Do It Now
Do It Now
Heartspoken notes are like an investment in a personal security box.
If you’d prefer to listen instead of read this post:
Guest author today
Welcome to my note-writing friend, kindred spirit, and professional card designer, Leah Nixon Fitzgerald. Leah and her sister Grace are the dynamic duo behind the wonderful Tiny and Snail card company you’ve heard me talk about. She wrote this message for their followers and gave me permission to share it with you. Read more about Tiny and Snail below her post.
I’ve recently been thinking about how the power of writing to people requires you to adopt a “do-it nowness” spirit and not wait until tomorrow.
When I almost died at the age of 29, I was taught that it’s simply an illusion to think we will always have tomorrow to write that note to someone.
We are in a culture where consuming media is like eating junk food: it tastes good, it’s easy to do, but it causes indigestion and long-term side effects.
Card writing fights hard in the opposite direction.
It requires you to seize the day. If you don’t do it now, when will you do it?
Grace and I create cards that help you get to it today.
We design them to spark your words — the phrases and art lead to your message inside.
It’s a way to pause in your day, it’s an active meditation.
Do it now.
I wrote to my three-year-old last night. (In this card.)
It’s one of my greatest fears that my time with her will somehow be cut short. And it feels like 100 years wouldn’t be enough.
When I write to her it feels like I’m putting an investment in a personal security box. A way to give her a hug, even after I’m gone.
All cards are making a deposit for the future —
I truly believe that the value of writing to someone can be the difference between someone dying and someone thriving. I’ve lived that.
Card writing is more or less a private thing. It takes effort and thought.
In its smallness, it has outsized returns.
Over the past few years I’ve dived into the mental health research about writing to people you love. It is one of the most beneficial activities you can do not only for someone else but also for yourself.
It triggers lots of things that make our brains happy: connection, verbal processing, creativity, connecting your hand to your head to your heart. It is spontaneous and makes us think the most gracious, grateful, and hopeful thoughts. It biases our brains towards good.
And then it shows up for the person on the other side…giving them comfort that someone is thinking of them and wishing them the best in whatever they are going through.
Do it now
I hope you take the time to write to someone today. Put on the spirit of “do-it-nowness.” Put your phone down, shut the lid to your laptop, and spend a few minutes seizing the day, making a deposit into the future. It’s well worth it.
Wishing you the best today and always,
You’ll love their Kindred Spirits Collection which can be purchased as a set of 8 or individually.
About Tiny and Snail
Tiny and Snail (est. 2017) is run by a sister team, Grace and Leah. We create joyful illustrations and believe that technology will never be as magical as a paper card.
The road hasn't been easy. In 2018, Leah/Tiny was in a life-altering accident while working her day job, building homes for Habitat for Humanity, which left her paralyzed from the chest down. In that brutal time, Tiny and Snail provided a life raft for us to cling to. Our cards and art reflect the wonder of life and the ability to shine light into dark days. You can connect with them here:
Affiliate notice: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. Thank you for your support—it helps me keep sharing valuable content.
Excuses for writing a heartspoken note
From the November Note and Letter Writers Calendar this week:
I Love to Write Day - Friday, November 15. Touch bases with a fellow writer.
Do you remember when you realized writing was nourishment for your soul? That realization came late for me, but now I find that whether I’m writing a note, letter, article, speech, a book, or in my journal, it is a form of expression and connection that means so much. I love being connected with you as a fellow writer and thank you for always sharing so generously what you’ve learned on your writing journey.
International Day for Tolerance - Saturday, November 16. Write a social post or letter to the editor about the importance of tolerance, kindness, and civility. Right after a contentious election might be a great time to choose light and love over darkness and conflict. Here’s an excerpt from The Book of Common Prayer “ For Social Justice” to contemplate or share:
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the people of this land], that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace.
Take a Hike Day - Sunday, November 17. Take a hike and describe it in a letter to a friend, family member, or pen pal.
The temperatures are finally cool enough for me to enjoy being outside. John and I hiked a short trail last weekend up on the Skyline Drive. Oh, the colors! The walnut trees had already dropped their yellow leaves to create a carpet around their base, but the maple reds and golds were still stunning against the green pines. Every step crunching on leaves created a rich, fall scent that wafted up around us as we walked. Getting out into Nature helps me keep the worries of the world at bay.
Next week
Next week, I’ll be sharing some typewriter history and memories. Yes, a heartspoken note can be typed too! Subscribe now so you don’t miss it:
Have a great week and always remember: whether written or spoken, words from the heart will never fail you!
Almost forgot!
P.S. My November LinkedIn newsletter this month is called “Email, Snail Mail, or Both?” It’s for business and nonprofit professionals who need some guidance. If you’re on LinkedIn, be sure to subscribe while you’re there.
P.P.S. Don’t miss the RV Book Fair from Relatable Media that begins on November 16th — I’m a speaker, presenter, and panel member, and it’s all FREE! Click the button to get the details.
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What a moving post today by your guests, @leahnixon and her sister Grace, "Tiny and Snail." I fully believe what Grace and Leah stated: Card writing fights hard in the opposite direction of a culture who consumes media like junk food. I've already popped over to their website [shopping cart already full and ready for checkout], and to their social media. These are ladies who have a message we need to hear.
As always @elizabethhcottrell, thank you for the reminders from the November Note and Letter Writers Calendar, for the "sample scripts," and for the moving excerpt from, "The Book of Common Prayer," for Social Justice. I'm looking forward to your post next week on typewriter history and memories. I alternate between handwritten and typewritten notes, so this is an interesting topic for me!
Best of luck at the RV Book Fair! I have Relatable-Media.com queued up for topics you all will be covering there from November 16-23.