Ideas
Below are some great places to use Gift of Happiness materials. Where do you want to help bring out the best in people?
Friends & Neighbors
I saw on Facebook that an old friend was going through a hard time, and mailed her a card with some Gift of Happiness message cards inside. It was unexpected, and totally made her day.
When I give money to people on the street, I also give them a card that says “You are loved” or “You belong.” I think sometimes just being seen is more valuable than money.
I like leaving message cards in public places -- a You are beautiful card on a restroom mirror, or a Thank you for being you in a library book -- with good intentions for whoever might see them.
I gave a You are appreciated card to one of the employee’s at Trader Joe’s, who had gone above and beyond helping me find something. Later, she tracked me down and gave me a free pie!
Family & Home
I was at the end of my rope with my kids. Then my daughter gave me a stack of cards -- You are awesome, You matter, Love, Patience, Tunafish -- and a handwritten note saying “Thank you for being our awesome dad that reads and loves us.” It totally turned things around.
Schools & Classrooms
I am a school nurse, and I have a “Take What You Need” display in my office with cards like Love, Friendship, You are okay, and You can do it. Sometimes that’s what kids need even more than Band-Aids.
When I know a student has a performance or competition coming up, I give them a You are awesome card, with a handwritten note on the back. It means a lot to them to know that their teacher cares, and it feels good to me, too.
I set out a huge pile of cards at a staff meeting and invited each teacher to pick a message that spoke to them: You are enough. What you do matters. Patience. You can do it. Teachers need to hear these things just as much as their students do.
Workplaces & Organizations
A woman at work has a candy dish outside her office that I sometimes visit. One day I decided to leave her a Thank You card, with a note saying how much I appreciated her candy. She was so grateful!
In the midst of a tough project, I could tell that one of my employees wasn’t feeling recognized for all the work she’d been putting in. The You Rock card I gave her made her smile that day, and is still on her desk two years later.
Customers & Clients
I have a Take What You Need display in my massage studio, and invite clients to choose a card to take with them as they leave. So far the most popular ones are Breathe, Patience, and You are enough.
I could tell a customer was having a really hard day, so when she came to the register to make a purchase, I gave her a You are amazing card. The last time I saw her, she said she still had it.
Self Awareness & Personal Growth
My intention was to give all of my message cards away, but then I saw one that said You don’t have to be perfect to be lovable, and realized it was for me. It’s been taped to my refrigerator ever since.
I put You can do it and Just get started cards next to my computer, before starting a daunting project. Later, I was delighted to realize I didn’t need them any more. I exchanged them for a You are awesome card!
Do you have your own story to tell about how you’ve used connection cards? Please share. I'd love to add it to the list!