a sunday smile five: anonymous mail.

sometimes i am afraid to do quirky, kind things for others because i feel that they might take it the wrong way. it is an irrational fear; i have never had anyone angry at me after i give them a compliment. but it is still a fear. and so, i resort to anonymous kindness. in this case, i found that fear to be a blessing. because i have learned that anonymity is the best way to do things. there is a danger in being kind when one learns to rely on the recognition received in return.
it's a hard lesson to learn. i will admit that i like to be praised for good things i do. but i believe that i will only truly be rewarded if i act in humility.
brother anderson said, "tell them thank you, but that it was not you at all. it was God. you were only an instrument."
and henceforth, i introduce to you this new project. it is not large. it may not change any lives. but i think it is a small step towards becoming comfortable without recognition for your actions.

step one: find three of your favorite quotes. quotes you wish you had said. ones that make you think. i think most importantly, ones that would make you smile if you found them somewhere.

step two: unleash your creativity and decorate a piece of printer paper with each of your quotes.

step three: gather three envelopes and decorate the front of those. place your quote inside.

step four: either look up a random address in the phone book to put on your envelope, or simply write "to you" on the front.

step five: send the letter if it has an address.

step six: if you opted to not put an address, then take letter #1 to your nearest grocery store. leave it in a picturesque place in the produce section for a lucky soul to find.

step seven: take letter #2 to the parking lot. place under windshield wipers of the first red car you see.

step eight: take letter #3 with you wherever you go for the rest of the day. place it in the most opportune place you come across.

step nine: revel in the joy you feel after completing said tasks. this is when we learn that the greatest benefit service brings is to ourselves.

did you know? someone found one of mine & mallory's sticky notes in the school library, and then visited our blog because of it! (cool!)

has something nice happened to you today? if so, leave us a comment and tell us what happened. send the kindness karma back to the universe!
in my case, i was grateful for the kind people who told me i looked cute on friday. they made me feel good!
while we're on that roll, conference is the best, isn't it? in honor of our wonderful President Monson, leave a comment of what you're grateful for.
for me, it's my family, new friends, lindt truffles, the gospel, (the videos on mormon.org are fantastic. i love rose dall's,  & alex boye's),  feeling the spirit, and a brand-new book of stamps, one stamp, of which, is ready to be slapped on a letter and sent to my quinci at byu-i.
and most of all, it is the knowledge that i am a daughter of God.
with that knowledge, i cannot fail.

have a beautiful sunday!

with love, hannah.