes in the mail.  You never know the true effect that your words will have on the recipient but I can guarantee they most definitely make them smile.    

Mindy Tsonas is the creator of Studiofemme, an Embodied Artist, and certified Embody Love Facilitator.  She helps to guide women into the extraordinary Wonderland of themselves.  Through juicy creative pursuits and honest explorations, her calling is to inspire others to shake loose and get naked in empowered, exquisite truth, to name and claim all aspects of who they are, and un-shame every desire.  She is also an avid Love Notes participant.  

What is Love Notes?

Love Notes is a free three week project where individuals are paired up with one another to exchange hand written postcards.  Don't worry if you do not have postcards, note cards are fine.  Some people even create their own.  There are no hard and fast rules as long as it is a little something you can send through the mail.   

Worried about what you are going to write?  I got you covered!  Each Sunday a writing prompt will go out to provide you with a jumping off point for what to write on your postcard.  As I said above Mindy's prompts are divine and I just know you are going to love them!  

This is the 20th installment of this project and I could not be more excited to begin.  Friendships have formed and mail continues to be exchanged long after each round is finished due to the extraordinary individuals who participate in the project.  

Looking to learn more?  Click here or pop on over to the Facebook Group.  Have a question?  Drop me a note at jennifer@jenniferbelthoff.com.  

This round is going to be so good!  

It's time to begin

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It's time to begin
The world is waiting for you to shine your light
I understand it may feel scary
But know that you are never alone
Take that brave step forward
Follow where your heart is guiding you
Be present in the moment
And never give up on your dreams

It's time to begin
To say yes to what is lighting you up
And no to what you no longer serves you
Make the choices that feed your soul
And choose the direction you want to travel
Don't get hung up on how it will all come together
Trust your own intuition
Do it your own way

It's time to begin
Believing in yourself
Seeing yourself as the amazing individual you are
Speaking words of kindness when you look in the mirror
Showing the world your bright beautiful smile
Standing tall with your head held high and your shoulders back
Feeling the love that surrounds you
Yes, it is time to fully step into yourself

Don't wait another second longer
Do one small thing today that gets you closer to where you want to be
Lean in and ask for help
Allow others to see your vulnerability
Stay true to who you are
And unearth the potential you have within
It is time to begin
Go ahead, get started

 

The writing prompt:  "It's time to begin" was pulled from this current round of the Love Notes Postcard project.  Another round started today and my heart is exploding with love knowing that people will be sharing their words with strangers.  

Your words have power. What you share with others has the potential to crack them open.  You never know what one thing will inspire you and you also never know what you do that inspires others.  So put your best foot forward.  Be strong, be brave, be kind.  The world could use all the kindness that people are willing to pour into it.  

because your words can change someones day

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"Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change" ~ Bob Kerrey

Throughout our lives we all encounter moments of struggle that rip us apart.  It is in these moments that we cannot tell up from down and we aren't sure if we will ever be able to stand on our own two feet again.  So we retreat into the comfort of the darkness.  

Yet, we are not meant to go at it alone.  There is a world filled with divine human beings who want to reach out, lend a helping hand, and let you know that you are seen.  

I have watched this unfold first hand through the Love Notes Fairy's and it has continuously restored my faith in love, compassion, and kindness.  

The Love Notes Fairy's are a group of individuals with wide open hearts.   They are ready and willing to send out handwritten notes to individuals they have never met.  They open their hearts because they understand the power of good will and they know that even a few words written on a card can shift someones day. Most likely they will never meet the people they write to, but they are ok with that.  They know what matters most is reaching out.     

Each month nominations are submitted by friends, family, and neighbors of individuals who could use a little extra love.  Some life circumstance has brought them to their knees and receiving a bouquet of love notes delivered to their mailbox (yes, their real mailbox) is something their friend knows will help bring a bit of sunshine to their days.  

And so the fairy's get to work.  They send out cards with no expectation of anything in return.  They may never even hear if their card was received.  But, they understand the chain reaction of kindness that can occur and trust the universe to inspire others to continue passing it along.  These fairies are beacons of light on dark days, carrying messages of hope, love, and compassion.  There is no judgment for where the other person is in their life, just words of tenderness.  

Sometimes all we need is to know that we are not alone. 

