This post is sponsored by Frost Bank, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
We're halfway through the Frost Bank Opt for Optimism Challenge and I'm absolutely loving it! If you aren't familiar with it, it is a 30 day challenge focusing on fostering generosity, building community and changing perspectives. Every day you will be emailed a challenge related to one of those categories and will be encouraged to participate that day. How many acts of optimism does it take to move the needle against the big, negative forces that each of us face, ever day?! Today I'm sharing a few of my favorite daily challenges I've participated in and some fun stories!
LEAVE AN UPLIFTING NOTE ONE A RANDOM CAR
I felt like a bit of a creeper walking up to a random car in my work parking garage, but it felt very uplifting leaving a note of encouragement for that unknown person. My note basically said if they were having a rough time in life I encourage them to stay strong, push through and not give up. And if life was going great, I encouraged them to rejoice, be thankful and celebrate!
BUY A CUP OF COFFEE FOR A STRANGER
I don't drink coffee often, but when I woke up to this challenge in my inbox I headed to Starbucks! To be honest, I was a bit nervous turning around to the person behind me and asking what she wanted and telling her I was going to pay. Why was I nervous about that? Maybe because it felt strange, but doing random acts of kindness shouldn't feel strange. They should feel normal. I ordered myself a mocha, Turner a hot chocolate, and the woman behind me a latte. She smiled and said, "Thank you!". As Turner and I were waiting for our order she came over and told me she followed me on Instagram! What?! That is so freaking cool. We chatted away and I found out we had a lot in common. She is a mom, blogger, marketer, and now I'm following her and her adorable family on Instagram!
DO A RANDOM FAVOR FOR SOMEONE WITHOUT ASKING
I love teaching Turner about this challenge, and on this specific day Turner was a BIG help. It was trash day, and after we returned home from work and school Turner and I walked down the street to each neighbor's house and pulled their trash bin and recycling bin from the street to their garage. He was so excited and wanted to pull every one of them by himself. Afterwards we talked about how kindness spreads by the way we treat and help others, and as soon as Alex came home Turner was talking his ear off about it.
TAKE SOMEONE YOU WANT TO KNOW BETTER TO LUNCH
This challenge came at a perfect time as I started my new job. I sit very closely to three other women in a small square space with four desks, and every day I learn something new about them. Negativity breeds negativity, so my goal is to be a positive and optimistic co-worker that encourages my team daily by my words and actions. On this day I went with one of my new co-workers to lunch, and I enjoyed getting to learn more about her and her family. I believe it's important for co-workers to be invested in each other's lives. I mean we do spend 40 hours a week together!
Did you know studies show optimism is about 25% inheritable? And while there are a few other out-of-our-control factors that affect our positivity, there's still a lot of wiggle room to develop a more optimistic outlook as adults. If you're interested in participating there's still time to sign up HERE!
Photos by Angela Doran
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