stay true to your heart

Because now more than ever you must listen to your heart and carve our own path forward.  There are many other voices looking to find their way in.  Stealing your time, trying to push you from where you are going.  But you know what what you want to do.  You know where you want to go.  

Go for it!

Happiness is your priority.  Kindness is something you hold dear.  Love is all that really matters.  Stay true to your values.  Speak up for what you believe in.  Do not let anyone rob you of the goodness that is in your heart.  

Listen to what others are saying, not only their words but their actions.  Understand where they are coming from and do not place any judgment on why you think they are doing what they are doing.  Just show up as you.  With your heart wide open ready to give.  

You will find your way when you stay true to YOU.  Don't give up, even when you get pushed down.  Don't give in, even when others are trying to string you along.  Smile wide.  Invite someone in.  

Be brave.  Be bold.  Be YOU

because your words can change someones day

"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.  

happiness is always there, take a moment to see it

I arrive home exhausted. The weight of the work day can been seen in my tired eyes.  Running from meeting to meeting I didn't get a chance to step outside and breathe in the fresh air.  I feel has if I have been put through the ringer, all my energy depleted. 

Darkness has set in and feel a pang of regret for not seeking out the light.  

Nothing grand happened today.  No monumental moment of fun.  It was an average workday where I felt buried in all that I needed to accomplish  But admits the piles of paper, the inbox filled with emails that need responding, and the countless number of meetings I know that there is still something to be grateful for.  Even if it is only one thing there is something that has filled my heart with happiness.  

Before heading off to bed I pause in front of my happiness jar and pull out one slip of paper. I take the time to reflect on my day and think about what moment I want to write down.  There was the text from a friend that arrived right when I needed it most.  There was the way he smiled when I tucked him in before I headed out the door.  The light of my salt lamp on my desk filing my heart with peace and calm.  The warmth of my heated seat on the cold morning drive.  The way the printer cooperated and did not jam as I was running to get something printed moments before the meeting.

What may have felt like an exhausting day was filled with ordinary moments of goodness.  It is these slivers of time that make up my days and if I do not slow down to appreciate them they will simply slip away.  

Moments of happiness do not need to be grand and extravagant.  It can be as simple as a smile from a stranger.  A warm bed in the morning.  A chance to begin again.  

Take the time seek out the happiness.  Cherish every bit of it and the love the heck out of your life.  For each moment is a new beginning.  An opportunity to choose the light over the darkness.  What moment made you happy today?

when avoidance is holding you back

You cannot expand into the present moment if you are carrying the past around with you. 

The bills from the emergency room arrive in the mailbox and I intentionally toss them to the side.  I pretend that if I avoid them they will go away.  Isn't that way it works with problems?  Seeing them strikes a visceral reaction.

The first is anger.  Did they really need to call an ambulance?  I was fine.  Why the stretcher?  Why the embarrassment?  Why this incredible bill for what I see as nothing.  

The second bill reminds me of my carelessness.  Another visit to the emergency room.  Why did I think it was a good idea to remove a staple with a knife?  How did I ever think that was going to end well.  

The notices continue to arrive and it finally hits me that I cannot keep tossing them to the side.  I have been carrying around this cloud of regret and it feels like a heavy weight on my shoulders.  If I want to expand into the radical life of my dreams I need to face the baggage that I have been dragging along.  These bills are stuffed deep into one of those bags.  

I finally release myself from the guilt and feel a little bit more free.

It is not easy to face what I have been avoiding.  Avoidance feels like the easy way out, but really it is what has been keeping me behind.  I needed to release. I needed stop pretending and face the truth.

There is more baggage that I am carrying around.  More things I have been avoiding.  I have a dear friend who reminded me of something I have been avoiding since my mom passed away.  I need to schedule a mammogram.  I did the first part; I got the prescription.  But I have yet to pick up the phone and make the appointment.  What is holding me back?  Why do I continue to avoid?  I have let a year and half lapse.   

We both agreed that on Monday I am making the call.  And when I go to try to avoid it she will pick up the phone and dial the numbers for me.  It helps to have an accountability partner.  Someone who won't let you slide.  Someone who will be by your side when you are to afraid to do it alone.

Sometimes the thing we are most afraid to face is the thing that is holding us back from shining our inner light.  We hold on.  We pretend.  We tell ourselves a story that isn't true and we make it hard for ourselves to move forward.  But here is the thing.  You are the one who is in control of what happens next.  You can choose to face it, release yourself of it's chains, and move forward.

I want to expand.  I want to grow.  I want to live a deeply rich, intentional life.  In order to that I have to face what I am avoiding.  And so I begin. Right here, right now.  Because today is as good a day as any to take that first step forward.   

signs are all around

There are signs of her all around.  They show up in the most unexpected places and make me smile.  Even though she isn't here in person I can feel her everywhere.  She is with me in everything I do.  

She was a collector of feather's.  A believer that they were from heaven.  On the window ledge above her kitchen sink sat a blue jar that I never much paid attention to.  It wasn't until after her passing that I noticed she had placed all of the feathers she had collected inside this jar.  

A few years ago on an adventure together in Brooklyn she opened her heart and shared with me that she collects feathers.  When she was younger her sister had passed and ever since her passing she had said that each time she saw one she knew it was a sign from the other side.  A reminder that she was never alone. 

I never knew this about my mom and it was touching to get this glimpse into her heart.  But even then I didn't pay much attention to the blue jar on the ledge above her sink and let the story of the feathers slip away.  

When my mom was close to the end I walked out of her house and there were feathers scattered on the back lawn.  I went to take a closer look and noticed there were others on the front lawn.  In fact the house was surrounded by feathers and to my surprise there were none to be found next door.  

Was this a sign from heaven? Were they calling her up and letting us know that she would be ok?  

The signs continue to show up and each time they do it warms my heart and makes me smile.  I miss her more than words can describe, but seeing a feather makes me feel a little bit closer to her.  They are a reminder that she is always near.  

That little blue jar still sits on the windows ledge and another feather collector has been created.  Each one he sees he picks up and adds to her.  A reminder that we are all connected.  

love notes postcard project round 18 wrap up

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.