How this began

By Anne Lafleur, Founder

At the end of 2012, I attended a seminar where I was asked to practice offering the tiniest gestures of care to a group of strangers: things like eye contact, listening, observations, encouragement, and smiles.

The experience changed my life.

As someone who had spent much of life feeling socially anxious, it was profound for me to realize not only how meaningful these things were to other people, but how deeply fulfilling they were for me to give.

The Gift of Happiness was born because I wanted to find simple, inexpensive ways to help people — including me! — remember to offer these small acts of generosity to others more often. Not only because it makes us happier as individuals, but also because I’m convinced that it is essential for the well-being of our families, communities and society as a whole.

My first product was a “Giving Kit”: a collection of greeting cards, stamps, candy, money, and posters that I gave to family members for Christmas. My hope was that that they would use the contents to make people smile, and experience the joy that comes from those small, unnecessary acts of generosity. Some of them actually did!

Connection Cards came soon after, the result of a brainstorming session with a friend about what else could go in a Giving Kit that wouldn’t cost much but could still have a big impact. My friend suggested a little card that simply said Reminder: You are Awesome. I printed some out and started giving them away that very day. People loved getting them! A few years later I had a collection of more than 150 different messages, and instruction guides for how to use them in all sorts of settings, from classrooms to workplaces to families.

Signs of Kindness are a natural extension of the more personal connection cards. They include many of the same messages, but instead of going to one person at a time, they can be seen by thousands of people a day, and impact not just individuals but entire communities. I’d daydreamed of signs like these years before, but only in late summer 2019 did I find a way to easily print and ship them. With the help of the internet and social media to make connections, and dozens of people willing to donate funds, by the end of 2020 there were signs in all 50 U.S. states.

For a time, I looked into incorporating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which would have allowed me access to things like grant money and the ability to purchase billboard space at a significant discount. (I still think putting these messages on giant billboards would be cool!) Ultimately, though, I decided against it in order to maintain flexibility and simplicity. Financially, my goal with this project is to break even on my costs, while getting as many cards and signs out into the world as possible.

What keeps getting reinforced for me in this work is that all of us can use extra love and encouragement from time to time. We can also be the source of that love, whether it’s through cards, signs, or some other means. If you would like to be part of this somehow, please do get involved: sign up for my email list below, test out my freebies, purchase materials, and/or apply to be a Kindness Ambassador.

Being good to each other isn’t as risky or difficult as we sometimes imagine, and the payoff is much bigger than we might think.