A Handful Of Stones Are Making A Huge Difference

I stumbled across an incredible act of kindness today while exploring Cape Cod, MA. In the sand by the boardwalk, there was a collection of stones that had words of encouragement written on them. Phrases like "You are special" and "The best is yet to come" splashed across the sand on these painted rocks, reminding passersby that kindness is still out there. Amidst the rocks was a message written on a piece of driftwood:

#TheKindnessRocksProject
Take one if it has meaning to you, share one with a friend in need of inspiration or add one to the pile! It's all about Kindness

My sister and I stood there for a while reading all the messages. Some were simple, others were more specific, but all of them were beautiful. I felt moved by the idea of strangers helping strangers with words of kindness and instantly began to wonder how widespread this #thekindnessrocksproject actually is. I picked up a rock with "You rock" written on it and replaced it with one of my own ("You are so very important") before heading back to the hotel to do some research.

As it turns out, there's an entire Facebook page for those who want to be a part of the movement. The page consists of tons of posts from people around the globe who are sharing kindness rocks. Individuals are starting up kindness rock piles at their schools, in their neighborhoods and even at the bases of random trees in random parks. There is no right or wrong place to leave a kindness rock; you can leave them virtually any place someone in need will find them.

This is obviously a fun and creative project that could make a priceless difference in someone's life, right? Yeah, I thought so, too. My question for you is this: If these rocks provide a ray of hope in a world where people are so often trapped in the cages of their mind—cages filled with stress, doubt, fear and anxiety—why aren't there more of them out there? I've seen all sorts of movements and protests on my college campus and in my small mountain town, but in the three years that I've lived there, I've never seen any kindness rocks.

Today, I accepted the challenge to make sure that my words of kindness reach people more often. Today, I vowed to drop a rock or two of reassurance out there every now and then because if more people can feel the joy that I felt today, maybe the world won't be so bad off. And if every person reading this article can do the same, there will be a lot more kindness in our communities. More kindness means better moods. Better moods mean nicer people. Nicer people mean more small acts of kindness. Don't you see? This isn't just a project or a movement. This is a lifestyle that can change lives.