Handwritten Letters Get Opened First

How long has it been since you wrote handwritten letters to someone you know?  Not an email, not a text, and not a 140 character tweet that rarely, if ever holds context as a respected consideration.  I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t love to receive a handwritten letter in the mail.  Admit it, when you receive a hand-addressed envelope in the mail with a real stamp in the upper right-hand corner a sense of intrigue, wonder and surprise come over you.  It is the first piece of mail in the pile that you open, excited to discover its contents.  Joy fills your heart and a smile finds its way to your face.  You read it over and over and appreciate that someone took the time and made the effort to connect with you in such a special way.  There is magic in those words written in longhand.

Who doesn’t wish to receive a handwritten note in the mail?  This is exactly why one of the exercises in the Lines In The Sand Class I teach is to write four different letters.  Over the next few weeks, I will share the kind of letters that the participants in the course write and I invite you to join us on this journey.  The first letter is a Thank You note.  Think of someone who you would like to get in touch with and express your appreciation to them.  It might be one of your teachers from the past, a former boss that you have come to admire, a waiter at your favorite restaurant, or even the mechanic who keeps your car in good working order.  It can be anyone really,  absolutely anyone who has made your life better or brighter.

Send Your Own Thoughtful Handwritten Letter

Pick out a nice card or piece of stationery, grab your favorite pen, pour yourself a glass of wine or make a cup of tea, and find a quiet corner that is all yours with no distractions.  Turn off your cell phone and simply write.  There isn’t a right or wrong way to do this.  Be you.  Have an open heart as you convey your gratitude to the person to whom you are writing. When you are done, hand address the envelope, put a real stamp on it and mail it.  This simple act of thanks is guaranteed to put a smile on at least two faces; yours and the person who will receive the unexpected note from you.

I encourage you to make a writing a sincere thank you note a part of your life routine.  Send gratitude to someone once a month and see what starts to happen in your life.  I think that you will find the boomerang effects of this thoughtful practice might be life changing.  It is certainly worth putting your phone down and picking up your pen.

I look forward to my next installment where I will share the second letter writing challenge with you.

Stay true and be you —

Annie