Today

Just one, in a potted plant outside a local business.

Be a Star

"To be a star, you must shine your light, follow your own path, and do not be afraid of the darkness, for this is when stars shine brightest!" ~ Shambhala 2004

Today's Places

An elevator; a random mail slot; and one of the post office mail boxes.

Gifts

I received my first comment on this blog last night and it is such a gift. Someone out there already finds me and this project to be an inspiration. I've already achieved my goal of making a difference in at least one person's life--which is the most anyone can ask for I think. The rest is just whip cream and cherries. :)

Serendipity....yesterday I was questioning the purpose of the blog in this project, wondering if I'm just trying to feed my ego by getting accolades for what I'm doing. But that isn't my intent. I want a place people who received my gifts could go to find out what it's all about. I want a place to interact with recipients if they so choose. I want a place for stories, especially since visiting other kindness and generosity sites and realizing how inspirational the stories can be. And I do want to inspire others to be Blessing Conspirators of some kind. I feel good about this. I feel witnessed and appreciated this morning, which are the best kind of feelings possible (and I wouldn't have these feelings if this blog didn't exist).

Time to go give out some appreciation to others while on my lunch break.

I found myself constantly thinking about the packet of Blessing Cards in my purse this weekend and feeling like I was missing something by not going anywhere that I could leave them. A new obstacle = weather. Stormy conditions do not facilitate wandering around to gift, nor leaving gifts in outdoor locations.

Creative Explosion

Last night was a very productive and creative night for this experiment. I have new quote postcards and homemade envelopes for the Blessing Cards. I also have business cards to replace the plain labels. Each card has a beautiful flower with text about the Conspiracy, this web address, and a request to "Pay It Forward."

I was inspired to make up some beautiful blessing packages for my writer's group members. I plan to make cards for my kids' teachers and other people in the community that I appreciate this week.

Here's an interesting new social networking experiment that some of you may appreciate...zaadz.com. I just became a pre-beta member this morning. I look forward to connecting with other creative activists and philosophers.

Thai people call kindness "heart water".

Some Wisdom

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Blessing with your Coffee?

Today's card was left on the counter of a drive up coffee shop window.

Just One Today

On a parking meter.

A Blessing For Me

I've had an insight this morning, into how important this project is to my own well being. The last few months have been very intense for me: serious political problems at work, spending the last six months unsuccessfully looking for another job, an ankle injury that isn't healing, my spiritual community's exit from my life, and seeing and talking to a past abuser for the first time in ten years. The Universe has offered me a plethora of opportunities to heal and to grow. I know this. But some days, I'm just tired and sad. This project's presence in my life is a constant opportunity to continue to plant beauty in the world, even when I'm having a difficult time seeing the beauty in my own life. If I can't find the beauty, then darn it, I'll create it, and my soul will be the better for it.

Today's Places

Yay! I put out three of the Blessing cards today: one on a random windshield in a downtown parking lot; one in the video return box at my local video store; and one inside a free newspaper dispenser.

It makes me nervous when I think I may get caught. Why? Am I ashamed of what I'm doing? No. I believe it's my inner critic, that part of me that's always said being spontaneous, silly, and unconventional is foolish and everyone will either laugh or sneer at me. Maybe this experiment will help me to master my critic!

A Generosity Hero

"On the 15th day of every month Michael Swaine can be found on the sidewalk near the Senator Hotel in the Tenderloin district. He's usually perched behind his vintage sewing machine, stitching patches onto worn jacket linings, hemming trousers and repairing tears in ladies' blouses -- all for free...continue"

The Blessing Cards

Tomorrow I will begin distributing The Blessing Cards. The cards are beautiful and handmade from Nepal. Inside I include both an art blessing kaleidescope (like the image here) printed on matte cardstock and a poem or quote blessing.

Examples of a word blessing..."Umuntu Ngumuntu Nga Bantu" (which means "A person is a person through other people" or "I am because we are") - Southern African saying

or

"With the gift of listening comes the gift of healing, because listening to your brothers and sisters until they have said the last words in their hearts is healing and consoling. Someone once said that it is possible 'to listen a person's soul into existence.'" -- Catherine de Hueck Doherty

I was inspired while creating the cards to wonder about where this whole generosity thing can go. Can I create creative generosity workshops? What about community creative generosity projects? Can I be a generosity teacher?

Why

“Vocation: The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” – Frederick Boecher

I believe my random and unconditional generosity can fill a deep hunger in a culture of greed. The world as a whole needs my gifting as an antithesis to the greed that is consuming so much our world. The energy of generosity itself is vital to our collective. The gift and the receiver are where it meets a personal hunger, to be loved, to be worthy, to learn to accept unconditionally, to hope, to imagine.

Disappointment & Beginning Again

Sadly, I've not acted on my intentions with this project for the last month and a half. Life got complicated and difficult. I became distracted.

I also haven't received one response of any kind to the gifts left out and about in December. I don't think there's anyone out there reading this yet.

But I have been inspired to begin again. I have a collection of papers and cards from Nepalesepaper.com. I plan to begin making little printed art cards with quotes or poems. I shall do my best to document my progress.