Spreading love through handwritten notes

Jun 1, 2017
3 min read

Want to know where AuthenticallyAmy found her inspiration for 100 handwritten notes in 100 days? It's below.

In early April, I was listening to The One Thing, a personal development podcast. The guest on this particular episode brought up a habit he had cultivated 15 years ago. Every day, he writes a hand-written note to someone – a friend, a family member, the author of a good book he read, a barista who served him good coffee, etc. Throughout the course of 15 years, he has written over 5,000 handwritten notes. Though he said he is not necessarily looking for a response, he averages about a 10% response rate. Through this habit, he has formed valuable relationships, some with highly influential people. Best of all, he has shared a lot of joy.

This habit struck a chord with me. I love receiving handwritten messages. I love forming relationships. I love deepening relationships. I love to make people happy. I love to share love. What better way to do all of those things than by creating my own note-writing habit? That evening, I dug out my collection of stationery and bought two books of stamps. I can’t even remember who I sent my first note to, but I have made it a consistent habit for the last six weeks.

The First Response

So far, I have received two notes in return. Each one has made me feel incredibly happy. The first note I received was from Heather Suchma, a woman I follow on Instagram. Heather is an entrepreneur who has many of the same interests as I do. I just think she’s awesome. I had written to Heather to tell her about how she has inspired me to try some different things that I may have never considered without her influence. These things have actually been life-changing, and I wanted to share with her how valuable her openness and vulnerability on social media has been. Her response was amazing. Unbeknownst to me, Heather had been struggling with a criticism she received from one of her followers. She wrote about how thankful she was for the note, because it proved to her that she was doing the right thing. The note had come at an opportune time to let her know she is appreciated, and she expressed her thanks to me for taking the time to handwrite my thoughts.

The Second Response The second note I received was from Courtney Loftin, owner of the Gentry Boutique in the District of Rock Island. Courtney is also an entrepreneur. I visited her boutique for the first time during the Premier Downtown Rock Island Open House. I had heard wonderful things, and I was not disappointed. Her shop is adorable and chic, and the clothes are affordable, which can be hard to say about a boutique! (Seriously, if you haven’t been there yet, you need to go check it out.) Courtney has an eye for fashion. I was proud of her for getting her degree in New York and then bringing her education and talents back to Rock Island. So, I wrote her a note expressing my appreciation.

The Fun

Being kind and sharing love is a lot of fun. Think about all the people who have an impact on you throughout the week and consider sending them a note of appreciation. You don’t have to do one a day – you could do one a week or even one a month. Depending on how much you write, it takes anywhere from one to five minutes per note, which is not a huge investment for the returns it can provide to the receiver and to you.

Read more posts from Everyday People Guest Blogger Randi Rockwell.

Note from AuthenticallyAmy Since my post about 100 handwritten notes in 100 days, I have sent more than 30 notes. It's so fun to send these out and know that receiving this kind of mail is so much better than a bill. I have not received any responses yet -- but I have received several notes in the mail from people who've read this post and it inspired them to send a card to me and others. I LOVED IT. It's amazing what a small act can do for the heart.