Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

It seems natural that I should use today to write about the Yellow Envelope Project. Not only is it Monday, the day I typically feature our winning nominee of the week, but the project also features the color yellow - my one and only criteria for each post in the month of July.

Only today is different.

After a lot of thought and time spent talking with a mentor, I have decided to close the proverbial curtain on the Yellow Envelope Project... as we know it. Not all together, mind you, but on the weekly push to have you send envelopes and the never ending pull to receive nominations.

One of my mantras is that, "Time spent doing one thing is time not spent doing another." Such is the case with the Yellow Envelope Project - a project that has gained little traction in the almost two years that it has been around.

No sulking

No pouting

No speculating, wondering, hypothesizing, or blaming.

This is a good decision made from a place of strength; a decision that will release me of worry and feelings of defeat and, in turn, allow me to channel my energies for the House of Shine in more productive ways.

The Project, as we know it, will change, but as I said earlier, it will not go away completely.

The nomination form will remain on our site and when a nomination comes through, I will most certainly share it with this tribe of people who understands the power of a note.

Additionally, I will continue challenging you to send yellow envelopes filled with notes of gratitude, to people in your corner of the world who you think are deserving. And, I will continue advocating that you put the words, "Yellow Envelope Project" in place of your return address. We've done this before with mom's, girl scouts, teachers, and postal workers and it seems to work well.

The decision to let this project go is my attempt to shine; to gracefully and with courage let go of something, believing that my energies can be used in more meaningful ways.

Today I will send a yellow envelope to the mentor who helped me arrive at this difficult decision. I think it is the perfect way to show my gratitude.

Shining off until tomorrow... 

Yellow Envelope Project

When I was a graduate student at the University of Georgia, I received a four-word note from the director of the department where I held an assistantship. Twenty years later I still have it and whenever I present a workshop on either Staff Recognition or The Power of a Note, I describe how Dr. Luna made me feel. 

"You do good work."

Packed into those four words was reassurance that the work I loved so much made a difference. And, having Dr. Luna notice my passion and enthusiasm was enough icing on the cake to motivate me even twenty years later.

It is one of the reasons I cannot understand why we have such a hard time soliciting nominations for the Yellow Envelope Project.

It defies logic to think that someone would be anything other than thrilled to receive a letter of gratitude.

And the world is full of people who, in the words of Dr. Luna, do good work.

So if we know that people appreciate being recognized and we know that there is good work being done in all corners of the world, then why isn't our mailbox inundated with countless nominations for the Yellow Envelope Project?

Could it be that people don't understand the Yellow Envelope Project?

Impossible. Our video explains everything.

Can it be that nominating someone is too hard?

No way. A simple click takes you to the form and the form requires less than ten minutes to complete.

Can it be that our readers don't know people who are worthy of being nominated?

Not if you believe that birds of a feather flock together. We are a website about teaching and promoting principles of excellence - or, as we like to say... Shining. If you visit us at the House of Shine then chances are it is because you shine. And, if you do then chances are people in your network do too.

The only thing worse than not recognizing people for doing good work is actually having a program set up to do this very thing and then not having the program utilized.

This week, instead of using your ten minutes and $0.44 to mail an anonymous letter of gratitude to our nominee, keep your $0.44 and use ten minutes to advise me on how to fix it.

See you in the Comment Section.

Shining off until tomorrow...  

Yellow Envelope Project: Louisville

When watching programs or movies that show doctors performing medical procedures, I, quick, slap my hands over my eyes and thank God there are people in the world who enjoy doing that line of work. I, on the other hand, shudder at the mere thought of blood.

I feel similarly about today's recipient for the Yellow Envelope Project. Karyn works in the food industry and, though food far from makes me shudder, I am very thankful that there are people who consider Karyn's line of work their life's purpose. Until thirty minutes ago, I didn't even know Karyn's line of work existed. Take a look at what her nominator had to say: 

"Karyn is an amazing woman. She works in food justice - helping ensure that all people have good quality, healthy food in appropriate amounts. She's started groups to help bring healthy fruits and vegetables to food deserts in our area. She tirelessly works with farmers and faith communities and volunteers to get the fresh fruits and vegetables to people who need them, even if that means going door to door to deliver the food herself. She's set up farmer's markets in Portland and other neighborhoods where there is a scarcity of any food other than fast food. Many of these areas don't even have ready access to a simple grocery store. Her work is funded by grants, and when they run out - Karyn keeps working."

That's what is amazing. There is enough work to be done in this world to keep every man, woman, and child busy making some kind of contribution. Some - like Karyn - answer the call, while others are either unsure of their contribution or are too self-absorbed to care.

One thing is for sure. When someone like Karyn finds her niche and her niche is helping others, we should do whatever it takes to keep her going. Even if it means flooding Karyn's mailbox with anonymous letters of gratitude sealed in yellow envelopes.

Participating in the Yellow Envelope Project is easy.

Simply carve ten minutes out of your work day to write Karyn a short note. Thank her for finding a small corner of the world that needed improvement and for choosing to answer the call. Then, seal your note in a yellow envelope (or a white envelope decorated with yellow stickers or markers) and mail it to the address listed below.

But don't blow our cover. We like the idea of placing the words, "Yellow Envelope Project" in place of our return addresses, because we like that our acts can be as selfless as hers.

Ten minutes and $0.44 can nourish Karyn's soul in the same way that her work nourishes the bodies of scores of other people. I hope you agree and that you will make the time to send your note.

Shining off until tomorrow...