It’s Week 8 of 8 Weeks of Appreciation! It’s become a tradition at PPR Strategies—Places Reimagined to dedicate the 8 weeks leading up to the New Year to acts of kindness or service to our community. It’s our way of spreading more cheer, positivity, and goodwill in the world!
This week, Sophie led the team in a “kindness stones” activity… Here’s Sophie:
If you’ve been following along with our 8 Weeks of Appreciation segment until this point, you know that we’ve reached the finish line! This holiday tradition at PPR Strategies has become an office favorite and continually reminds us to take time for the little things. To spread kindness. To make the extra effort to connect with family, friends, or even strangers. To say thank you.
With mugs of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, Sandy, Meg, Nisha, and I sat down in our conference room — some of us on Zoom, some in person — to paint rocks and pen notes of encouragement to our family members, co-workers, and the community at large. This group craft was intended to share kindness, joy, and appreciation in a simple, unexpected way.
These painted rocks, sometimes called kindness stones, have become increasingly popular in our community over the past few years. Simply put, they are rocks decorated with an inspirational message or image and can vary in size and shape. Once created, the idea is to leave it somewhere for another person to discover and enjoy. As we all know, sometimes a simple message of appreciation and compassion can spark joy and brighten someone’s entire day.
Although we usually leave the design work to others, we were excited to try our hand at more artistic endeavors!
…and maybe we’ll continue to leave the artistry to the more talented. 😉
Meg, our Writer and Editor, crafted some happy mail for her son, Max. “Max had a day full of standardized testing, so my hope is that his lunchbox note will make him smile. For my part, crafting these notes felt creative and relaxing, and hiding them in an unexpected place gave me joy!”
Nisha, our Communications Specialist, had fun painting rocks and crafting inspiring notes for the community! “This was a really rewarding way to spend an afternoon! Knowing that our words of appreciation can make someone’s day warms my heart. Hopefully, any individual who encounters these keepsakes can pay it forward and spread some kindness!”
Sandy, our CEO and Founder, writes, “When we started this task, I immediately relaxed. It was nice to shift gears and do something nice for a stranger; it also gave us a few minutes to laugh and reflect on our day.”
Everyone can make someone’s day with kind words and messages. Start the rock painting trend in your community, and watch the ripple effect you create. Thank you for helping us inspire kindness.
Happy holidays from the team at PPR Strategies—Places Reimagined!
Reimagining Places With You,
Sophie and the PPR Strategies Team
