The Gift of Giving
For the past year, I have been extending appreciation messages. I sent out thirty-three letters, all themed in yellow, either containing yellow envelopes, yellow designs, yellow flowers, and/or yellow stickers.
At the end of 2023, Brad Walsh asked people to participate in a project of sending voice notes over thirty days. He runs the Empowerography Podcast Lounge, and he asked us to do this in the December. The purpose was to spread love. We had to leave a voice message telling a different person each day how much they meant to us or how much we appreciated them. We could leave more than one message per day, but we had to leave at least one. I happily participated in that.
In the last month, I mailed out letters once again. I sent another round of cards where I shared with each person who received my card why I was thinking about them, how I remembered them, or what I took away from our last interaction.
I cannot take credit for initiating any of these exercises.
A year ago, while on a trip to India, I saw a Hindu astrologer. We discussed some challenges I’ve been having and he gave me a set of instructions. One of them was to do extend kindness and to do it every Thursday for thirty-three weeks. That’s when I decided to send out the original thirty-three yellow themed cards. The color yellow was essential and I later came to understand that yellow in Hinduism symbolizes peace, personal development, knowledge, and meditation. It particularly helps with activating the mind, which I certainly needed.
I completed the exercise as he indicated for me, sending out the last card of the first round of thirty-three at the end of October. A month later, I received a message from Brad asking if I was interested in participating in his exercise. I happily agreed. Recently, recalling how much I enjoyed sending the first round of thirty-three letters, I decided to do it again. I didn’t continue with the yellow theme, but rather sent messages of love. The cards I selected all had the word love on the front, written in a different language.
Over ninety-six people received my cards and messages. This is what I learned:
Reactions were varied. Some people expressed excitement and appreciation at getting my cards or messages. Others thanked me simply. Still others, didn’t acknowledge the messages at all.
It didn’t matter how people reacted or not. The exercise wasn’t about getting reactions.
It brought me joy to write the cards. I sent out good wishes and I expressed appreciation to people in my life.
I continued the exercise beyond the original thirty-three messages because it felt good to me. The more kindness I sent out, the more kindness came back to me.
It is rare these days to receive hand-written notes and it took time and effort on my side to put them together. I enjoyed it because it brought me back to simpler times when communication took more thought and diligence..
It was worthwhile. If another opportunity arises, I will do it again.
You don’t have to engage in the same exercises I did. There are other ways to spread kindness. Even noticing someone passing on the street, making eye contact, and smiling can have a positive impact.
What other ways can you think of to spread good wishes, appreciation, or kindness?
How do you think this would impact the people in your life? How would it impact you?