For the past five months the Fairies have been showing up and each day more join in on this secret mission of love. It is the simplest things in life, the small acts of kindness, that mean the most.  We must never forget this and choose that kindness each and every day.  

One recipient of the Love Note's Fairy Love has shared these words about her experience being surprised by the notes:

"I feel loved
I feel wrapped up in a blanket of healing
I feel a burst of joy in my heart
I feel how much they care
The love of strangers is one of my greatest joys!" - Ingrid

This is what it is all about.  A blanket of healing letting a stranger know that there are others out there who care, and that they are never ever alone. Yes, this can all happen with one single card arriving in someone's mailbox. Something that may take you two minutes to do can cause an incredible shift in someone's life.  

Go ahead, send a card today.  I dare you!  Let someone know you see them, you love them, and that they are never alone.  Pop it in the mail and release all expectations of what is to come.  Just allow the universe space to work it's magic.  

And if you want to spread a little more joy and love join in on the Love Note's Fairy Secret Mission.  You will be so glad you did.  

love notes postcard project round 18 wrap up

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Your words matter, even when you share them with someone that you do not know.  I have seen this happen first hand through the Love Notes Postcard Project.  Words arriving at just the right time from someone you have never met.  A postcard sitting next to your bills inside your mailbox reminding  you of the hope and love that shines through the world.  A single sentence letting you know that you aren't alone.  These words remind us of our humanness.  

WHAT YOU SHARE WITH THE WORLD SHINES THROUGH YOU.

When you share words of hope, love, and encouragement you begin a ripple effect of goodness.  You may never know the full effect they have but I can guarantee you that they have made someone smile.  Words are powerful.  They help us connect.  They break down walls and provide us space to heal.  

When I first started the Love Notes project I had no idea if people who actually take a chance on it.  Who would be brave enough to write to a stranger?  Who would trust this process?  Little did I know that the love and connection I was craving others were craving as well.

Hundreds of people from all over the world have opened their hearts and sent a postcards to a stranger.  Connections have formed and friendships have blossomed all from a words on a postcard, yes as simple as that.

Here we are 18 rounds in and my heart as grown immensely.  I have seen so much kindness from strangers which reminds me that there is an incredible amount of good in this world.  Even when things feel chaotic and crazy people are willing to share why they believe in the universe, how they tend to their soul, and what love is.  These simple prompts provide a jumping off point for deep heartfelt words spilling onto the page.  

And so we begin with pen in hand, an open mind, and a sliver of hope.  We spread our joy and light.  In doing this we encourage others to do the same.  

How do you share your love?  What way do you show up in the world and connect with others?  Looking for an easy way to begin?  Send a postcard to someone.  Let me know how much they mean to you.  Share your favorite memory together.  Simply say "I see you".  

And remember; words connect us.  

snail mail love

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Your words matter.  What you say, what you write, what you share ... it matters.  All of it.  I am a firm believer in this and have seen it's power in full affect through the Love Notes Postcard Project.  You do not need to personally know someone to touch there lives.  One single sentence arriving in their mailbox can change their day. 

And so we show up.  Spilling the contents of our hearts out onto the page.  We open up.  We take risks.  We share the deepest parts of our souls and we see that we aren't alone.  We all feel scared sometimes.  We all fall down and struggle to get back up.  We all worry and cry and hurt.  And we know that it is going to be ok because we aren't alone.  We are surrounded by love from those we know, those we don't, and surrounded by love from the universe.  

There are times the universe throws us into a tizzy and we can't tell up from down.  Yet not how hard we fall we still find hope in the universe.  We can trust the universe because it shows up for us time and time again.  It reveals it's smiling face, gives us stunning sunsets, and teaches us to seek out laughter.  The universe is a constantly surprises us with it's beauty and love.  There are times it may be hard to find but if we search hard enough and stay open to it's infinite possibility there it is, waiting there with open arms.   

So we continue to press on.  Sharing, loving, giving, being.

These words have been inspired by the first prompt from the Love Notes Postcard Project.  

I can trust the universe because .... 

There are so many incredible and inspiring individuals who are a part of this project.  They bring so much heart and soul to their words and they trust that if they send words out they will receive them back.  It is incredible dance of beauty and grace between strangers.  Curious who some of these amazing people are?  Come join me on the virtual dock and say hello to them.  Interested in the Love Notes Postcard Project?  Sign up for my mailing list to be the first to know when the April round sign up's are open.