Making the ride worthwhile: days 23-31

"Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile." ~ Franklin P. Jones

And what a worthwhile ride January has been for me, thanks to regularly sending out love via snail mail. While a number of recipients have thanked me (which is always fun to hear), the simple joy of sending the cards is a power all its own. No matter what kind of day I'm having, I feel uplifted after sending a card.

So how did I do at getting a card out each day? I fell behind. I had a couple of big projects to finish, and I didn't prioritize sending cards for several days. I always went back to "catch up," so I ended up sending 31 cards for the month. But I knew I would have a hard time sticking to my resolution long-term if I didn't change my approach.

This is the point at which I would normally lose interest and decide it's not worth the effort. In a world of instant gratification, it is hard to stay the course when results aren't immediate and obvious. And when you're doing something as "squishy" as simply sending love in all its various forms, good luck figuring out whether you've had an impact on the amount of love in the world!   

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despite my doubts, I've decided to press on.

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I've now created a spreadsheet and begun populating it with known events for which I can send cards. In advance. Yes, I know, obvious. But in the flurry of simply wanting to dive in and get momentum, I neglected to plan ahead so I could manage to complete big projects and send cards every day. I did OK; I will do better.

The love that made the ride over the last nine days worthwhile included encouragement to a friend who wondered if anyone noticed her, gratitude for people who provide important services and support in our community, and reaching out to friends and connections: 

Has someone told you they feel invisible? Is there someone in your life who does necessary and important work in obscurity? Surely you're connected to someone with a birthday. With a little love, you can help make their ride worthwhile. 

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​In my first blog post of 2017, I resolved to send snail-mail greeting cards to at least one person each day to express joy, love, inspiration, and gratitude. Follow my blog or my company pages on Facebook and LinkedIn to see my progress and get inspiration for your own personal connections.