The Power of the Love Note

A note of love 

During Self Esteem Workshops - I have the participants create love notes for each other; words of appreciation for one another.  I feel this is so important as it allows the acceptance, the receiving and the gifting of the compliment. It is a practice for a lot of people.  

At the beginning of the month (it's a 4 evening course over a month), and at the beginning, the women, of course, are new to each other.  So they may connect with each other on a superficial level, and this is fine. The writing of the notes is scarce and there are few secretly placed in the envelopes. 

However as the month moves on and the women connect, as they feel for each other, as they see themselves in the other - as compassion rises -- the love notes increase. 

The benefit of writing the love notes, the notes of appreciation written during our class are:

For the receiver:

• it is a practice in accepting the gift of the compliment, without diminishing it
• it is a gift in written form, an acknowledgement of something wonderful, someone else has noticed in them, someone without a personal agenda.   It is a free, loving -- no strings attached gift.  {for some women, this is new for them}
• while they may not believe it, at first, they can pull from the belief - someone else sees them as different than they may see themselves.  They can choose to believe someone sees them as competent, able and worthy

For the giver: 

• they become better at seeing the positive in others, and therefore better at seeing the positive in themselves
• it shows they can have the ability to have an impact on someone
• they tell the other - they are worthy of notice 
• by noticing the good in others and in the world around us, it boosts mood

Seems like fabulous reasons to write wonderful little love notes.

You can write a note today for someone -- and reap some of the benefits I have listed above.  

Would you love to express appreciation to a neighbour, a friend, a family member.  Can you slip a love note in the mail to someone far away, or even around the corner?  Is there anything as nice, as a hand written note?

Begin. Begin to notice the wonderful world you live in, the positive people who are in your life.  Spread some love and happiness through appreciation and gratitude; either verbally or through the written word -- you both will benefit. 

Much love.