Kindness Matters

Hello Smilers! I have had much to contemplate since my last posting here. I must admit since starting this project (www.somewhereoutthereproject.com) I have had my ups and downs. When I had the original idea I was so excited, and my friends and colleagues all loved it so I had a lot of support in my personal community. I imagined the project as this huge thing that would catch fire and spread kindness on a global scale. (These grand designs were fueled by many early events, including having international attention just days after posting the project on Facebook when a wonderful woman and one of our original Kickstarter backers asked for some tokens to put out in Perth, Australia. Of course, as all of my faithful smilers know the project is still modest and in many ways still in its infancy, but as the project has evolved it seems that I go through phases, days will come and go with no real sense that my effort is having any sort of impact on anyone. At times it is discouraging, I am just so often hoping to touch just one person with my kindness and make their day a little brighter, that I wonder how often it is actually working. That’s the thing with kindness, it is so often overlooked in our everyday hustle and bustle. I am determined to continue to make it a daily part of my life, because I know that touching just one person in a time that they may need that kindness will be worth all of the work and effort I put into the project.

And it seems that every time I start to think I am getting nowhere with the project there is one small light that brings me back to the entire reason I started the project in the first place. The latest case of this was last Friday. I went to Walmart after work to grab a few things for the house and I left a token there. Shortly after I got home there was a post on the project Facebook that a young girl had found the token and she was very excited about it. This is what the project is all about! Touching just one life, making that small change, sharing that smile! I wanted to thank each and every one of you who have helped make this project what it is. For those out there spreading kindness of your own, never think that it goes forever unnoticed, because someday, somewhere out there, someone will appreciate you for it. To all those who have shared and been a part of my mission, let’s keep sharing those smiles!