10 x Nice things to cheer up your neighbors (and yourself)!

A few people emailed me this week saying they were struggling to stay motivated, positive and happy.

You are not alone. We all have our moments.

One of the quickest ways to get happiness is to *give* happiness. So here’s a few ideas you can do for your friends and neighbors to cheer them (and yourself) up!!

1) Look up old photos from your wedding, or a past big event. Pick some out and send them to your friends who were there that day. People love seeing old photos of themselves.

2) For kids, hang teddy bears or bright drawings in your street-facing windows. When kids take a walk around the neighborhood they can go on a “bear hunt” and try to spot the bears as they walk.

3) Dress up in costumes and send weird photos to people. Got old Halloween outfits? Time to bust them out and get weird!

4) Rock art. Some people call these “peace stones”. Basically you paint some rocks in bright and different colors. Drop them around the neighborhood in people’s yards and under trees. It brightens up the day of any passerby who sees. (pic up at the top is my rocks! I use Posca Paint Pens and random rocks I find on the beach)

5) Organize a social distance happy hour. Or a wine tasting night. Can be done in the front yard, back yard, side walk, over the phone or video chat. Nothing better than a conversation over drinks after work.

6) Order a gift on amazon or send a package to someone. I have both sent, and received, surprise packages this week and it truly feels great! Small ideas go a long way.

7) Get some chalk and draw on the sidewalk. If you’re not an artist…. Write out a silly dad joke, like: Why did the scarecrow get a promotion? Because he was outstanding in his field. This guy makes yard signs every day with jokes!

8) Set up a private performance or act out a play for your spouse or family members. Reenact your favorite movie from the past, or make up your own.

9) Call your parents! And your grandparents! Teach people how to use FaceTime, zoom, WhatsApp. It’s frustrating to teach older people how to use technology, but once they do, it’s the most amazing gift you can give them.

10) Gift drop food, booze, or tp to friends. Try baking cookies, bread, a cake, or anything that you know they love and just drop it on their porch.

Stay positive and happy! If you get down, email me! Just writing stuff down makes you feel better sometimes.
– Joel