Unexpected Notes Are Best
Think beyond birthdays, thank yous, and sympathy notes...
If you’d prefer to listen instead of read:
There’s nothing like it…
For me, unexpected notes and letters from friends and family are among life’s most delightful gifts. Every single time I walk to the top of my long, rural driveway and open the mailbox door, I look immediately to see if there’s a personal, handwritten missive among the bills and advertisements. It always stands out, and as soon as I recognize who it’s from, even before I’ve opened it, I get a delicious jolt of anticipation as I look forward to getting back to the house, fixing a cup of coffee or tea, and sitting down to enjoy reading my letter. Just seeing that piece of mail and the handwriting on it conjures up images, memories, and feelings.
What about other handwritten mail?
Of course, I love to send and receive the more common types of correspondence: birthday and holiday cards, thank-you and sympathy notes, and messages of congratulations. But there’s something really special about realizing someone was thinking of you for no special reason…and took the time to let you know, to make a connection, to catch you up with what’s going on in their lives.
Take it to the office
Savvy business professionals know that a heartspoken note can be a powerful connection tool for building and nourishing relationships with colleagues, employees, customers, and prospects. I recently explored the idea of unexpected notes from a professional angle in my LinkedIn newsletter called “3 Unexpected Notes That Will Make Them Smile (and make you stand out from the rest.” What do you think they are?
If you want more ideas for learning to use heartspoken notes as a connection tool in your business or organization, check out the other posts in my LinkedIn newsletter.
Trust your intuition
So my message today is short and sweet: when you think of someone out of the blue, write them a heartspoken note! You may never know if receiving your letter might be exactly what they need…right now.
Spotlight on Good Work
Kristi Keller 🇨🇦 didn’t start out to be a trusted source of practical tips for Substack, but when she started her own newsletter “Wildhood Wanted” she had to learn the ins and outs of the Substack ecosystem herself. She soon knew tricks no one else was talking about. When she decided to share them, “Unstack Substack” was born, and I’ve found it to be one of the most consistently practical and helpful newsletters for navigating the platform’s best practices.
Coming up…
Next week I’m welcoming guest writer and graphologist Sandra Fisher, who reminds us why handwriting is such a therapeutic antidote to “digital frenzy.” Don’t miss it!
Have a great week, and always remember: whether written or spoken,
words from the heart will never fail you!
Your article reminds me of the times before email when the only way to communicate was through physical letters. One of the most exciting things was to receive a letter from a penfriend who was someone from another country you had never met in person. These friendships often continued for years, well into an adulthood and beyond.
This is seriously the best surprise all week! I'm so grateful not only to be your special note today, but to know that my tips are making a difference. Thank you!
On the topic of handwritten notes, I totally agree. My son and I sent letters to each other for years and now I'm SO grateful I have them because I no longer have him. That's one thing technology took away from us....the human touch. This was a beautiful post, Elizabeth!