If you read my blog post Tuesday, you know I’m struggling in Blackishville. I like to feel whatever it is I’m feeling in order to get it out and work through it. For me, any act of kindness or compassion helps put me in a good mood and shift my perspective. So, today I’m taking a break from my Thursday Weeknight Date Night post to talk about the act of spreading love and compassion.

Last month, I went to an event and was introduced to Ashley Reale from Share Love Everywhere. What is Share Love Everywhere? Let me fill you in really quickly. In the fall of 2009, leaves were changing and Love Everywhere Founder, Ashley Reale, was wondering: “What if one tiny act of kindness could change a life?” So, she started to share love with strangers through hidden notes of encouragement, leaving these notes behind everywhere she went. In 2014, she launched a website, and, with the help of a team of ambassadors and an enthusiastic social media community, over 15,000 notes have now been distributed worldwide. Each note is hand-stamped and numbered for tracking. And each note contains a handwritten message, resurrecting an art form largely lost in today’s digital age. And the really amazing part? These notes have the potential to not only to travel the world as note finders “pay it forward”, but to let people know they are seen, heard, and loved. Can a tiny note do all of this?

Awesome concept right? This week instead of staying in the frustration of Blackishville, I thought what can I do to spread a little love, light and compassion. I headed to Barnes and Noble with 10 cards in hand and absolutely no idea what I was going to write on them or where I was going to put them. I walked in, and was immediately drawn to Jessamyn Stanley’s book Every Body Yoga. It’s important to know all our bodies are different, but beautiful in their own rights. I went to the self-help section, wrote a few messages and inserted those cards in a few of the books. I walked around and was looking a bit confused when a sales associate asked if I needed help. I asked if he could point me in the direction of the parenting books. I put a few cards in expecting mom and dad books. I then drifted to the kids’ section and put a few cards in books that encouraged little girls. I don’t have children, but I have two incredible nieces. My brother and I often discuss how it’s our job as a family to let both of them know they’re capable of ANYTHING! As I was leaving, I came across a childhood favorite, and wouldn’t you know it, I had one card left. The book was Maniac Magee. I wrote my last note, and tucked it in the book.

As I drove home, I was able to reflect on my crazy week, Blackishville, love, compassion and just being a good human. Hey, things won’t always go our way, and people won’t always behave how we think they should, but we only have control over ourselves. Don’t be afraid to feel what you feel even if it’s negative. Live in it for a minute, let it all out and come up with a plan to shift your perspective. Spreading love and showing compassion always works for me.

What do you do to shift your perspective?

Until next time loves…

Image by Ivory Door Studio