The Power of Love – 5 Ways to Spread Love Today

Have you ever seen something horrible take place and you feel like you–just one little person–have no way of making a difference that will matter? 

This feeling of powerlessness comes from a belief that you have no control over your environment.  Your environment including your own personal space, the space around your closest relationships, your neighborhood, your local, regional and state-wide community, your country, and the world as a whole.

The truth is we do have the power to take action and make a difference and it’s as simple as loving one another.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” —  Leo Buscaglia

Did you catch that last part?  The potential to turn a life around.  Through simple acts of love.

There’s nothing in Leo’s list that you and I don’t have the power to initiate today.

Here are five ideas to take action and begin spreading love today:

#RANDOMLOVELETTER: I recently came across an Instagram challenge called #randomloveletter.  The creators of this challenge asked participants to write a positive note and post it in a public place (power pole, library book, restaurant menu, park bench, waiting room) for someone to find.  No fancy stationary necessary.  Just write your note on a post-it, scratch pad paper, or the back of a recycled piece of paper.  Who knows how your written words will bless someone?

There’s an annual challenge that takes place in June every year in which you place your love letter somewhere, take a picture and tag it with #randomloveletter on Instagram and/or Twitter.  Click here for the 2016 challenge recap and to get some inspiration for your notes.  You may choose to participate in this challenge each year, but let’s agree to keep the love flowing throughout the year.  Is there such thing as too many random love letters?  I think not.

MORE LOVE LETTERS:  Hannah Brencher founded a movement whose mission is to “Make Love Famous”.  How awesome is that!! There are three ways to participate and help Hannah with her mission:

1. Mail a letter to someone who is experiencing a tough spot in their lives.  The love letter recipients have been secretly nominated and will receive the surprise love letters from people like you and me from across the globe.  Their nomination stories appear right here.  Do you know someone who could use a good dose of love right now?  Click here to nominate them.
2. Leave a letter.  Much like the #RandomLoveLetter, you write a lovely letter and leave it in a public place for someone to find.
3. Know a college student?  Hannah has started a movement in which students can start a More Love Letters chapter on their campus.  This so would have been up my alley when I was in college!!

PAY IT FORWARD:  I’m sure you’ve heard of this idea…you respond to a person’s kindness to oneself by being kind to someone else. Maybe you buy a cup of coffee for the unsuspecting person behind you in line, or extend a wish of goodwill to a stranger you cross paths with, or call a helpful clerk’s supervisor to praise their excellent customer service.  All these gestures promote love and goodwill.

There’s an actual day to pay it forward too! Although I hope you won’t wait to pay it forward, the next official day is April 28, 2017.  While you’re paying it forward throughout the year, you could also be planning on a big push for that actual day with your friends, kids, church group, or school.  Get people excited and talking about it.  The creators of this day are hoping to inspire over 10 million acts of kindness around the world on April 28, 2017. Spread the love, friends!

The Pay It Forward Day website has some great resources and ideas on how to get involved for individuals, businesses, and schools.  Check that out here.

VIRTUALLY SHARE RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS STORIES TO INSPIRE OTHERS:  Performing a random act of kindness is just like the pay it forward idea, but because we live in a digital age and so many of us spend heaps of time online, why not focus on spreading love virtually through inspiring stories of random acts of kindness.  The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has a great website with a collection of these types of inspiring stories, videos, and quotes that you can share with others to light up their day.  Click here to be inspired and share away!

THE POWER OF PRAYER:  Lift your hearts and your voices in prayer, my friends.  My faith calls me to pray without ceasing and I’ve seen firsthand how prayer changes things.  God is LOVE and He is listening.

Friends, I hope you’ve been inspired to take action and love boldly today.

Here’s to changing the world with one act of love at a time!

With love,

Jill

P.S. Since we’re on the subject of love…did you know there’s a whole day committed to hugging?  For real!  National Hugging Day takes place every year on January 21st. Why wait though?  Let’s get some practice and go hug on someone today.