From the Book: Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
Part 20. Once a Week, Write a Heartfelt Letter
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20. Once a Week, Write a Heartfelt Letter
This is an exercise that has helped to change many lives, assisting people in becoming more peaceful and loving. Taking a few minutes each week to write a heartfelt letter does many things for you. Picking up a pen or typing on a keyboard slows you down long enough to remember the beautiful people in your life. The act of sitting down to write helps to fill your life with gratitude.
Once you decide to try this, you'll probably be amazed at how many people appear on your list. I had one client who said, "I probably don't have enough weeks left in my life to write everyone on my list." This may or may not be true for you, but chances are, there are a number of people in your life, or from your past, who are quite deserving of a friendly, heartfelt letter. Even if you don't have people in your life to whom you feel you can write, go ahead and write the letter to someone you don't know instead - perhaps to an author who may not even be living, whose works you admire. Or to a great inventor or thinker from the past or present. Part of the value of the letter is to gear your thinking toward gratitude. Writing the letter, even if it isn't sent, would do just that.
The purpose of your letter is very simple: to express love and gratitude. Don't worry if you're awkward at writing letters.
This isn't a contest from the head but a gift from the heart. If you can't think of much to say, start with short little notes like, "Dear Jasmine. I woke up this morning thinking of how lucky I am to have people like you in my life. Thank you so much for being my friend. I am truly blessed, and I wish for you all the happiness and joy that life can bring. Love, Richard."
Not only does writing and sending a note like this focus your attention on what's right in your life, but the person receiving it will, in all likelihood, be extremely touched and grateful. Often, this simple action starts a spiral of loving actions whereby the person receiving your letter may decide to do the same thing to someone else, or perhaps will act and feel more loving toward others. Write your first letter this week. I'll bet you'll be glad you did.
You’ve Got Mail!
I remember receiving handwritten letters in the mail back in the day. I couldn’t wait to open them, especially the ones that had more than a few pages. I’d feel so special because that person took the time to think about me. I’d save the letters so that I could read them over and over again.
Nowadays we send emails, and text more than we send letters through snail mail. Although the method of delivery probably shouldn’t matter as long as it’s heartfelt, in actuality it does make a difference to some.
Take the high success rate of a Yellow Letter Campaign for instance. Mailers are sent to homeowners with the objective of the seller receiving the sender’s hand written interest in their property and then calling the sender back.
The Yellow Letter Campaign has a high success rate because people are more inclined to open a letter that is handwritten as opposed to one that is typed out. I’m not sure why most of us prefer opening handwritten mail as opposed to printed out mail, but we do.
Sending handwritten heartfelt or thank you letters to family, friends, and clients is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Are we that busy that we can’t take a few moments to sit down at a table with pen and pad and start writing? I sure hope not because we all feel so special when we receive a handwritten heartfelt letter.
Who will you send your next heartfelt letter to?
~Matthew
Special Thanks...
I’m thankful that Nate is teaching the team the process of the Yellow Letter Campaign. I’m also thankful that Ashley and Arvetta have stepped up to be his students! Here’s one of the videos that Nate sent out to the team regarding a step in the Yellow Letter Campaign:
Here’s one of my favorite Aaliyah songs, she’s singing about a Four Page Letter that she wrote to her love interest.
Four Page Letter...Aaliyah
Let’s make today a great day and and Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff.
