Feb. 17 - Love Notes

Day 49 of a year of Kindness

Today is officially Random Acts of Kindness Day so I wanted to do something totally random. I wrote positive affirmations on little note cards and handed them out to complete strangers. Now, ironically, on this auspicious holiday, I didn’t really feel like spreading kindness like wildflowers. It is bitterly cold in New England and some of the freeze seeped into my soul. Despite my resistance, I pushed forward with a pocketful of cards. I went to my favorite grocery store and gave one to the florist, one to the deli manager, and to a customer waiting in line. I gave one to a young man and one to his mother. I stopped two college students in the parking lot and handed them each one. I gave one to the cashier at a chocolate shop and three more to the chocolate makers in the back.

As a result, my soul warmed up and I almost got a little teary-eyed. I’m a random woman in a black puffer coat handing out little love notes and every single person smiled. One had a huge belly laugh. One said it made her day. One introduced herself and we shook hands. It was 100% successful. I think we are so scared of each other sometimes that we lose so many opportunities to make connections. What I keep learning is that kindness creates connections. It has the power to make someone smile - even do a belly laugh. And in the process, you start to smile again, too.

Science of kindness: I gave out positive affirmations, which made people smile. But science proves that over time, repeating positive phrases can reshape how you think and feel about yourself. When you think, neurons send electrical impulses along paths in your brain. This makes the neurons more sensitive and strengthens their pathways, which can lead to “stinking thinking.” Positive affirmations, though, help you disrupt negative thinking habits and build a new route in your brain for positive thoughts. Because positive affirmations work by replacing negative thought patterns with healthier ways of thinking, they can have a positive impact on the brain and body.#kindnessmatters #kindness #kindnessiscontagious @10kindnessclub #randomactsofkindnessday #littlenotes #EFrancesPaper